“YES. For sure! Would love to catch up – let’s do dinner some time!”
Six months later? *crickets*.
How many times do we say those exact words to our friends, only for life to get in the way and months roll past without us even realising?
If you’re slightly cringing at this, while admitting you’re possibly one of those people, here comes the best excuse to finally follow through with that first sentence, and it’s as easy as one, two, Table & Taste.
This is where the brilliance of Sharnee Beard and her unique new business, the Table & Taste Club, swoops to your rescue, making magnificent chefs out of even the most basic of cooks, even if just for one night a month.
It’s almost similar to a book club concept, but for food and wine lovers who don’t actually have time to read a book, and just want to read a mouth-wateringly simple, step by step, three-course menu and tantalising wine list brimming with exceptional local WA wines.
The entire idea is to have a tantalising excuse to bring people together to enjoy fabulous food, fine yet affordable wines and good friends.
With a Table & Taste Club membership, groups of friends can join as a ‘club’ and receive new recipes on the second day of each month, matched with stunning, cellar door wines and making it easier than ever to host beautiful, unique social events.
Clubs purchase an annual membership for $10 a month for the whole club, for up to 12 club members and each month they receive a complete menu of recipes for a starter, main and dessert.
The recipes feature in-season ingredients and interesting flavour pairings to create a cohesive, exciting food experience.
As an added layer, each recipe is matched with Australian wines, with new wines featured every month and members receive instructions on how to purchase the wine and given exclusive, special offers and discounts from wineries.
To help guide you through all of this, a membership also includes access to a members’-only Facebook group with cooking demonstrations, monthly introductions to each menu, and a chance to connect with the other Table & Taste Clubs around Australia.
It’s a brilliant and unique concept compiled by clever caterer Sharnee Beard, in her second foray into the fabulous world of food, after starting her own catering company Wild Strawberry Catering more than a decade ago.
“I love having friends over all the time and designing menus, but even I get nervous sometimes as to what to cook,” Sharnee said.
“What Table & Taste really does, is provide that excuse to have friends over, try new recipes paired with wines, all the while having the confidence to cook a three-course menu while being guided every step of the way.
“Through my catering experience, people would regularly say to me they’d love to cook something special for their friends or partners more often, but they didn’t have the time or know-how to design a perfectly cohesive menu.
“Table & Taste menus are carefully designed to fit it into the lives of busy Australians, whether it’s cooking for a date night, family members or a friendship circle.”
Each recipe is tried and tested by the Table & Taste team, providing plenty of tips and tricks to help club members achieve success.
Sharnee assures us the recipes are interesting enough for the skilled cook but with enough step-by-step instruction for beginners.
Essentially the menus are designed to get people out of the kitchen and into the party, which is why they’ve curated a collection of recipes where much of the prep is completed hours, even days, in advance.
And living in the small Wheatbelt town of Bencubbin herself, Sharnee is also aware that sometimes particular ingredients aren’t as accessible in more remote areas, so she offers alternatives for her club members if need be.
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“This is one of the most passionate points I wanted to make when I created Table & Taste,” she said.
“I wanted it to be something everyone can access, both the club and beautiful, inspiring food and wine, no matter how remote they may be.”
Since launching Table & Taste a mere month ago, Sharnee had 18 clubs from across the country sign up within the first week, proving there’s a real hunger for gorgeous food, great wine and perhaps the best excuse to regularly get together with your besties.
Memberships for the 2019 season close by January, so you have mere days to hustle and gather together a few foodie friends and ensure you don’t miss out on possibly the most fun you can ever have in the kitchen!
