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Newcastle Herald

Simon McCarthy

All the photos from the 30th Lovedale Long Lunch

Marina Neil the Central Coast Singleton (Organization)

From left, Perri-Anne Fehily, Kimberlee Bower, Alicia Martin and Rebecca Shepherd at the Lovedale Long Lunch on Saturday, May 18. Picture by Marina Neil

From left, Kelly Adamthwaite, Meagan Edwards, Angela Gerard and Simone Merrick of Singleton at the Lovedale Long Lunch on Saturday, May 18. Picture by Marina Neil

Justin Robards of Kurri Kurri and Paige Medhurst of Adelaide at the Lovedale Long Lunch on Saturday, May 18. Picture by Marina Neil

Sarah McLellan, Jess O'Connor, Gail McLellan and Jan Lalic of the Central Coast at the Lovedale Long Lunch on Saturday, May 18. Picture by Marina Neil

Madison and Cheryl Baldwin with Chelsea Wysman of the Central Coast at the Lovedale Long Lunch on Saturday, May 18. Picture by Marina Neil

Jack Andrew, Chelsea Wysman, Alison Wysman and Ray Wysman of the Central Coast at the Lovedale Long Lunch on Saturday, May 18. Picture by Marina Neil

Ginnie Plumridge (centre) decked out as a gladiator for her 40th birthday surrounded by 'G'-costumed friends at the Lovedale Long Lunch. Her first visit to the event was for her 30th birthday 10 years earlier.

Cassie Budgeon and Selina Kilgour at the Lovedale Long Lunch on Saturday, May 18. Picture by Marina Neil

Scenes from the 30th anniversary of the Lovedale Long Lunch at Gartelmann Wines on Saturday, May 18. Picture by Marina Neil

From left, Grace Kelly, Hope Strand, Clare Hooimeyer and Mel McBride at the Lovedale Long Lunch on Saturday, May 18. Picture by Marina Neil

From left, Jacinta, Sophie, Jaz, Leisl, Jaimi and Georgia Cooper at the Lovedale Long Lunch on Saturday, May 18. Picture by Marina Neil

It was like the Big Day Out but for grown-ups.

That was the review from a group of Central Coast mums who had travelled up into God's country for Saturday's Lovedale Long Lunch.

A blanket of overcast cloud cover under a light but chilled wind wasn't enough to turn away a lively crowd from the Gartelmann Wines cellar door on Saturday, May 18, as the busses flowed steadily in for the 30th anniversary of the Hunter institution.

Ginnie Plumridge had first attended the long lunch for her 30th birthday. For her 40th on the weekend, she was surrounded by friends all costumed as something starting with the letter G. Ginnie was a gladiator in full armour, flanked by smiling gangsters, the Grinch, a genie, and a gherkin, sipping Gartelmann's 2023 Pinot Noir as local band Tre Soul brought the house down with infectious mash-ups and throwback stylings.

The event had been nine months in the planning. Gartelmann Wines owner Matt Dillow and his team of organizers had spent almost a year making preparations and contingencies for everything from security to the placement of the stalls to a wet weather plan if the day's coastal downpour drifted inland.

As the crowd mingled on the lawns on the banks of the cellar door's pond, Mr Dillow could finally breathe out; the day went off without a hitch.

"I'm feeling relaxed," he said with a smile. "More relaxed than I have been ... it's fantastic. Everyone is buzzing."

Just under 2500 foodies and socialites had filled the sprawling garden on Lovedale Road in the early afternoon in a vibrant wash of autumnal fashions. Mr Dillow has been catering the lunch, which annually draws a flock of visitors to Hunter wine country to sample the local produce, for over a decade and has owned Gartelmann Wines for a little more than three years and said on the event's anniversary that it was only getting better.

"The Lovedale Long Lunch is a showcase of our quality fresh food," he said. "We use as much local produce as possible, and ... it showcases our great wines."

Visitors at the weekend to the progressive lunch were offered a sample of the best offerings from six of the region's wineries - Allandale, Emma's Cottage, Gartelmann, Saltire, Sandalyn, and Tatler - catered by a line-up of the Hunter Valley's top chefs.

By all accounts, the event was well received on Saturday, with visitors from the local haunts to the Central Coast and as far as Adelaide flocking to the Hunter to take in the atmosphere. Though the temperatures dipped into autumnal climes, the rain held off for the day, lingering instead on the coast in an over 30-millimetre drenching.

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