The Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre (MECC) played host to some of Australia’s biggest celebrities on the 5^th and 6^th December for the L'Oreal Paris 2007 AFI Awards.

Now in its 49th year, the L’Oreal Paris 2007 AFI Awards is the longest running and most prestigious screen industry awards event in Australia.

Broadcast nationally, screen stars Cate Blanchett, Anthony LaPaglia, Alan Dale, Joan Chen and Sophie Monk were amongst those who descended on the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.

Hosting the awards took months of preparation, with more than 2,200 people catered for over the two day event.

Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre’s food and beverage manager Frank Burger says discussions with some of Victoria’s top food producers took place six months ago, to ensure the freshest and highest quality ingredients were available.

“From the strawberries from Sunny Ridge Farm in the Mornington Peninsula to the Gippsland lamb, we sourced produce from the best Victorian producers to ensure the utmost quality.”

Burger says by using seasonal local produce and tailor making specific dishes for the event ensures the menu leaves a lasting memory.

With dishes like pepper crusted ocean trout with crispy chilli salad, pumpkin seed oil and caramelised lime; roasted best end of lamb, confit lamb and olive tortellini, buckwheat polenta and baby vegetables; and Moroccan spiced chicken breast on pine nut and raisin Israeli cous cous, baby spinach and honey and coriander jus -  it’s not hard to see why.

But, the red carpet treatment wasn’t limited to the menu.  

Some of the 30,000 sqm of exhibition bays were transformed into a glamorous dining experience, with its own purpose built kitchen the size of three tennis courts and a two metre long Oyster bar, made of five blocks of ice weighing more than 700kg taking centre stage on the awards night.