By Marie-Antoinette Issa.
Ready your boots and bring your appetite - because come Saturday, May 3, the Liverpool Plains will host dinner with a difference.
Instead of soulless table settings and stuffy seating, The Dinner Party at Windy Station invites you to indulge in an immersive, open-air dining experience set against the sweeping backdrop of one of NSW’s most stunning rural properties.
Think elegance under a star-strewn sky - with a dash of country grit for an epicurean experience that is anything but your average night out.
For one night only, Windy Station will transform its fertile fields and heritage wool sheds into a stage for flame-licked feasts, storytelling and toe-tapping live music. It’s all part of a bi-annual celebration of food, fun and fabulous rural hospitality - designed for those who like their meals with meaning and their landscapes wide open.
The barnyard bash kicks off with a Tequila Mockingbird cocktail on arrival. Spotlighting Patron Silver, elderflower liqueur, jalapeño agave, cucumber and a spiced salt rim, it’s smoky, spicy and a seriously good reason to hop on a bus from Tamworth, Quirindi or Willow Tree (transfers are included, so you can sip without worry).
However, at the heart of this paddock-to-plate soiree is a menu straight from the fire gods at Atticus Hospitality - the crew behind some of Sydney’s hottest (literally) Latin American restaurants, including hatted Esteban in the CBD, Casa Esquina in Balmain and cult favourite Tequila Mockingbird in Paddington.
Their Chefs are bringing the flames north for a four-course feast bursting with regional flair and Latin soul. Expect tacos topped with salmon ceviche and lamb barbacoa, Skull Island prawns al la Pil Pil, grilled broccolini in a tequila-spiked dressing and Wagyu fat roasted potatoes that’ll have you questioning every carb-less diet you've ever tried.
The event is co-hosted by The Paddock by VC Events and promises a deep dive into the world of boutique producers and regional gems. Wines are hand-picked by Tom Egan of Viticult and Josephine’s Drinks will be on bar duty with a line-up of sips to match the heat of the grill. From elegant pours to Tequila Mockingbird Margaritas, you won’t go thirsty.
Complementing the dinner and drinks is a perfect dancing playlist - starring a live music lineup designed to deliver a slick soundtrack to accompany the sunset and help you dance the dust off your boots into the night. Think mariachi meets Aussie bush ballad, with a splash of fiesta.
Beyond plates and pours (delicious as they may be), the entire event showcases the connection between land, legacy and local legends. You’ll take a walking tour through the property’s working crops, led by Windy Station’s Station Manager David Lee and Agronomist Pete McKenzie.
You’ll hear the stories behind the cotton, canola and chickpeas grown on this 60,000-acre slice of Australia’s agri-heartland. You’ll meet the cattle - and you might even be inspired to recreate the entire experience in suburbia.
Tickets are $275 a head, which includes dinner, drinks, a walking tour, bus transfers and a voucher to return for The Back Paddock - Windy Station’s brand-new agritourism tour experience. There are also limited accommodation packages available if you want to stay and soak it all in.
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