STARING at the plate of succulent, juicy, caramelized to perfection 36 day-aged Australian Cape Grim beef, I cut into the stunningly seared steak. Taking a bite, meaty taste sensations burst into life elevated by a dusting of Olssen's sea salt. Next up on Australian super chef Neil Perry's seasonal menu is Siberian Oscietra caviar farmed in Abu Dhabi. In my luxurious seat I soar above 36,000 feet as salty tangs of caviar linger on my palate. Welcome to Business Class — Qantas style. Australians take food incredibly seriously. Australia is the world's largest exporter of halal red meat with 5,126 tons of lamb, 18,538 tons of mutton and 32,213 tons of beef coming to Saudi Arabia alone in 2014, so I'm determined to savor the whole paddock to plate experience. Thanks to the incredible Qantas cabin crew, and the exceptional service and comfort, I arrived fresh and eager to uncover Victoria's secrets. Marvelous Melbourne Victoria's capital, and Australia's second largest city, Melbourne sits on the Yarra River and around the shores of Port Phillip Bay. Steeped in history, cosmopolitan Melbourne's laid back, elegant style is reflected through refined 19th-century architecture sitting alongside dynamic modern buildings such as the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. Hosting glamorous and prestigious events including Spring Racing Carnival culminating in the Melbourne Cup, Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix and Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the city is always pulsing. With great shopping, the local passion for eating and drinking means boutique coffee houses, a diverse restaurant scene — Heston Blumenthal created his pop up restaurant here — so there's always something delicious on every corner. Queen Victoria Market is a must for anyone who loves to browse and eat incredible artisan produce. Melbourne also has a large and growing Muslim community with virtually all meat sold throughout the state halal certified. Hidden Gem Venturing out of Melbourne you can find hidden gems such as St. Kilda. Only six kilometers from the city center, it's a European style quirky, café society seaside playground. Boasting a sandy beach and great restaurants, it has an incredible vista of Port Philip and great panoramic view of Melbourne. Needing to walk off lunch I took a stroll along St Kilda Pier to gorgeous Edwardian Kiosk restaurant/café Little Blue. Serving lovely local produce, the big surprise of Little Blue is that it's also home to 1,000 adorable blue Fairy Penguins among the rocks. Food Networking Back in the city it's time to uncover some Victoria food facts. What better way than to meet new Minister for Agriculture — Jaala Pulford, at a Food Networking Event. Contributing more than $11 billion in exports, Victoria's food and fiber industry is thriving with meat the most valuable export commodity at $2.34 billion in 2013-14. Victoria is Australia's leading state for production and export of premium quality lamb products, with 40% of national production. It's easy to see why as it tastes sensational. The minister herself explained: “One of the best elements of my job is producers are constantly giving me wonderful things to eat.” Victoria's environment plays a role in producing world-class food. Fresh, clean, and green, with stunning scenery, as I find out at Yarra Valley. Yarra Valley Less than an hour from Melbourne, the Yarra Valley is home to Brett Spurling, of Gateway Farms, who run a small herd of Angus cattle and provide their own grass-fed, aged beef to buy quite literally at the farm gate. Apparent from the moment I met Brett is his passion and respect for his animals. This respect for animal welfare at every stage from paddock to plate at Gateway delivers consistently mouth-watering meat with outstanding flavor and tenderness. Great Ocean Road No visit to Victoria could be complete without visiting the epic coastal scenery of the Great Ocean Road. Voted one of the top ten must-do drives in the world, and home to the 12 Apostles, the beaches are breathtakingly beautiful — a natural surfers' paradise. Raising the Baa Driving on to the Grampians — a national park of outstanding natural beauty, we meet lamb producer Charlie de Fegely at his property Dobie to learn more about why Australia deserves its reputation for food safety. Charlie explained traceability to me: “We can absolutely guarantee with total integrity the point of origin of the lambs. Lambs are tagged before they leave and that's critical. The tag has a Property Identification Code so lambs can be traced back to source. Full traceability ensures the animal health history is all there. This gives great faith and people can know exactly where their lamb has been produced.” Charlie's farm is outstanding, and the meat was equally delightful. What better than a lamb chop simply grilled seasoned with salt and pepper? Farm to fork doesn't get fresher or better. Put Victoria On Your Plate As I return to the Middle East the deep impression from the ‘Put Victoria On Your Plate' will remain with me. Everything I've eaten tasted absolutely amazing, proving that Victoria and Australia truly lives up to its reputation as one of the greatest food producers in the world.
How To Get There Visit: www.qantas.com.au Qantas operates double daily A380 services between Riyadh and Australia (Sydney/Melbourne) Qantas offers premium food and beverage service for all customers. In First and Business, restaurant-style menus are designed by renowned Australian chef Neil Perry. 5 Must Do's in Victoria 1. Head to Halls Gap adjacent to the Grampians to meet Kangaroos, Wallabies, Kookaburras and sample Bush Food! www.visithallsgap.com.au 2. Drop by Dunkeld for farm to fork food enjoying an incredible view. Check out the kitchen garden at Railway Restaurant www.royalmail.com.au 3. Experience Lorne and its breathtaking beach and whale watch! www.visitgreatoceanroad.org.au/lorne 4. Stop off at Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean Road for dramatic, iconic scenery www.visit12apostles.com.au 5. Check out Great Otway National Park remembering to look up and see Koala's in the trees! www.visitvictoria.com
