As an ambassador for Your Local Club Perfect Plate Awards, Courtney was sampling the dish as part of the state-wide search to find the best club meal.

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A ClubsNSW initiative, the awards are designed to showcase the quality and diversity of food on offer in NSW clubs.

Prior to the launch of the Perfect Plate Awards, C.ex Group Head Chef Greg Watkins and C.ex Group Sous Chef Peter Nash had several discussions about what dish they would prepare.

In previous years, they had chosen popular dishes from current menus.

This year, they wanted to try something different, creating a dish that represented Australian tastes and took advantage of local produce.

They experimented with several different dishes and finally decided on garlic and rosemary marinated Cowra lamb loin, served with a medley of roasted vegetables, steamed broccolini, confit cherry tomatoes, and a beetroot and red wine jus.

“We wanted a dish that combines good quality ingredients, done well,” Chef Peter told News Of The Area.

“It needed to be achievable for our regular dinner service, considering we serve an average of 300 meals every evening.

“The dish includes sealing, cooking and resting the lamb, so the timing must be spot on.”

They sourced their main ingredient, the Cowra lamb, and the fresh produce was provided by local suppliers.

“Using local ingredients was crucial to us to highlight the quality and flavours of Australia,” he said.

With a combined 52 years of cheffing experience, Greg and Peter were confident in the dish they served to Courtney.

The dish has been on the menu since early May and has proven quite popular among members and guests.

“We were confident but naturally a bit anxious to ensure everything was perfect for Courtney,” said Greg.

“It was great having her in our kitchen.

“She was very down-to-earth, and we had an interesting discussion about working for a large venue with multiple dining outlets.

“It was an experience to have someone with her background visit us.”

Courtney visited the club outside of outlet trading hours, so Greg and Peter seated her in the Papaveros Italian restaurant on the ground floor.

“We served the meal to her, which was a bit of a novelty for us,” Peter said.

“She loved the feel of the restaurant, saying it had been tastefully designed with an authentic Italian feel.”

Courtney commented that she and fellow Awards ambassador Matt Moran “always go on” about simply cooked meals always delivering outstanding results.

“For this dish the lamb is cooked to absolute to perfection, the broccolini is cooked to perfection, the vegetables have got a lot of love and care in them, you’ve got some little bits of caramelisation in there and the tomatoes are cooked perfectly.

“Simply done well is always going to be a winner,” she said.

“This is one of the best dishes I’ve had so far on the Perfect Plate Tour.

“Make sure you get into C.ex, try the dish and make your vote,” she said.

The Perfect Plate Awards dish will continue on the menu until Sunday 16 June, with the Cowra lamb loin dish offered at both the Brasserie and Papaveros at C.ex Coffs.

The Perfect Plate Awards final will be held in Sydney on Tuesday 2 July.

Those who try the dish can vote for it in the competition and have the chance to win dining vouchers.

Visit perfectplate.com.au.

By Andrea FERRARI