White Plate Dinner on the Bridge

The fifth annual Ray White White Plate Dinner was held on Saturday 17 February – proudly supported by Ray White Whangarei.

A highlight of the Whangarei social calendar this unique outdoor event sees patrons dress in white as they gather on the iconic Victoria Bridge in Whangarei’s Town Basin for a delectable three-course meal with perfectly paired wines, served up by a selection of Whangarei’s best restaurants, plus great live music.

The Ray White White Plate Dinner is an epicurian’s delight , and this year the capacity crowd of 250 guests were presented with entrees served by No. 8, mains by The Dune and desert by Down the Road Local Eatery & Deli – paired with Daniel Le Brun, The Ned and The King Series Wines.

The Ray White White Plate Dinner is run in the spirit of Dîner en Blanc which are run world-wide. Now in over 70 countries, and spanning six continents, Dîner en Blanc sees people dress in white and flash-gather in a public space to set up a temporary, chic dining area and enjoy quality food and wine. Unlike these events (where diners are required to provide their own food, tables, chairs and tablecloths), Ray White’s White Plate Dinner on the Bridge is a semi-formal pre-catered event run by local event organiser Jodie Hannam from MultiSkill Events.

The Dîner en Blanc concept began in Paris in 1988 when Frenchman François Pasquier invited a group of friends to an elegant outdoor dinner at Bois de Boulogne, asking them to dress in white so they could find each other. The event’s presence has grown to over 70 cities, with almost 15,000 gathering for the 25th-anniversary event in Paris. Following the Paris event, the concept was introduced to Montreal, Canada in 2009, and made its New York debut in 2011. In 2012, Singapore became the first Asian city to host a Dîner en Blanc, and Brisbane the first Australian city.

After their meals, guests to Whangarei’s most exclusive and glamourous dinning phenomenon were then treated to a great night of entertainment with music from Tammy D’Ath, Poor Man’s Quartet and That Band – as the sun set over the beautiful Town Basin.

All the photos (taken by local photography studio, Soul Imagery) can be viewed on the Ray White Whangarei Facebook Page.
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