Passata Party at the Scenic Hotel

Like most events that revolve around food, sauce day is a sacred ritual for Italian Australian families. It always falls in the first months of the year when tomatoes are at their prime, and most families set aside a day or a weekend to bottle their sugo supply for the year.

This weekend, the Scenic Hotel is getting in on the action for the third year in a row, and co-owner David Scarsella has enlisted nonna Rosa Calipari (who founded Glynburn Gourmet) to help him guide guests through a classic passata day in the beer garden.

For $35, you’ll chop, boil and bottle the tomatoes before reaping the rewards of a slice of Calipari’s lasagne with a glass of homemade wine, then take a bottle of sauce home with you. All of it will be backed by live music with Italian band Giri con Amici playing classic Italian hits from the ’50s to ’70s.