Champagne brand G.H. Mumm is taking a new culinary direction for this year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival after cutting ties with two-hatted Reine & La Rue last week following restaurateur Alan Yazbek’s charge for displaying a Nazi symbol in public at a pro-Palestine rally in Sydney.

Artisanal butcher Victor Churchill has come on board, with founder Anthony Puharich collaborating with The Big Group to design a menu celebrating some of Australia’s best producers.

Guests will take flight in what has been described as a “private jet” experience in the custom-built marquee in The Birdcage Enclosure at Flemington.

The original concept, La Table Des Chefs, a private dining experience planned in conjunction with Reine & La Rue – and including dishes such as poached Southern Rock Lobster with carrot, champagne sabayon, and vadouvan with a spoonful of caviar added tableside – had hoped to make a triumphant return.

The intimate exclusive experience for 10 diners at a time is usually only held at Maison Cordon Rouge, the private mansion of G.H. Mumm in Reims, France, and was executed for the first time at Flemington last year by visiting French chef Florian Barbarot.

The new menu is still being finessed with the first official planning meeting between G.H. Mumm and Puharich taking place today.

The decision to remove Reine & La Rue followed charges laid against prominent Australian restaurateur Alan Yazbek – whose group owns three venues: Nomad Sydney, Nomad Melbourne and last year’s The Age Good Food Guide’s New Restaurant of the Year, Reine & La Rue. NSW Police alleged he held a sign comparing Israel to the Nazis, displaying the Israeli flag with a swastika at a rally in Sydney earlier this month. He’s due in court later this month.

Yazbek has apologised unequivocally. His venues have been dropped from The Age and Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Food Guides.

Other big names in the Birdcage

As the Birdcage Enclosure continues its mammoth build that began trackside in July, other luxe, multi-storey marquees are finalising their food and beverage offerings.

The LANDMARK by Lexus marquee will house an entirely white decor restaurant, welcoming Atlas Dining chef Charlie Carrington and his global take on food experiences.

Already on the menu is grilled prawn, Native XO dressing, asparagus and muntries, a native berry. While Carrington is set on showcasing what he believes is the best lamb in the world, creating a Tasmania lamb chop with smoked eggplant and spring vegetables.

A stone’s throw away is Penfolds, this year celebrating its 180th anniversary, and maintaining its high-end party reputation by offering the longest bar in The Birdcage.

The 14-metre bar will serve a selection of wines including Bin 51 Eden Valley riesling and Bin 407 cabernet sauvignon and among its signature cocktails will be the “Negrose”.

The “Tasting Cube” also returns with a special bite — smoked and seared beef cubes, smoked and pickled beetroot, sour cream and chives, beetroot puree, cauliflower cream, French onion soup jelly and cauliflower cream with sourdough crumbs — paired with the newly released Penfold Grange 2020.