Inviting the experts over

Last week I whipped up a sumptuous little dinner of pan fried Snapper with carrot and ginger puree, coriander butter and pomme allumettes. This was followed by poire Belle Helene with warm chocolate sauce, creme Chantilly and vanilla Madeleine. But what’s more impressive than the menu is the fact that I really can’t cook much past incinerating various ingredients on a bar-b-que. So how then did a culinary Philistine even muster the courage to tackle this gastronomic extravaganza? Well truth be known I had help, in the form of multi-hatted chef and Audi ambassador, Guillaume Brahimi.

Even in the midst of self isolation, Guillaume came right into my home to demonstrate the finer points of creating the dish. I didn’t even have to leave the house to buy the ingredients which were delivered. Yes all of the ingredients and even the Madeleine tray, which was handy as I wasn’t aware of the existence of such a piece of equipment.

My culinary baptism was one of the new Audi virtual experiences, an interactive online experience for 24 Audi guests – all safely ensconced in their own homes watching intently as the master made it all look so simple. This wasn’t a cooking show or pre-taped cooking class, but a clever adaptation of the Audi lifestyle experiences that have been conducted so successfully ‘in person’ for many years.

Conducted live, with guests able to ask questions throughout the hour-long session, Guillaume demonstrated how to tackle each step, in what order and shared the tips and techniques born of a lifetime spent honing his craft. 

Fellow Audi ambassador, Steve Pizzati, acted as mediator, chatting with Brahimi throughout the experience from his own home base, fielding the questions as guests sent them in and giving the whole experience a very relaxed, intimate feel.

Before the world was beset with COVID-19, an Audi experience of this type would take place in person, with guests meeting with one of the brand’s ambassadors to share in their respective passion and area of expertise. Those interested in cooking for example would meet with Guillaume and be taken on a tour of the markets, learning how to select the best produce, before returning to Guillaume’s restaurant for a masterclass and then lunch.

So when the public health restrictions came into full force, rather than shelve the very popular Audi experience program and hope for a speedy return to normality, Audi Australia decided to look for innovative ways to continue to engage with its customers and continue to provide these unique experiences.

These all-new Audi virtual experiences kicked off with Guillaume’s masterclass, but those not interested in all things culinary were not left out. Audi ambassador Richard Roxburgh and another group of Audi guests joined Eddie Brook From Cape Byron distillery for a Friday afternoon gin tasting session, streamed live from the distillery. The gins to be tasted were of course delivered to the door of each guest ahead of the experience getting underway, again with guests able to ask questions throughout either by typing into a chat style room for Richard Roxburgh to ask, or via the livestream call. The next best thing to actually being in the tasting room in Byron Bay chatting to Eddie and Richard in person.

Another experience saw Saskia of Grandiflora take guests through the finer points of floral arranging, with Audi ambassador, Lisa Wilkinson, in the mediator’s role and demonstrating her own floral flair as she followed Saskia’s expert advice.

Once again, the materials needed to become fully immersed in the experience were delivered to each of the guests and the level of enthusiasm each participant brought to their own arrangements was palpable.

Not surprisingly, interest in the virtual experiences was overwhelming, with each of the first wave selling out soon after being listed on the myAudi website. Plans are underway for more of these virtual experiences to be offered in the future while preparations are likewise underway for when personal contact restrictions return to normal.

In the meantime though, the Audi virtual experiences are the next best thing to actually being at an Audi experience – not to mention a very enjoyable and constructive way to utilise extra time spent at home. Will I be looking at a culinary career change in the near future? Highly unlikely, but Guillaume has opened my eyes to some of the previously dark arts of fine food preparation, and at the very least I have a story to tell guests in future to get their minds of my cooking. 

To learn more on coming attractions or to register, visit the myAudi website.