Corporate Events

Charity Event With Kevin Spacey at est.
December, 2011

To celebrate the arrival of The Bridge Project with Richard III in Sydney, and to raise funds for its education programs, Kevin Spacey hosted an intimate, private dinner at Merivale’s three hatted est. with all proceeds from the dinner and funds raised at the event donated to the Kevin Spacey Foundation, which supports arts education and the nurturing of emerging talent. 100 guests turned out to support the cause included Kevin Spacey, Justin Hemmes Brett Lee, Hugh Sheridan, Mick Doohan and Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull, to name a few.

Guests were welcomed with a Champagne reception before taking their seats for a night of entertainment provided by the 14 year old Australia’s Got Talent winner and singing sensation, Jack Vidgen, who received a standing ovation from the crowd after his first song, Adele’s Rolling in the Deep and later sang the classic, ‘At Last’ at the request of his audience. Guests were also treated to impromptu acoustic numbers by actor/singer Hugh Sheridan and Kevin Spacey himself.

Award-winning head chef of est., Peter Doyle designed an extravagant menu consisting of salad of spanner crab, steamed coral trout with shaved abalone, and a summer dessert of red berries, crème fraiche sorbet and strawberry juice. All dishes were expertly matched by Merivale’s Master Sommelier, Franck Moreau.

To remind guests why they were all there, auctioneer, Edward Riley successfully sold five money-can’t-buy experiences including tickets to Kevin Spacey’s Sydney show Richard III, which was sold for a jaw-dropping $200,000, contributing to the total sum raised, which was over $350,000.  

A Kevin Spacey Foundation spokesman said, “We would like to thank Merivale for hosting our inaugural event in Australia and Peter Doyle for his indulgent menu.  It was a terrific evening and greatly enjoyed by our guests.”