G.H. Mumm raises a glass to welcome back the nation’s most iconic event, today sharing plans for its Birdcage marquee at the Melbourne Cup Carnival. A trackside experience that has been two years in the making, the avant-garde champagne house will open the gates to the double-storey Le Jardin de la Maison Mumm – right in the heart of the Birdcage.
Inspired by the sophisticated, manicured style of the Parisian jardin d’agréments of centuries past, the marquee’s theme is synonymous with the history of the Mumm family, who were known for hosting their closest friends within the gardens at their vineyards and Maison. Guests will be transported to the conviviality of the ‘Pleasure Garden’ era with a modern interpretation that will take them on a sensory journey to a place of sumptuous recreation and joie de vivre.
G.H Mumm has collaborated with a collective of Australia’s most exciting creative minds to bring Le Jardin de la Maison Mumm to life for the ultimate Birdcage experience, and celebrate the champagne house’s passion points of fashion, design, entrepreneurship, artistry, and culinary.
As the official champagne of the Melbourne Cup Carnival for the past 13 years, Pernod Ricard Australia Marketing Director Eric Thomson said G.H. Mumm was thrilled to be back trackside with the Victorian Racing Club to celebrate this milestone moment.
“This year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival feels momentous for G.H. Mumm as we can now return to Flemington after two years away. We want our Birdcage marquee to bring people together, something we’ve all missed in recent years, and create a moment of celebration and enjoyment in a luxurious setting fitting of a luxury champagne house,” Thomson said.
“Joining us in Australia for the first time for Melbourne Cup Carnival, will be our G.H. Mumm Chef de Caves Laurent Fresnet, who we have been consulting with on bringing together the best of Mumm’s cuvées with the ultimate culinary experience.”
Hero moments in the marquee will include the outstanding Garden Gates for the ultimate photo moment; sculptural floral arrangements befitting an ornamental French garden; an electro-acoustic harpist, reframing the instrument’s classical origins; and hidden spaces to try exclusive cuvées.
Guests will be treated to French and garden inspired canapés, roaming oyster shuckers and curated G.H. Mumm cocktails, with Mumm’s iconic tap-tap champagne bottle moment set to take place on each race day at an ornate fountain overlooking the Le Jardin de la Maison Mumm.
Australian culinary maestro Joel Bickford will design the menu for the marquee’s private dining room, celebrating his journey from the Blue Mountains to Executive Chef of Shell House Sydney by pairing each RSRV Champagne with a bespoke canapé.
The invite-only space will allow guests to discover G.H. Mumm’s most prestigious cuvées – RSRV. Reserved for a circle of insiders for almost 200 years, RSRV champagnes epitomise the excellence of Maison Mumm’s terroir and savoir-fare.
