Caterer to the stars Andrew Blake interrupted the busiest time of year for his company, Blake's Feast, to serve a three-course roast banquet to 50 disadvantaged people in a CBD alley on Thursday.
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"I don't really like Christmas," said one matter-of-fact guest, a client of the homeless charity Youth Projects. "Cos it's a time when families get together. And I don't have family."
But if it couldn't give them the idyllic domestic scene, Youth Projects – whose Living Room drop-in Centre is in the middle of the street art-soaked Hosier Lane, one of Melbourne's trendiest tourist spots – arranged a rather decent spread in Rutledge Lane, off Hosier Lane, and good company.
Soft drink replaced alcohol. But to eat there was jalapeno glazed ham, slow cooked breast of free range turkey with onion gravy, and Texan barbecued smoked salmon with herb mayonnaise.
Side dishes included Vietnamese coleslaw, potato and corn salad with chipotle dressing and quinoa with spiced roasted vegetables.
To finish there was plum pudding and custard and free barista-made coffee.
There was tinsel, a Christmas tree, party poppers, paper hats and crackers with terrible jokes inside like, Q: What did Adam say to Eve the day before Christmas? A: "It's Christmas, Eve."
Youth Projects board chairwoman Melanie Raymond said clients had been amazed "that one of Melbourne's celebrity, poshest caterers, would come down here for them".
She said "very very few" clients would have family to go to on Christmas Day, and many would roam the streets in distress.
"It can be a real trigger for emotional upset and there's been a bit of that lately where people are more anxious. It can bring back memories around the estrangement from loved ones."
Brad Murray, 20, said until a year ago, he and his father, Corey, had slept on the streets for four years, and felt "shit" at Christmas.
They now have a Fitzroy flat, but spent last Christmas Day watching TV. It wasn't very festive.
Things are better for Brad now. He wants to be a fireman. "Next year I'm starting volunteer work in the [Youth Projects] cafe. Then I'm starting volunteer work with the CFA."
He said the feast was "awesome". "There's a lot of people disadvantaged that don't get the opportunity to have a nice meal, or get a present or someone to even say Merry Christmas to them," Brad said.
"Today they get a taste of something that they're not used to. There's a lot of people out there that have never had Christmas because of their family, there's drug affected people, alcohol affected people, disadvantaged people.
"And a lot of people out there don't understand that."
