Jenan Taylor
1 November 2023
A Phillip Island church’s traditional hot breakfasts for MOTO Grand Prix enthusiasts, and local community members attracted plenty of diners recently, despite bad weather and a changed racing schedule.
St Philip’s Cowes parishioners and local volunteers served 66 kilos of sausages, bacon and tomatoes, about 70 dozen, mostly poached, eggs, and 56 tins of baked beans alongside about 45 loaves of bread, and endless cups of coffee in its annual grand prix breakfast offering.
The church has hosted the $20-a-head breakfasts in the name of fundraising every year that the MOTO GP has been held at Phillip Island since 1989.
Organiser and deacon the Reverend Erena Norfolk said it was St Philip’s major fundraiser and monies went primarily towards the upkeep of its community hall, one of the island’s oldest buildings.
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Ms Norfolk said a community meals program, Alcoholics Anonymous, dance, movie, theatre and church ministry groups all used the complex regularly.
She said in past years the grand prix breakfasts raised enough money for the church to build a bigger kitchen in the hall for the community food program, and to kit out a smaller meeting room for parishioners and other groups.
This year a wintery blast led to major scheduling change at the four-day grand prix, and consequently the number of motorcyclists at the breakfasts was slightly down.
Nonetheless, 41 parishioners and local volunteers set tables for 80 people each day of the event and served up a total of 360 hot breakfasts, Ms Norfolk said.
She said behind the scenes the church members and volunteers, including two from the Uniting Church, formed an eager and amiable team.
In the hall itself, they caught up with motorcyclists and fans who come back year after year, and chatted with grand prix newbies.
“[The motorcyclists] tend to be mostly men who perhaps couldn’t travel with too much on their motorbikes and don’t have cooking facilities for wherever they’re staying, so they come in for a hearty breakfast. Some come from around Australia and a few from overseas. Often on the last day, they’ll say ‘see you next year!’,” Ms Norfolk said.
Despite the smaller number of diners, a spate of donations from many Phillip Island community members, who see the breakfast effort as an island tradition, kept the funds on par with busier years, she said.
As for what maintenance the funds would go to, Ms Norfolk said the floor in the hall needed work, but the church committee would make the final decision.
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