It was high tea for 200 at the reborn Hydro Majestic.

Not high tea because Medlow Bath, at an altitude of 1048 metres, is one of the highest points in the Blue Mountains.

But high tea as in that most English of dining traditions, and a celebration of the culinary abilities of the students at the Western Sydney Institute, as part of the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Month.

The spectacular view of the Megalong Valley from the tables in the imposing Wintergarden room was somehow appropriate, given it was the source of some of the regional cuisine on the menu.

John Rankins, head teacher at the Blue Mountains TAFE, said the intention was to showcase local products.

"We are in the mountains, so we do have to venture out of our normal 100-mile radius a little bit," he said.

"We are fortunate we have got the Hawkesbury Valley there and we go right up to Mudgee and Orange. Even the beef in the sandwiches is from the Megalong Valley. It has all been slaughtered at Wilberforce near Windsor, so it has never left the area.

"The rainbow trout has come from near Mudgee – we smoke it ourselves – and we have a lot of blackberries we have used throughout the menu, all from around the Hawkesbury area."

The menu included smoked chicken from Windsor, Oberon truffles, curd cheese from Mudgee's High Valley Wine & Cheeses and goat cheese from Jannei at Lidsdale.

Expectations for the event at the Hydro Majestic would also be high, Mr Rankins accepted. Guests from across Sydney paid $75 each to attend. "I think we will pull it off today," he said. "It's hard to pull off a big event like that when you come in from a college and have to bring everything in.

Among those attending was Daniel Myles, chairman of Blue Mountains, Lithgow & Oberon Tourism.

"This event means we are back, we are credible," Mr Myles said.

Referring to the bush fires that destroyed more than 200 properties in the region a year ago this month, he added: "We went backwards a long way with the fires but we bounce back from these.

"The bush regenerates and the society regenerates."

Also attending was Melinda Robley, nine-month-old Logan and parents Geoff and Lesley Smith, in 1920s period dress.

Mrs Smith said she had last visited the Hydro Majestic six years ago, before it closed. Asked how it compared with then, she said: "There is no comparison."