Melbourne Zoo's gorilla family were treated to some tasty Hellenic treats recently when they received a surprise visit from one of Melbourne's most renowned chefs, George Calombaris.

The Baklava, Turkish Delights and assorted nut biscuits were a taste of things to come.

George will be holding a special Zoos Victoria fundraising evening at his newest restaurant, Hellenic Republic on Sunday 28 June.

George's MasterChef Australia co-judge Matt Preston will host the evening, which will feature a five-course meal complete with wine, created with the help of four culinary colleagues:

• Martin Boetz, Longrain, Melbourne and Sydney
• Shane Delia, Maha Bar and Grill, Melbourne
• Manu Feildel, L'Etoile, Sydney
• Gary Mehigan, the Boathouse, Melbourne and MasterChef co-judge.

All proceeds from the sold-out event will support Zoos Victoria's conservation work.

"This is an opportunity to raise awareness for a worthy cause," George says.

"It's my little bit to ensure that conservation is not forgotten in a world where many other important charities exist."

Paul Clark from the Zoos Victoria Foundation welcomed the enthusiastic support of the multi-award winning chef: "George is a loyal and longstanding supporter of our three great zoos.

"His last fundraiser at The Press Club raised more than $30,000 for orang-utan conservation in Sumatra. It's great to have George's support to help us carry on with our important conservation work both here and abroad."