Patterson, who maintains the poisonings were not deliberate, revealed on Wednesday the steps she took to make the beef Wellington dish.

“I cooked it down. I tasted it a few times. It seemed bland so I decided to add the mushrooms from the grocer I had in my pantry,” she told a full courtroom and 14 jurors.

Patterson recalled making six beef Wellington parcels, ensuring they would be done and resting out of the oven by 12.30pm when her guests arrived.

Victoria Police detective senior constable Stephen Eppingstall (rear left, in suit) and Ian Wilkinson (right, in dark jumper and light-coloured trousers) arrive at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court in Morwell, Victoria. Source: AAP / James Ross

Patterson said she plated up five beef Wellington dishes with mashed potatoes and green beans and told her guests to grab a plate. She said there were no assigned plates or seats at the table.