Editor’s
Letter
Welcome to Issue 27 where it’s all about thinking big – and how that concept comes to life in a variety of ways. Take for example our cover shot – it takes some big thinking to put beef heart on the menu – but when it is brined, smoked, thinly sliced and served with the flavours of a cheeseburger and puffy bread straight from the woodfire – well then, you’re on to something. Shout out to chef Kyle Nicol at Lilac Wine in Richmond for this incredible dish.
From a foodservice perspective thinking big can take on a multitude of forms – perhaps it’s jaw dropping large format cuts taking centre stage, or maybe it’s a new foodservice concept altogether, a bold menu move or ingredient pairing, or it could be that you are already the biggest in your category in Australia. Whatever your take, big things are happening all around us.
Pat Nourse takes the brief quite literally with his story on The Big Group – the biggest in the premium end of the catering game, serving around a million guests a year at events like The Melbourne Cup, Formula One, and the Australian Open to name but a few.
Mark Best explores the best way to cook large format cuts perfectly every time. Mark says it’s a high-steaks game but conquering the preparation of large, premium cuts of meat marks a significant milestone in your culinary journey.
In Hot Plates, we feature two venues thinking big. First up is King Clarence where chef Khanh Ngyuen’s creative approach to cooking and sharp interpretations of nostalgic favourites are elevated by the best Australian produce and laser sharp technique. And then, Poetica – a protein-proud venue from the team behind Loulou Bistro and city showstopper, The Charles Grand Brasserie. Poetica is the first of a suite of new venues planned for North Sydney by the Etymon Group.
Tasty Meats features Alfie’s, the latest from the Liquid Larder group – with three venues dedicated almost entirely to three cuts of steak (and another with one of the city’s best burgers), you might say that Liquid & Larder group are Sydney’s steak savants. And certainly, thinking big.
Really notching it up in the big stakes – our Big Business section features Domino’s, Australia’s largest pizza chain serving over 1.5 million pizzas every week. Did you know that Domino’s Australia is also the largest franchisee for the Domino’s Pizza brand in the world? Now that is big.
And of course, What’s Good in the Hood, hosted by the vivacious Myffy Rigby, is always a big adventure – this time it’s the bustling suburb of Richmond in Melbourne delivering big flavours.
Whatever your perception of thinking big – we hope you find inspiration in this big issue!
Mary-Jane Morse
Meat & Livestock Australia
[email protected]
@_raremedium
Copyright: this publication is published by Meat & Livestock Australia Limited ABN 39 081 678 364 (MLA).