/ Oct 01, 2026
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2026

The Shelly Room: Manly Wharf adds new waterfront event space

Pallavi Mathur05 mins

The Shelly Room is getting all dressed up above Manly Wharf, hoping to give smaller celebrations their own waterfront setting from December. Opening as the second dedicated venue from Manly Wharf Events, it joins the larger Freshwater Room with a more intimate option for weddings, engagements, birthdays, private dinners and corporate functions. “The Shelly Room has been designed to capture everything people love about celebrating at Manly Wharf, but in a more intimate way,” said Adam Flaskas, founder of Artemus Group. “We wanted to create a space where smaller celebrations could still feel like a major occasion, with beautiful design, incredible food and spectacular Sydney Harbour views. “I love the feel, design and location of our event space so much that I chose it for my own wedding, which was the very first event held there. It’s a space that’s incredibly special to me, and I’m excited for others to now create their own memories there too.” The room sits on the upper level overlooking the eastern side of Manly Cove, with the harbour doing much of the visual work. Inside, Venetian walls, American oak panelling and aged bronze mirrors are paired with handcrafted Murano glass chandeliers and a bespoke Moiré carpet inspired by ripples on the water. A blush onyx bar sits at the centre of the room, while the rose-toned palette continues into the powder room through cream marble, stone flooring and sculptural shell wall lights. With capacity for 120 guests seated or 200 for cocktails, the Shelly Room fills the gap between a private dining room and a full-scale function space. The existing Freshwater Room remains the bigger option, accommodating up to 300 guests across an indoor-outdoor layout designed for larger weddings, corporate events and milestone celebrations. “Not every celebration needs 300 people. Some of the best events are the ones where everyone in the room knows each other, and the Shelly Room really lends itself to that,” said Sally Pulford, director of sales at Artemus Group. “The Shelly Room brings a new sense of warmth and intimacy to our events offering, while still delivering that unmistakable Manly Wharf experience. We can already see it becoming a beautiful setting for weddings, engagements, milestone birthdays and summer celebrations.” That gives Manly Wharf Events two spaces with quite different personalities rather than one venue simply divided by guest count. The food and drinks can be shaped around the occasion, with plated menus, shared feasts and cocktail-style canapés all available across both rooms. Hosts can add seafood and oyster bars or carvery stations, while drinks packages range from wine and beer to Champagne, bespoke cocktails and non-alcoholic options. Any event confirmed at Manly Wharf Events between September 30 and December 31, 2026 and held in 2027 will go into the draw for $20,000 off the booking. The Shelly Room opens at Manly Wharf in December, with bookings now open. Source: The Cru Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.

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Soul Origin adds Chris Lynn to its Soul Squad for new meal launch

Pallavi Mathur05 mins

Australian cricketer Chris Lynn is fronting the launch of Soul Origin’s new ‘Big Hitter Meal‘ in his first campaign as an ambassador for the café chain. Known for clearing boundaries, Lynn joins rugby league players Jarome Luai and Jaime Chapman and footballer Ellie Carpenter in the brand’s ‘Soul Squad’. The launch also brings potato gems, previously available only at selected drive-throughs, to participating stores nationwide. “As an athlete, your body is your temple, so what you put into it matters. I want to stand behind food that is fresh and a better choice, but still fast, convenient and works when you’re on the go. Soul Origin ticks all those boxes for me,” said Lynn. “It’s a fun, wholesome brand with seriously good-tasting food, quality ingredients and no compromise on flavour. That’s something I’m genuinely happy to put my name behind.” Soul Origin’s Chief Marketing Officer Petra Orrenius said, “Chris is a natural fit for Soul Origin. He’s fun, energetic, authentic and known for going big, which aligns perfectly with what the Big Hitter Meal represents.” “We’re excited to welcome him to the Soul Squad alongside athletes like Jarome Luai, Ellie Carpenter and Jaime Chapman, and to bring our customers a campaign that combines great food, great value and a great sense of fun.” The Big Hitter Meal pairs a panini with crispy potato Hidden Gems and Soul Origin’s SO Chilli Mayo for $16.90, though prices may vary by store. “I like to go hard, whether I’m at the crease or at lunch,” Lynn shared. “The Big Hitter Meal is bold; it’s got that SO Chilli Mayo kick, and at $16.90, it’s the kind of value that’s hard to argue with. Just like a good shot, you know straight away it’s a winner.” The national rollout of Hidden Gems follows a trial at selected Soul Origin drive-throughs, where the chain says the potato gems proved popular. “We’ve been quietly testing our Hidden Gems through Drive Thru, and they’ve been a true hit, so we knew it was time to take them national,” added Orrenius. “Pair them with one of our paninis, and SO Chilli Mayo and you have what we think is the perfect Big Hitter lunch, fresh, fast, seriously tasty and great value.” Two new paninis have also made it onto the menu. The Salami Classico combines fennel and garlic salami, tomato, Kalamata olives, pickles, rocket and aioli, while The Mortadella Pesto pairs mortadella with bocconcini, rocket and basil pesto. “Our panini range has always been a customer favourite, and we are very excited to introduce the Salami Classico and Mortadella Pesto,” said Orrenius. “The new additions bring something different to the range while staying true to the quality, freshness and flavour our customers expect from Soul Origin.” The Big Hitter Meal is available for a limited time at participating Soul Origin stores nationwide, alongside Hidden Gems and the two new paninis. The Salami Classico and Mortadella Pesto will not be sold at halal stores. Find more food culture updates on Crumb Wire.

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Harris Park Diwali 2026 expected to draw 25,000 people to Little India

Pallavi Mathur03 mins

Harris Park is getting ready for one of its biggest nights of the year, with Diwali set to take over Wigram Street and draw around 25,000 people into Sydney’s Little India. The free celebration will bring live performances, food stalls, market vendors, family activities and community groups into the precinct, which has become one of Sydney’s best-known hubs for Indian dining and culture. For the businesses lining Harris Park, the festival is also one of the busiest chances of the year to put the suburb in front of visitors from across Sydney, with restaurants, sweets shops and grocers all part of the atmosphere that has made the area synonymous with Indian food. “Diwali is such an important celebration for the Harris Park community, and we want this event to genuinely reflect the people, businesses and organisations that make this area what it is,” said Monique Annetts, Director of AMA Event Management. “We are expecting around 25,000 people to visit Harris Park throughout the day, and our goal is to create an event that is welcoming, vibrant and packed with opportunities to experience Indian culture. “From the stage to the street, we want local community groups and performers to be part of the celebration and for visitors to leave having experienced something really special in Harris Park.” Organiser AMA Event Management is working with local community representatives and stakeholders on the 2026 program, with local performers and community groups expected to feature throughout the day. Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is celebrated by millions around the world and marks the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. This year’s Harris Park celebration will run from 1 pm to 9 pm on November 7 along Wigram Street. Find more food and drink news on Crumb Wire.

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Hungry Jack’s answers fan demand with Cheesy Cheeseburger return

Pallavi Mathur03 mins

Hungry Jack’s is bringing back the Cheesy Cheeseburger after years of emails, petitions, comments and fan pages calling for its return. The cult favourite keeps the same combination fans remember: a flame-grilled Australian beef patty with cheese, pickles, mayo and creamy cheese sauce. “For years, our customers have emailed us, petitioned us and even built fan pages asking for the Cheesy Cheeseburger to return. Aussies asked, and we listened, and we’re proud to be bringing it back for just $2.95, because a comeback like this should be easy on the wallet,” said Scott Baird, Chief Marketing Officer at Hungry Jack’s. It returns alongside a new Cheese Lovers Whopper, which adds Swiss cheese and Hungry Jack’s signature cheese sauce to the classic Whopper for an extra hit of cheese. “We couldn’t stop there, so we took the Whopper and cheesed it up to the max for all the cheese loving Aussies who know that the only thing that could make a burger better, is more cheese.” Hungry Jack’s is also rolling out a string of lower-priced offers across the menu, including a $4.95 snack box with six nuggets, large Thick Cut Chips and dipping sauce. A $7.95 Courtside Combo is available through the Hungry Jack’s App with a choice of Whopper Jr. or Chicken Royale, small chips, three nuggets and a small Sprite. Barista-made coffee is also part of the value push, with a small priced at $2.50, medium at $3.50 and large at $4.50. “With the cost-of-living squeeze on households right across the country, we’re focusing on delivering genuine value without compromising on flavour, and giving Australians more reasons to enjoy their Hungry Jack’s favourites,” said Baird. The Cheesy Cheeseburger is available nationwide from September 29 for $2.95, while the Cheese Lovers Whopper joins the menu from the same date. The Cheesy Cheeseburger is available at participating restaurants for a limited time while stocks last and is not available for delivery. Source: Wrights Communication Find more food and drink news on Crumb Wire.

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Lollies for the lips: Allen’s and Lanolips launch a new line of sweet lip balms

Pallavi Mathur03 mins

Makeup bags are in for their own sweet treats as Allen’s, Lanolips and MECCA join forces to turn four classic lolly flavours into lip balms. The collaboration takes Red Frogs, Strawberries and Cream, Pineapple and Peaches and Cream out of the lolly aisle and into Lanolips’ 101 Ointment formula, with each balm borrowing the flavour profile of its Allen’s counterpart. Red Frog is the only tinted option in the collection, adding a sheer red wash while keeping the glossy, non-sticky finish Lanolips is known for. The remaining three are untinted, with Strawberries and Cream leaning sweet and creamy, Pineapple bringing a sharper tang and Peaches and Cream going softer and fruitier. The collab is already picking up on TikTok, with creators including @Sophadopha and @AdellePetros fuelling the hype around lip balms inspired by some of Australia’s most recognisable lollies. “Australians have a deep affection for both brands, so bringing together iconic Allen’s flavours with Lanolips’ cult-favourite balms felt like the perfect match,” said Shannon Wright, Head of Marketing Confectionery at Nestlé Australia. “It’s a fun, unexpected collaboration that gives our fans a whole new way to bring a bit of Allen’s fun to their day.” The idea came from Allen’s fans, with the brand saying Lanolips was one of the collaborations suggested by its community. It also follows Lanolips’ previous food-inspired team-up with Gelato Messina, which turned the gelateria’s Dulce de Leche flavour into a limited-edition 101 Ointment with an all-natural caramel flavour. The Allen’s x Lanolips collection is available now exclusively through MECCA and the official Lanolips website, with prices starting from $15. Source: Omnicom Find more food culture updates on Crumb Wire.

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HelloFresh turns Australia’s country boom into a new dinner box

Pallavi Mathur04 mins

HelloFresh has read the room: Australia is in its country era. The meal-kit brand is joining in with a limited-edition Country Cookout Box and a one-night Boots & BBQ party in Sydney. Australia is now the world’s third-largest country music market, with Spotify streams up 115 per cent in three years and country-related TikTok content reaching 196 million views locally. The city-country divide is looking pretty thin too, with 92 per cent of streams coming from major cities and 78 per cent of music fans now considering the genre mainstream. That interest has spilled well beyond playlists. One in two country fans has bought or worn country-inspired fashion in the past year, giving the current run of boots, hats and Western styling a much bigger audience than the traditional country crowd. HelloFresh is taking that same mood into the kitchen with a smokehouse-inspired menu designed for weeknights, particularly as one in three Australians says they always or often feel pressed for time. “At HelloFresh, we want to inspire Australians to break out of their usual dinner routine and enjoy the excitement of trying something new,” said Hannah Gilbert, Senior Director, Product Development at HelloFresh Australia. “With bold flavours and a playful Southern twist, the Country Cookout Box makes it easy to bring the warmth and generosity of a backyard BBQ to the dinner table – even on the busiest weeknight.” The Country Cookout Box brings together five Southern-inspired dishes including: Southern Beef Brisket Loaded Fries – smoky brisket piled over golden fries Crumbed Tex-Mex Chicken Tacos – crunchy chicken with Tex-Mex flavours Sticky Honey BBQ Pork Steaks – pork steaks finished with a sweet BBQ glaze Smokey Crumbed Chicken & Cos-Corn Tacos – crumbed chicken with cos and corn Spiced Apple & Pear Crumble – a warm fruit crumble to finish The limited-edition box is available to order through HelloFresh until November 3. Boots, barbecue and a night at The Greenwood The food is also abandoning the meal-kit box for one night, with HelloFresh taking over The Greenwood Hotel for its Boots & BBQ event in Sydney. Tickets are $10, with live country music, line dancing and tastings from the Country Cookout menu on the night. A full drinks service will also be available, turning the launch into something closer to a country-themed night out than a standard menu tasting. The event is built around the same crossover driving the broader campaign: country culture moving well beyond the paddock and into city venues, wardrobes, playlists and now dinner plans. Source: We Are Different Find more food and drink news on Crumb Wire.

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GYG overhauls GOMEX Rewards with free burritos and new perks

Pallavi Mathur04 mins

There are loyal customers, and then there are people who have ordered Guzman y Gomez more than 500 times in a year. One GYG customer has placed 511 orders in 2026 and earned more than $550 in GYG Dollars, while another is close behind on 480. They are part of a much bigger group of regulars, with more than 100,000 GOMEX members maintaining a weekly ordering streak for at least six years. “With over 100,000 GOMEX members who’ve ordered GYG every week for over 6 years, GOMEX Rewards isn’t just loyalty, it’s a lifestyle. We wanted GOMEX Rewards to keep up with our guests,” said Claire West, Chief Marketing Officer at GYG. “GOMEX Rewards is already one of the best restaurant loyalty programs in Australia, and now we’re giving even more value back to our guests.” GYG is now giving that loyalty program a major overhaul, relaunching GOMEX Rewards with a new earn-and-redeem system, extra perks and a redesigned app that keeps rewards, offers and ordering history in one place. Members now earn one point for every $1 spent, whether they order through the app or in restaurant, with 150 points automatically converting into $10 GYG Dollars. Every sixth order also earns a free coffee or other hot drink. New members get a free burrito worth $14.50 when they sign up, while existing members are getting something out of the relaunch too. GYG has kicked off the new program with a free Medium Chipotle-Seasoned Fries offer available to all GOMEX members, with more exclusive deals expected to follow. GOMEX gets a bigger home in the app The loyalty overhaul comes with a broader redesign of the GYG App, where members can now see their points history, current offers, ordering streak and lifetime GYG Dollars in a dedicated rewards hub. Coffee stamps and saved favourites have also been pulled into the same experience, while a scannable GYG card makes it easier to earn points in restaurant. For anyone who would rather skip opening the app altogether, GOMEX Rewards can now be added to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet and scanned directly from there. The changes turn GOMEX into more than a basic points program, especially for customers already ordering often enough to make 511 visits in a year seem possible. Find more food and drink news on Crumb Wire.

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Mordeo at Martin Place re-jigs private event format

Pallavi Mathur03 mins

Not every corporate event needs a lectern, a lanyard and a tray of sad canapés. Mordeo is bringing more of the actual restaurant experience into private events at its Martin Place venue. The Southern European restaurant at 52 Martin Place is putting more of its kitchen into corporate and private events, with Italian cheese making alongside La Stella Latticini, chef-led fresh pasta stations, cocktail masterclasses, roaming oyster shuckers and Champagne towers all available as part of the experience. “We strive to bring the making of food and beverages into the event itself. Guests can watch fresh cheese and pasta being made, or enjoy oysters shucked to order as they move through the room. It really brings the energy of Mordeo’s kitchens into corporate and private events, and gives people something to experience together beyond the meal,” said Nick Aspros, owner of Mordeo. Resident musician Tiago Delucca can also be added to events, while the restaurant’s indoor and outdoor spaces can be booked separately for smaller gatherings or combined for larger functions. The format covers everything from corporate lunches and networking events to product launches, cocktail functions and private dining, with food ranging from roaming canapés and grazing menus to banquets and seated meals. Mordeo’s Southern European focus carries through to the drinks, with tailored beverage packages, cocktails, draught beer and a wine list that puts the region front and centre. For larger events, the restaurant can seat up to 110 guests indoors or host 200 standing. Its private dining room is a smaller option for groups of up to 32 seated or 40 standing, with a minimum spend of $2,000 at lunch and $3,000 for dinner. Groups wanting the whole venue can book Mordeo exclusively for Saturday or Sunday lunch or dinner, including the restaurant’s indoor and outdoor areas and bar. Exclusive hire comes with a $7,000 minimum food and beverage spend. Bookings and event enquiries are available directly through Mordeo’s events team. Source: Stanley House Studios Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.

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Bar Benevento brings southern Italian flavours to Sydney CBD

Pallavi Mathur06 mins

The Izzillo brothers have gone back to their family roots for Bar Benevento, a new all-day Italian bar now open in Sydney’s CBD. Brothers Anthony and Julian Izzillo, behind de Vine Food and Wine and former restaurant Wildfire, have teamed up with cafe operator Kosta Papanikitas on the new venue, which is named after the small Campanian city where their father was born. “Our nonno came to Australia from Benevento in 1953, post war, and spent five years working and saving before he could bring our nonna, dad and uncle over,” said Julian Izzillo. “So much of what we grew up eating came from those early years, when they started with nothing and slowly built up a life here, so bringing those flavours into Bar Benevento feels like a special way of carrying that story forward.” That family connection runs through the room as much as the menu. Old-school Italian music, retro Benevento posters, vintage art, delicatessen goods and collected wine bottles fill the space, while a giant bottle of Strega liqueur at the entrance nods to a drink that has long been part of the Izzillo family table. The herbal digestif was created in Benevento in the 1800s and remains closely linked to the city. Bar Benevento has secured exclusive importation rights to 10 different variations of Strega, with the liqueur appearing across both food and drinks. Co-owner and head chef Tim Fisher has used the family’s childhood memories as a starting point for the menu, keeping the flavours recognisably southern Italian while giving some of them a more playful Sydney spin. Breakfast includes an oversized ricotta and egg-yolk raviolo with Strega-infused hollandaise, tagliata steak and eggs and a breakfast antipasto with a six-minute soft-boiled egg and Strega-infused salmon gravlax. The cannoli has gone savoury too, with crisp house-made pastry filled with truffle mortadella and provola cheese. Lunch moves into weekly old-school pasta specials, chicken cotoletta, panini and a spread of stuzzichini, meats and cheeses. Elsewhere on the menu, taralli are boiled and baked in a similar style to a bagel for a softer texture, while tiramisu swaps coffee for wild mint and saffron Strega. “We’ve tried to create hero dishes that haven’t been done in Sydney before, whether that’s boiling and baking our taralli like a bagel so it’s soft and warm for dipping, or swapping coffee for wild mint and saffron Strega in our tiramisu,” said Fisher. It’s never too early for a cocktail The drinks list keeps the same energy, with lighter, aperitivo-style cocktails designed for the morning and made with either Strega or amaro. The amaro connection also links Bar Benevento back to de Vine, where the collection runs to more than 300 bottles from around the world. “It’s an important part of our DNA and we wanted Bar Benevento to share in that too,” said Anthony Izzillo. Wine comes from all 20 Italian regions, with extra attention paid to the south, alongside native Italian grape varieties grown in Australia. In a small detail that feels more enoteca than polished wine bar, prices are written directly onto the bottles. Bar Benevento sits on the ground floor of Adina Town Hall Hotel and is open for breakfast and lunch from 7 am to 3 pm Monday to Friday and 7 am to 11.30 am on weekends. Dinner is expected to follow in the coming months. Source: Wine Glass Media Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.

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Pappa Flock Flavour Up topping stations are now available across Australia

Pallavi Mathur04 mins

Pappa Flock is tasking customers with the finishing touches on its chicken tenders, taking the self-serve Flavour Up station first tested in Parramatta across its national network. The stations are stocked with honey, hot sauce and classic and spicy pickles, giving customers a mix of sweet, sour and heat to add to their tenders at no extra cost. Food court locations will skip the self-serve setup, but the same toppings can still be requested at the counter. The idea started at Pappa Flock’s Parramatta store during an April refurbishment before being expanded across the wider network. “The QSR industry is built on speed and quality, and we deliver on both. But what sets Pappa Flock apart is our vision to create the most memorable chicken tender experience possible, and the Flavour Up station is how we continue to bring that to life. For us, it isn’t just toppings; it’s an invitation to customise, to play, and to make it your own,” said Rachel Korbel, Chief Marketing Officer at Pappa Flock. “We initially created the Flavour Up station as a special feature in the O.G. restaurant in Parramatta as a part of the full refurbishment in April. Since reopening, we’ve had an overwhelming response; we knew we needed to make a permanent Pappa Flock experience for all Flockers, no matter the location.” The rollout gives Pappa Flock another point of difference in a crowded chicken category, with the brand putting more emphasis on customisation rather than adding another permanent menu item. Eddie Cofie, Head Chef at Pappa Flock said “We’ve built Pappa Flock around freshness and quality, and the FlavourUp station is a natural extension of that. When you’re starting with the best ingredients, great flavour combinations aren’t just possible, they’re the whole point.” “As a chef, I know the right flavour pairings can change everything. It can turn a meal from something you ate to something you experience. A hint of honey, a bit of heat, the crunch of juicy crispy chicken – you can’t beat it. Being able to layer your own range of fresh toppings means every Flocker gets their tenders exactly the way they like it.” Pappa Flock now has 12 restaurants and has served 3.2 million customers in three years. Across that network, the team has hand-breaded four million chicken tenderloins and squeezed one million lemons for its lemonade, while growing to a crew of more than 500 people nationwide. Find more food and drink news on Crumb Wire.

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