Crumb Wire weekly round up: September 26, 2025

Chef David Thompson brings Fireback Thai pop-up to Crown Perth

Pallavi MathurMarch 31, 2026

Crown Perth is introducing a Thai pop-up by Australian chef David Thompson, bringing Fireback (EHV International) to Western Australia for a limited time from April 24. Thompson has built a long-standing reputation in Thai cooking, with restaurants in London and Bangkok, including Nahm. The London restaurant earned a Michelin star, while Nahm Bangkok spent seven consecutive years on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list and was named No. 1 in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2014. Firing back Recently named Thai Restaurant of the Year at the Times Food & Nightlife Awards, Fireback centres on fire-grilled cooking and a bold essence, with dishes drawn from across Thailand and reworked using Western Australian produce. The Perth menu will include signatures like Larb Nuea Wagyu and Miang Kham, a one-bite pomelo salad with toasted coconut served on betel leaves. “Fireback has always been about authentic flavours, the energy of the grill, and a deep respect for Thai culinary traditions. It’s exciting to see it continue to evolve and reach new audiences,” Thompson says. The pop-up will take over the space previously occupied by Bistro Guillaume at Crown Metropol, running for six weeks until June 6. It will be open for lunch and dinner from Wednesday to Sunday, with bookings required. A high-energy concept Crown Perth CEO Brian Pereira says the pop-up is part of a broader push to bring new dining concepts to the venue. “Perth deserves world-class dining, and we’re proud to bring a venue like Fireback to the city for a limited time. It’s a high-energy concept that’s grounded in authentic Thai cooking – and it also gives our chefs a special chance to work alongside the team, learn new techniques and keep lifting the bar across our broader food offering.” The opening forms part of a wider run of additions at Crown Perth, following the launch of wine bar Gladstones and the Urban Food District. Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.

Red Rooster to discount classic menu items in weekly Icons drop

Pallavi MathurMarch 31, 2026

Red Rooster is bringing back some of its long-running menu items with a new weekly deal series called Icons of the Menu. Running every Wednesday from April 1 to April 22, the promotion will see selected items offered at close to half price for a limited window each week. The lineup centres on staples like the Rooster Roll, Chicken Nuggets, Pineapple Fritters and Chips, with the focus on the items that have been on the menu for years. The deals will be available until 4 pm and limited to Click & Collect, resetting each week across the four-week run. There’s no minimum spend and no cap on how many items can be ordered during the promotion window. Red Rooster CEO Samantha Bragg says, “These are the menu items Australians grew up with – the classics people still crave decades later. “With Icons of the Menu, we wanted to give those favourites the spotlight while offering fans incredible value. Some of these prices haven’t been seen in decades, so it’s a great excuse to jump onto Click & Collect and grab them while they last.” The midweek format positions the offer as a short window rather than an ongoing discount, with each Wednesday acting as a reset point for the deals. It also leans into the brand’s legacy items, bringing older menu staples back into focus at a time when fast food menus are increasingly driven by limited-time releases and new product drops. Find more food and drink news on Crumb Wire.

HelloFresh taps into K-Pop craze with new Dami Im collab dinner box

Pallavi MathurMarch 31, 2026

HelloFresh is launching a limited-edition K-Pop Dinner Hunters Box, tapping into the growing appetite for Korean food in Australia. Created in collaboration with Korean-Australian artist Dami Im (@damiim), the box brings together a set of Korean-inspired dishes designed for midweek cooking. The release lands as Korean food continues to move further into the Australian mainstream, driven by a mix of pop culture, social media exposure and shifting eating habits. With Korean street food kiosks popping up in shopping centres, an already buzzing K-BBQ culture and Korean Fried Chicken joints stealing focus from their acronym namesake, the cuisine’s appearance in meal kits was to be expected. Demand is K-Popping Google Search trends data shows interest is climbing, with “Korean chicken near me” up 800% since November 2025, while searches for “Korean recipes” have doubled. On TikTok, more than 1.3 million videos are tagged #koreanfood. In response, HelloFresh has expanded its Korean-inspired offering, building a menu that reflects some of the flavours and formats that have gained traction locally. The K-Pop Dinner Hunters Box includes a mix of familiar formats and Korean staples: The Crowd Pleaser: Korean-style beef bibimbap with vegetables and rice The Remix: Tofu, kimchi and vegetable bowl with ginger rice and crispy shallots The Chart-Topper: Braised pork belly with rice, pickled cucumber and sautéed wombok Dami Im says, “Music and food have always been my way of staying connected to my Korean roots. Growing up in Australia, they were the bridge between my heritage and the life I was building here. “Creating this menu with HelloFresh was such a fun way to share the bold, vibrant flavours I love and bring a little bit of that energy into Aussie kitchens. Hopefully, it turns a regular weeknight dinner into something a bit more special.” Hannah Gilbert, Senior Director of Product Development at HelloFresh Australia, says, “Our latest Plates of the Nation report revealed that over two-thirds of Australians use mealtime to explore new cultures. The K-Pop phenomenon has sparked a new generation of foodies looking to connect with a cultural moment. “Together with Dami Im, we’ve turned that obsession into an authentic, tangible experience that delivers the world’s trendiest flavours directly to Aussie dinner tables.” The limited-edition K-Pop Dinner Hunters Box and Korean recipes is available to order now, with deliveries running nationally from April 18 to May 8, 2026. Source: We Are Different Find more food and drink news on Crumb Wire.

Woolworths expands own-brand range with 70 new globally inspired pantry items

Pallavi MathurMarch 30, 2026

Woolworths has expanded its own-brand pantry range, introducing more than 70 new and refreshed products across three globally inspired lines. The new additions are split across Italian, Mexican and Asian ranges, designed around everyday cooking staples used in weeknight meals. The new lineup La Gina focuses on Italian pantry items, including pasta, ready-to-use sauces, oils and antipasti such as olives and semi-dried tomatoes. La Mesita centres on Mexican staples, with taco kits, tortillas, seasonings, salsas and simmer sauces. Lantern Alley brings together Asian-inspired ingredients, including Hokkien noodles, soy sauce and condiments like fried shallots. The expansion is part of Woolworths’ broader push into own-brand products, with a focus on giving home cooks more options across commonly used ingredients. Jackie Fourie, Director of Product and Innovation at Woolworths Supermarkets, says the move reflects how Australians are cooking and eating at home. “Australians have such a diverse appetite thanks to many multicultural influences. Taco Tuesdays, an easy stir fry or a spag bol are as much Aussie dinner staples as ‘meat and veggies’. “We are expanding our range of specialist brands to give our shoppers even more choice on the items they purchase most in these categories. From taco kits in the Mexican food range to Italian pasta sauces, we want to make it even more accessible for every home cook to find these essential ingredients in their weekly shop.” Over the past six months, the supermarket has seen growth across its own and exclusive ranges, particularly in spices and cooking staples, driven by more people cooking from scratch. Products from La Gina and La Mesita are now available in Woolworths supermarkets, with Lantern Alley set to roll out in April. Source: Society Marketing Communications Find more food retail updates on Crumb Wire.

Ryan Smith returns to South Coast to lead kitchen at Cupitt’s Estate

Pallavi MathurMarch 30, 2026

Former Restaurant Balzac and The Square chef Ryan Smith has joined the kitchen crew at Cupitt’s Estate as Executive Chef. He returns to the NSW South Coast after significant time spent in Sydney and London, including a stint at Rick Stein’s Bannisters, and will now lead the kitchen at the Milton-based winery and restaurant. His arrival comes as the region continues to draw chefs out of major cities, with dining numbers on the South Coast up 15–16 per cent in January and February compared to the previous year, reflecting growing demand for locally driven dining. Smith’s background spans Sydney restaurants including Banc and Restaurant Balzac, as well as London’s Michelin-starred scene at The Square. He has also cooked at events for the British Royal Family and held a Head Chef role within the Bill Granger restaurant group in the UK. He has longstanding ties to the region, with family in the area, and was a regular at Cupitt’s Estate before joining the team. Smith says his focus at Cupitt’s Estate will centre on local produce and the surrounding region. “Regional dining works when you embrace what’s around you. For us, that’s the local seafood and produce and the people farming and growing it. The closer you can get ingredients to the plate, the better the result.” At Cupitt’s, his approach centres on a produce-led style of cooking, with an emphasis on seafood and seasonal ingredients sourced from the surrounding region. South Coast on the rise The Milton and Ulladulla area has built a growing reputation for dining, with venues like Milkhaus, Bay Yuki and Nomah shaping a local scene that’s increasingly being driven by chefs stepping away from city kitchens. Libby Cupitt, Strategic Partnerships Manager at Cupitt’s and Director of Destination Sydney Surrounds South, says, “The South Coast dining scene has evolved significantly in recent years and we see Cupitt’s Estate as playing a key role in that continued growth. The regional food scene here is stronger than ever. “There’s great producers, passionate chefs and a real appreciation from diners for quality local food matched to great wine.” Smith’s cooking at Cupitt’s will also be shaped by the winery setting, with a focus on how dishes sit alongside the estate’s wines rather than competing with them. “You’ve got to think about flavours that marry well with the wines,” he says. “It’s another dimension for the menu, and it opens up opportunities for special events like wine-paired dinners and seasonal menus built around the estate’s wines.” Seafood remains a key focus in his cooking. He advocates for letting the fish speak for itself with mere assistance from its garnishes. “With fish, you can create lighter dishes with lots of garnishes and layers of flavour. It’s something I’ve always loved working with. Take yellowfin tuna, which is known as a local hero in Ulladulla, we pair it with seasonal ruby grapefruit, passionfruit and fresh herbs from the garden. It’s about keeping it bright, seasonal and letting the fish speak.” The kitchen is also looking to incorporate more produce grown on-site, including herbs, fruit and ingredients from the estate’s kitchen garden. “I’m excited to work closely with our Gardener Gav to grow even more for our upcoming dishes and expand the kitchen garden. We’ve already been talking about growing more micro herbs and bringing more produce like our basil and figs from the property onto the menu.” Cupitt’s Estate sits between Milton and Ulladulla on the South Coast, combining a winery, restaurant and on-site accommodation overlooking vineyards, wetlands and the Budawang ranges. Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.

Chef David Thompson brings Fireback Thai pop-up to Crown Perth

Red Rooster to discount classic menu items in weekly Icons drop

HelloFresh taps into K-Pop craze with new Dami Im collab dinner box

Woolworths expands own-brand range with 70 new globally inspired pantry items

Ryan Smith returns to South Coast to lead kitchen at Cupitt’s Estate

ALDI, Coles and Woolworths among winners at Sustainable Seafood Awards