Florentine sandwich giant All’Antico Vinaio has opened its first Australian store at 50 Pitt St in Sydney’s CBD today. The much awaited launch brings the brand’s signature schiacciata to Australia, with founder and CEO Tommaso Mazzanti opening the venue alongside chef and MasterChef host Andy Allen, Jonny Stewart and Ali Mattar from Fladgate Hospitality Group. Schiacciata is a traditional Tuscan flatbread baked with olive oil and salt, with a crisp exterior and soft centre. At All’Antico Vinaio, it is baked fresh onsite each day, with the creams and pesto made in-house. The Pitt St store sits near Circular Quay and includes window-side bench seating with views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. There are 15 schiacciate on the menu, including the viral Paradiso with mortadella, stracciatella, pistachio pesto and chopped pistachio. More than 250,000 Paradiso sandwiches have already been sold across Europe and the UK in 2026, making it the brand’s highest-selling sandwich. Sydney also gets its own Australian-exclusive sandwich, simply named Sydney, made with Papandrea’s award-winning wagyu bresaola, parmesan and rocket. Another menu staple is the Favolosa, filled with Tuscan sbriciolona salami, pecorino cream, artichoke cream and spicy aubergines. It is also Mazzanti’s personal favourite. “It reminds me of growing up in Florence and enjoying my first sandwich with my parents at our home,” Mazzanti said. “It’s an iconic Florentine salami, but it was so little-known before we started using it that even people in Tuscany hadn’t heard of it.” Many of the ingredients used at the Sydney store are imported directly from Italy, including the flour, 16-month-aged prosciutto di Parma, buffalo mozzarella, parmesan and pecorino. Fresh ingredients are sourced from local suppliers. All’Antico Vinaio first opened beneath Palazzo Vecchio in Florence in 1991. The brand has since expanded to more than 60 stores across Italy, France, North America, the Middle East and Australia, selling more than 5.5 million schiacciate in 2025. “At All’Antico Vinaio our goal has always been simple: To share a piece of authentic Italian tradition with as many people as possible,” Mazzanti said. “Sydney is an extraordinary city with a vibrant food culture, and we are proud to bring our schiacciata here. “We’re so pleased to welcome Australians into our store to share the flavours, energy and hospitality that has made All’Antico Vinaio famous around the world.” Allen first tried All’Antico Vinaio’s schiacciata while holidaying in Florence several years ago and immediately wanted to be involved in bringing the brand to Australia. “The sandwiches are so simple and familiar, but it’s the ingredients and attention to detail that have made the brand such a success,” Allen said. “The quality is off the charts.” The sandwich shop is also known for the queues that regularly wrap around its stores, with the Sydney location set to bring the same fast-paced service, Italian ingredients and high-energy atmosphere to the CBD. All’Antico Vinaio Sydney is open from 10 am to 8 pm, seven days a week. Note: After a busy morning, All’Antico Vinaio’s first Australian store has had to temporarily close its doors due to a burst water pipe in the roof of the building. The team is working to quickly and safely get back up and running. Customers are advised to keep an eye on the brand’s social media pages for further updates. Source: Wine Glass Media Find more food and drink news on Crumb Wire.

Jamaica Blue is turning coffee runs into a Jeans for Genes fundraiser this August. The café chain has partnered with Children’s Medical Research Institute’s Jeans for Genes campaign to help raise funds for research into genetic diseases and birth defects affecting Australian children. Across participating Jamaica Blue cafés nationwide, customers will be able to support the cause through coffee purchases, Jeans for Genes Cookies and in-store donations throughout August. On Jeans for Genes Day, August 6, Jamaica Blue will donate 50 cents from every medium coffee sold at participating cafés. The brand will also donate $1 from every Jeans for Genes Cookie purchased throughout the month. Jamaica Blue will also host a coffee cart activation at Martin Place on August 6, serving coffee throughout the day and donating all coffee proceeds from the activation directly to Jeans for Genes. The campaign The campaign is connected to families like James’, the six-year-old face of Jeans for Genes 2026. One in 20 children lives with a birth defect or genetic condition, and James was born with several genetic eye conditions, including Peter’s Anomaly, Glaucoma, Aniridia and Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome. By the age of two, James had undergone 17 surgeries, including corneal transplants in both eyes. His mum Ana said partnerships like Jamaica Blue and Jeans for Genes were especially important to their family. “I am so appreciative of Jamaica Blue joining forces with Jeans for Genes to help kids like James,” said Ana. “It’s amazing that something as simple as buying a coffee or cookie can help fund vital research for children living with genetic conditions. I encourage everyone to visit their local Jamaica Blue this August and help make a difference for families like ours.” Throughout August, Jamaica Blue will support Jeans for Genes by: Medium coffee donation – 50 cents from every medium coffee sold on Jeans for Genes Day, August 6, will go to the cause. Jeans for Genes Cookie donation – $1 from every Jeans for Genes Cookie purchased throughout August will go to the cause. In-store donations – Jamaica Blue customers can donate directly in-store at participating cafés. Martin Place coffee cart – Jamaica Blue will serve coffee at Martin Place on August 6, with all coffee proceeds from the activation donated directly to Jeans for Genes. Inspired by stories like James’, Jamaica Blue is using its national café network to help raise funds and awareness for the campaign. Donna Oakley-Davies, General Manager at Jamaica Blue, said the brand was honoured to partner with Jeans for Genes this August. “At Jamaica Blue, we’re passionate about creating meaningful connections within our communities, and we’re incredibly honoured to partner with Jeans for Genes this August,” she said. “Something as simple as enjoying a morning coffee can help support vital research that gives hope to children living with genetic disease. Together, we can help make a real difference.” Source: Grande Creative Find more food and drink updates on Crumb Wire.

Checho’s Cronulla is here, giving the beachside suburb a new spot for Mexican food, handbag cocktails and long lunches that lead into dinner. The group has opened its fifth venue in Cronulla’s recently revitalised town centre precinct, just moments from the beach. The new venue seats 85 guests inside and another 50 outdoors, with service running from lunch through to late-night and weekly DJs adding to the weekend energy. Led by Venue Manager Tia Couzins, Checho’s Cronulla has been designed for birthdays, long lunches and spontaneous catch-ups, with the group’s usual mix of colourful interiors, bold share plates and cocktails built for the table. The menu is made up of share friendly portions, with starters including spiced corn ribs with grated manchego, and tuna aguachile with ponzu, jalapeños, tajin and fresh lime. “Everything on our menu is flavour-forward and bold in presentation,” said Checho’s Group Head Chef John Edward Alea. “People eat with their eyes first. We want every dish to look incredible because that creates the expectation before you take the first bite. Then the flavour delivers on that.” Tacos are a big part of the offer too, with the best-selling slow-cooked beef brisket and crispy soft shell crab tacos available for $10 every day. For bigger tables and groups with a serious appetite, larger plates include sticky Mexican-style pork ribs with cola BBQ glaze and a 280g wagyu scotch fillet MB4+. On the side, there is a tajin watermelon salad with mint, jalapeño, red onion, cucumber, feta, tajin and hazelnut. For dessert, guests can expect classic comfort sweets like churros served with dulce de leche, cast iron baked cookie dough with vanilla ice-cream, and a house-made crème brûlée for those keen for a proper crack-into-custard moment. The drinks are where Checho’s has already earned plenty of online heat. Its handbag cocktails, designed to be shared, have become a social media hit across the group’s other venues and are now making their Cronulla debut. Five handbag cocktail flavours are available: spicy mango senorita, coconut kiss, tropical paradise, blue illusion and mojito. Classic cocktails and Checho’s signatures are also on the menu, including the Spicy Señorita with blanco tequila, Cointreau, Aperol, guava and jalapeño-infused agave, alongside rotating weekly flavours of frozen margaritas. On weekends, Checho’s Cronulla will even run a two-hour bottomless brunch for $89 per person, featuring handbag cocktails to share and a selection of the restaurant’s best-selling tacos. The brunch experience also keeps the photo roll fed, with high-energy music, weekly DJs and oversized Mexican hats in the mix. Talk about thinking of everything. Group Operations Manager of the Checho’s Group Angelo Gorgees said the brand’s appeal went beyond the menu. “We’re really proud of what we’ve built with Checho’s. People don’t just come for the food, they come for the atmosphere and the experience. People know Checho’s, and they love it,” said Gorgees. Checho’s Cronulla is the fifth venue for the Checho’s Group, with another two venues scheduled to open in 2026. “The demand for Checho’s continues to grow, and we’re constantly being asked where we’re opening next. We’re excited to keep expanding into high-growth communities and bring the Checho’s experience to even more people across Sydney,” said Gorgees. Source: Curated Agency Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.

The RSPCA has released a new higher welfare standard for meat chickens, giving Australian producers a certification pathway to meet the globally recognised Better Chicken Commitment for the first time. The new top-tier standard targets some of the biggest welfare concerns in chicken meat production, including rapid growth, live shackling, crowded sheds and limited access to natural light. It comes with major industry implications. More than 97 per cent of Australian meat chicken production is currently RSPCA Certified, while all large-scale production uses fast-growing breeds. Alliance Strategy Director Dr Bidda Jones said fast-growing breeds, crowded sheds and live shackling are still common across the Australian chicken industry. “Fast-growing breeds which suffer high rates of pain, injury and illness, birds crowded together unable to move freely, and live shackling prior to slaughter are prevalent throughout the Australian chicken industry, including in current RSPCA Certified supply chains,” said Dr Jones. “While the base RSPCA Standard will still allow these practices, the release of higher welfare requirements offers a practical pathway for chicken farming practices to match current science and community expectations for animal welfare.“ The Australian Alliance for Animals, one of 15 leading animal welfare organisations backing the Aus-NZ Better Chicken Commitment, says the new standard could improve the welfare of hundreds of millions of chickens farmed for meat in Australia each year. The Better Chicken Commitment is a global animal welfare initiative focused on reducing the biggest causes of suffering in chickens raised for meat. Its requirements include higher welfare, slower-growing chicken breeds, more space and natural light inside chicken sheds, and more humane and reliable slaughter methods. The RSPCA’s new higher welfare level also follows research commissioned by the Australian Alliance for Animals in February 2026, which found seven in ten Australians consider the current way chickens are bred, farmed and slaughtered unacceptable. The independent nationally representative survey looked at three key parts of meat chicken production. It found 78 per cent of Australians think selectively breeding chickens to reach market weight in 35 days, leading to difficulties with walking and standing, is unacceptable. Another 83 per cent said keeping tens of thousands of chickens inside sheds at high stocking densities with no access to daylight is unacceptable, while 74 per cent said suspending chickens upside down by their legs before stunning them in an electrified bath is unacceptable. “These results demonstrate that, despite the wide uptake of certification labels, the chicken industry is failing to meet public expectations for animal welfare,” said Dr Jones. “The good news is that there is an alternative. The Better Chicken Commitment requires higher welfare, slower growing chicken breeds, more space and natural light inside chicken sheds, and more humane and reliable slaughter methods.” According to the Australian Alliance for Animals, the new RSPCA standard creates a practical pathway for chicken farming practices to better align with current animal welfare science and community expectations. The release also puts pressure on food businesses that position themselves as animal welfare leaders, with more than 640 businesses globally already committing to the Better Chicken Commitment. Better Chicken Commitment Campaigner April Broadbent said the global shift was already underway. “With over 640 commitments from food businesses to date across the world, there is a clear trend away from fast-growing chicken breeds and towards the Better Chicken Commitment as the baseline for animal welfare,” said Broadbent. “Australians are horrified by current industry practices and want higher animal welfare standards. The RSPCA’s new higher level is the only certification standard that addresses the significant welfare problems associated with selecting chickens for extreme growth, a key step towards meeting consumer expectations for chicken welfare. “Food businesses that claim to be leaders in animal welfare now have a clear pathway to adopting the Better Chicken Commitment – if they don’t take up this opportunity, their customers will be asking why.” For consumers, the shift could also make welfare labels easier to read more critically. While RSPCA certification is already widely used across the Australian chicken industry, the new higher level is the first RSPCA certification standard in Australia to address the welfare issues linked to selecting chickens for extreme growth. Find more food and drink news on Crumb Wire.