Wagyu in dessert? You have our attention. La Madonna has launched a limited edition Westholme Wagyu degustation at Next Hotel Melbourne. The French-influenced Italian restaurant, set on level three of Next Hotel Melbourne in the city’s Paris end, is dedicating five courses to one of Australia’s most celebrated beef producers. An Ode to Westholme Wagyu sees Michelin-trained Executive Chef Jacopo Degli Esposti build the menu around different cuts, textures and techniques, moving from lighter, more technical dishes through to richer, more savoury plates. Westholme Wagyu is raised across the rangelands of Queensland and the Northern Territory, where Japanese genetics meet Australian pasture. The herd roams across millions of acres of native Mitchell grass before being grain-finished, producing beef known for its marbling, richness and depth of flavour, with marble scores ranging from MBS 4 to 5 up to 9+. At La Madonna, that translates into a menu that moves well beyond the usual steakhouse treatment. The menu includes Westholme Wagyu tongue with jus à manger, MB5 hanger steak carpaccio with bone marrow and classic dressing, and tortellini of Westholme tenderloin in a double Wagyu consommé. For the main course, La Madonna is serving Westholme MB6 cube roll, 45-day butter dry-aged, pan-fried in butter and finished with Wagyu jus. Degli Esposti has also worked with sous chef and pastry specialist Adrianna Kolda to take Wagyu into dessert, with a Wagyu tallow crème brûlée. La Madonna’s setting offers diners a bit more theatre too. The restaurant pairs refined technique with quality produce across its regular menu, which includes dishes like scampi cappelletti, lobster risotto and caviar spaghetti, with a 150-plus bottle wine list to suit every mood. Inside, the room is moody and polished, with curved banquettes, warm lighting and a gold chain chandelier giving the five-course Wagyu menu a suitably ‘grown-up’ backdrop. An Ode to Westholme Wagyu is available Tuesday to Saturday from 5:30 pm until October 31, 2026. The menu is $220 per person, with an optional wine pairing available for $110 per person. Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.

Brown Brothers is making a very clear call on summer drinking: the next wave of wine drinkers wants flavour first. The family winemaker has released a new range of flavoured wines nationally, starring flavours like Cienna Velvet Chocolate, Moscato Pineapple Splash, Moscato Strawberry & Hibiscus Spritz and Prosecco Pink Grapefruit Spritz. The wines are available now at independent retailers nationally and online through Brown Brothers, with ranging across Endeavour Group and Coles Liquor Group expected from late October to early November. It is not exactly hard to see why Brown Brothers is putting more colour into the wine aisle. In Australia, the Sparkling Fruit Flavours segment is growing at 52.9 per cent year on year, while 74 per cent of Flavoured Moscato customers are new to wine. If recent tallies are to be believed, younger consumers are drinking less, drinking differently or at least being much more selective about what makes it into the glass. That makes flavoured wine feel less like a side quest and more like a rebrand of the wine aisle itself: brighter, easier to choose and nowhere near as serious as a tasting-note lecture. For Brown Brothers, that gives the new range a clear job: help younger drinkers discover wine without making the whole thing feel like homework. Brown Brothers winemaker and fourth-generation Brown family member Katherine Brown said, “Flavour is how the next generation is discovering wine; these four releases are about lowering the barriers to entry, wines that are fresh, fun and approachable, without compromising on the quality Brown Brothers is known for.” The four new wines are: Cienna Velvet Chocolate – A limited-edition wine inspired by rich European chocolate cakes. It pairs Brown Brothers’ fruity red Cienna, a variety bred in Australia with CSIRO, with melted milk chocolate flavour. The wine is rich, juicy and lightly sparkling on the finish, with Brown Brothers suggesting it be served chilled with dessert, cheese boards or chocolate. Moscato Pineapple Splash – A tropical turn on Australia’s best-selling Moscato, with ripe pineapple over a clean, fresh and balanced palate. Served well chilled, it also taps into pineapple’s rise as a key flavour trend for 2026. Moscato Strawberry & Hibiscus Spritz – A brighter, more floral take on Brown Brothers’ Sparkling Moscato, pairing juicy strawberry with delicate hibiscus in a full-sparkling spritz. It pours bright pink and is best served cold or over ice with a slice of lime and shared plates. Prosecco Pink Grapefruit Spritz – A ready-to-enjoy spritz inspired by Brown Brothers Prosecco NV, named in the release as Australia’s number one Prosecco. It combines lively bubbles with crisp pink grapefruit, pours salmon pink and is pitched at sunshine, long lunches and casual aperitivo-style drinking. Moscato Pineapple Splash and Moscato Strawberry & Hibiscus Spritz sit at 8 per cent ABV, while Cienna Velvet Chocolate and Prosecco Pink Grapefruit Spritz sit at 8.5 per cent ABV. All four wines retail at $20. For Brown Brothers, the range is less about making wine more complicated and more about doing the opposite: taking familiar flavours, lowering the stakes and giving new drinkers another way into the category. The new Brown Brothers flavoured wine range is available now at independent liquor retailers nationally and online at brownbrothers.com.au, with each product rolling out across Brown Brothers’ social and direct-to-consumer channels throughout July. Source: Theory Crew Find more food retail updates on Crumb Wire.

Food retail’s generous ‘ask and you shall receive’ mantra has been evidenced yet again as Uncle Tobys Cheerios Low Sugar heads back to supermarket shelves after a parent-led push turned a discontinued breakfast cereal into a minor cause. The cereal will start returning nationally from now at Coles and August 24 at Woolworths, after close to 7,000 parents and health professionals called for it to come back. The campaign was spearheaded by paediatric dietitian Dr Kyla Smith, known online as @dr_kyla, who advocated for more practical, family-friendly breakfast cereal choices. The frustration was quite simple, really: parents wanted a cereal that was lower in sugar, easy to serve and still acceptable to children with strong opinions before 8 am. “As a paediatric dietitian, I hear from parents every day who are looking for realistic, convenient breakfast options that strike the right balance between nutrition and taste,” said Smith. “Cheerios Low Sugar filled an important gap because it contained lower sugar than many alternatives while still being a cereal that children genuinely enjoyed eating.” Cheerios Low Sugar is known for its vanilla flavour and O-shaped pieces, made with three whole grains: wheat, corn and oats. It has a 4.5 Health Star Rating, less than 10g of sugar per 100g, and key nutrients including fibre, calcium and iron. Parents and health professionals across Australia rallied for its return as an easy whole grain, low-sugar option for families. “When families found out it was being removed from shelves, the response was extraordinary,” said Smith. “Close to 7,000 parents and healthcare professionals came together to support its return, which shows just how valued this product is. I’m thrilled that families will once again have access to a breakfast option they know, trust and enjoy.” Cereal Partners Worldwide Head of Marketing Kimberley Finsten said, “At Uncle Tobys, we know families are passionate about starting their day with a delicious and nutritious breakfast, and we take that seriously. We’re delighted to bring back Cheerios Low Sugar and continue offering families a breakfast choice they know and love.” The comeback says something about the breakfast aisle too. Convenience matters, but so does the fine print, especially for families trying to find everyday options that do not turn the morning routine into a nutrition spreadsheet. Uncle Tobys Cheerios Low Sugar 450g will be available nationally from leading supermarkets from August 2026, at an RRP of $7.50. Source: Omnicom Find more food retail updates on Crumb Wire.

Maxwell & Williams is celebrating 30 years in Australian kitchens with new anniversary ranges to mark the milestone. Founded in 1996 by Max Grundmann and William Ryan, the Melbourne-based homewares brand has sold more than 212 million pieces of dinnerware, serveware, glassware and kitchenware to homes and kitchens around the world. The brand’s staying power is probably clearest in White Basics. First sold in 1998, the range is still Maxwell & Williams’ best seller nearly three decades later, with more than 66 million White Basics products used in kitchens globally. Maxwell & Williams remains family-owned and is now in its third generation, with Grundmann’s sons Daniel and Michael running the business alongside their father. Maxwell & Williams founder Max Grundmann said, “For more than three decades I’ve believed that the dining table is one of the most important pieces of furniture in any home. It’s where families celebrate, friends reconnect, ideas are shared and memories are created. If our products have played even a small part in those moments, then we’ve done our job.” Grundmann said the brand was built for a shift he saw coming in the way Australians entertain at home. “Thirty years ago people bought a dinner set for life and reserved it for special occasions, but that all changed very quickly. Houses moved towards open-plan living, and with that shift the kitchen and dining room became the epicentre of the family home. The dining table became where families reconnect and friends gather, rather than just where meals are served. “We wanted our customers to be able to have flair that was fair, and to be able to put on a beautiful spread without the cost or the fuss, and we’re proud that we’ve been able to stay true to that mission for three decades.” The anniversary also lands with a sizeable archive of artist collaborations. Since its inception, Maxwell & Williams has worked with 34 artists, producing collections that have sold more than 22 million pieces. Its longest-running partnership is with the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, now in its 21st year. The collaboration has produced 17 ranges and raised more than $1.3 million for the gardens. The anniversary ranges To mark the milestone, Maxwell & Williams is releasing a series of new ranges, including updates to White Basics, a Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria partnership and two nature-inspired collections. White Basics Edge – Available mid-September. The White Basics Edge collection adds subtle texture and a fresh hit of colour to the White Basics look. Crafted from premium porcelain, each piece is finished with a delicate green rim and embossed detailing while keeping the clean, classic feel of the original range. Royal Botanic Gardens Foxglove – Drawn from the archives of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, the Foxglove collection brings Marie Wehl’s botanical artwork to porcelain. The archival illustrations have been reimagined in a delicate hand-painted style, with subtle embossed detailing and a soft, nature-inspired palette. Available from mid-September. Lunara – Inspired by the coast, Lunara features soft organic forms and a layered reactive glaze, making each piece unique. The range is designed for everyday dining and gatherings. Available now. Fluttering Meadow – Inspired by nature in full bloom, Fluttering Meadow captures the feel of an early morning garden, with flowers, bees and butterflies worked into a hand-illustrated design. The collection features soft botanical forms and delicate linework against a gentle sky-blue palette. Available now. Thirty years on, even with the evolution of family dining culture and design trends, Maxwell & Williams seems to be exactly where it was all those years ago – asking for nothing more than its usual seat at the dining table. Source: Zonnios & Hunt Find more food retail updates on Crumb Wire.