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.

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.

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.

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.