Much like Meryl and Stanley in Milan, on May 14, MasterFoods Barbecue Sauce crashed Fashion Week in Sydney to make a point about the great Australian sauce divide. Barbecue Sauce took a front row seat at Jordan Gogos’ exclusive consumer show, mingled backstage with designers and models and posed for street-style moments outside, with MasterFoods research revealing Australians see Tomato and Barbecue as personality types as much as condiments. The research also found Australians are using Barbecue Sauce in ways nobody asked for, but apparently everyone is doing, including on vanilla ice cream, pavlova, popcorn, instant noodles and spaghetti bolognese. Davina Takiari, Portfolio Marketing Manager at MasterFoods, said, “As a lifelong foodie and fan of our iconic brands, it has always been clear just how much Aussies read into their friends’ and their own food choices. Those divisions only get stronger when it comes to classics like their favourite sauces. “We see the MasterFoods Barbecue Sauce vs. MasterFoods Tomato Sauce debate play out at sports fields, local community barbecues, dinner tables and shopping aisles across the country. By bringing Barbecue to fashion week, we wanted to give this discussion a national platform – so every Aussie can ask themselves whether they are giving Barbecue Energy, or if they are more Tomato-coded.” Barbecue vs Tomato Tomato Sauce is the nation’s safe pair of hands. Australians associate it with being classic (69%) and reliable (63%), the sauce you reach for when you want to get it right. In contrast, barbecue Sauce is the wildcard – more likely to be described as adventurous (41%), creative (39%) and edgy (39%). The divide spills beyond the dinner table into how Australians think about people and relationships. Nearly half of Australians (49%) would trust a Tomato Sauce personality to dress them for an important event. But for energy and fun, Barbecue wins, with twice as many Aussies saying a Barbecue personality brings more to a dinner party (50% vs 26% for Tomato) and is more likely to keep things exciting (47% vs 26% for Tomato). That unpredictability also has an obvious downside. More than a third of Australians (35%) worry a Barbecue personality would ghost them on a dating app, rising to nearly half (49%) of Gen Z. And while Barbecue leads for dating and fun, almost half of Australians (48%) would rather settle down with a Tomato personality for long-term commitment. Beyond Fashion Week, Barbecue Sauce shared the spotlight with Lily Brown and Jett Kenny and secured an official talent listing on the Khoo Management website. Source: Herd MSL Find more food culture updates on Crumb Wire.

Australian beef is hitting record production levels in 2026 and prices are holding strong, according to a new report from agribusiness bank Rabobank. The bank’s annual Australian Beef Seasonal Outlook 2026 says successive years of good seasonal conditions have allowed cattle inventory to rebuild to its next cyclical peak, pushing slaughter and production volumes to record highs. Despite the volume, strong global demand, particularly from the US, is keeping export prices and domestic cattle prices at historically high levels. RaboResearch senior animal proteins analyst Angus Gidley-Baird said, “This will generate record cattle slaughter and production volumes in 2026. Despite these record volumes, a strong global market is supporting record export prices and, in turn, historically high cattle prices, particularly for finished cattle.” The outlook for the rest of 2026 is cautiously positive, though a few pressure points are worth watching. Drought is the biggest risk Weekly slaughter numbers are sitting at around 160,000 head, creeping towards the historical high of 178,000 head recorded in 2014. Australia is close to maximum processing capacity, meaning a dry season forcing producers to offload stock quickly could strain the system significantly. Gidley-Baird said, “With high cattle inventory, dry seasonal conditions – like those conditions being experienced in parts of New South Wales – could force producers to sell stock rapidly into a market flush with cattle. Slaughter volumes are already at historically high levels, adding an additional 10 per cent to these levels as we have seen in previous drought conditions would test the capacity of the system.” China’s quota is almost full China is Australia’s second-largest market for grainfed beef. The 2026 import quota of 205,000 tonnes is expected to be reached as early as May or June, which may shift where processors are selling in the short term. A new quota year begins in January 2027, which could open up fresh demand for grainfed beef and lift feeder cattle demand from September 2026. Gidley-Baird said, “China is Australia’s second-largest market for grainfed beef behind the domestic market. The commencement of a new quota year in January 2027 may provide an opportunity for increased grainfed beef exports to China in Q1 2027, which in turn may mean an uplift in demand for feeder cattle in September/October 2026.” The Middle East conflict is adding costs Higher fuel and freight costs linked to the war in Iran are filtering through to supply chains, with Asian markets more exposed given their reliance on Middle East oil. These costs represent around 10 to 15 per cent of total farm operating costs, so the impact on farm budgets is real but limited. Rising interest rates are also adding pressure. Gidley-Baird said, “Higher fuel and freight costs may impact sourcing strategies for livestock buyers. Inflationary pressures may also impact consumer-spending patterns in export markets. Asian markets are possibly more exposed, given their higher reliance on Middle East oil supplies.” What it means for prices Heavy steer prices are expected to hold around AUD 4.50/kg live weight through the rest of 2026 and into 2027. Weaner cattle prices should sit around the five-year average of AUD 4-4.50/kg live weight, with little upside but some downside risk if conditions worsen. Gidley-Baird said, “Strong export markets and demand for finished cattle should help support demand for weaner cattle and store stock. But high cattle inventory and seasonal conditions are likely to mean there is little upside movement and prices are expected to hover around the five-year average – about AUD 4-4.50/kg lwt – with potential for downside movement.” Overall, most beef producers are expecting a stable year. A Rabobank survey conducted in February also found 54 per cent of producers expect incomes to stay the same in 2026, with 31 per cent expecting them to rise and 12 per cent expecting a decline. Gidley-Baird said, “The Q1 2026 Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, conducted in February – prior to the Iran war – indicated that 54 per cent of Australian beef producers expect incomes to be the same, with 31 per cent expecting incomes to be higher and 12 per cent expecting incomes to be lower.” Find more food and drink news on Crumb Wire.

Watering Hole Hotels is all set to open Jude’s, a new 30-seat basement bar in Potts Point with a Michelin-star bartender and a retro cocktail list. The space sits in the basement of Penny’s Hotel off Bayswater Road, pulling from the old-world glamour of Potts Point and the grunge of Kings Cross. Inside, velvet lounge chairs, marble and wooden tables, floor-length suede curtains and an art deco mirror sit beneath a disco ball hanging from the original exposed ceiling. Jude’s licensee, Tayla Holborow, said, “Great cocktails, music and an escape from the fast-paced outside world is what we all need a little bit of right now.” Hey Jude, make it good The cocktail list comes from Matthew Cridge, known best for his role as Head Sommelier at Bibo Wine Bar in Double Bay. At Jude’s, he has turned his hand to cocktails, with the menu anchored by three signatures. Hey Jude combines Belvedere vodka, lychee, lemon and chilli, sitting somewhere between a lychee martini and a spicy margarita. The Smokin’ Paps, named after Cridge’s grandfather, sees smoked wood chips ignited beneath an inverted Nick and Nora glass before being filled with Jack Daniel’s Honey, Sazerac Rye and orange bitters. The Vesper Blush is a riff on the James Bond martini, using liquid nitrogen to rapid-chill the glass before filling it with Tanqueray gin, Grey Goose vodka and Lillet Rosé. Cridge said, “Liquid nitrogen provides a touch of refined drama behind the bar, but it also serves a purpose – chilling the glass rapidly to showcase the premium ingredients of Tanqueray gin, Grey Goose vodka and the delicate blush tones of Lillet Rosé. “Every cocktail on the list draws inspiration from the past, reimagining classic flavours and familiar serves through a modern lens while retaining a sense of nostalgia.” Bringing the list to life each night is British mixologist Danny Renwick, who headed up London’s Pergola rooftop bar and worked at Michelin-starred restaurant House of Tides. The wine list covers Australian producers alongside European styles including Champagne, Chablis and German Riesling, bold reds from Portugal, Spain and Italy and a selection of skin-contact wines. Snacks run from complimentary soy-glazed pepitas to truffle fries, baked camembert with sourdough and hot honey, cheese plates, charcuterie boards and battered artichoke hearts with nduja aioli and shaved parmesan. A vanilla crème brûlée is $10. Jude’s opens tonight, May 14, at 15 Bayswater Road, Potts Point. Source: Wine Glass Media Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.

Brisbane’s +81 Sushi Kappo is adding lunch sittings and three new beverage pairings to its West End omakase experience. The 12-seat restaurant has built a reputation as one of Brisbane’s most intimate omakase experiences since opening in February, combining sushi and kappo, a pairing rarely found even in Japan. The kitchen is led by Tokyo-trained chef Ikuo Kobayashi, whose background spans some of Japan’s most prestigious Michelin-starred kitchens. Lunch sittings are now available on Thursdays and Fridays, alongside the existing Wednesday to Saturday evening service. The omakase menu takes a non-traditional approach to composition while remaining grounded in Japanese technique, and is free from gluten, dairy, nuts and refined sugars, framed not as a dietary restriction but as a philosophy centred on purity, balance and clarity of flavour. Pouring pairings The three new beverage programs have been developed to sit alongside the omakase menu. The Neo Cocktails, invented by Bar Manager Tony Huang and co-creator Tim Pope, are the signature of the adjoining Aizome Bar. Made through a multi-day process using freeze-integration techniques, seasonal ingredients and unconventional flavour extraction methods, they are served in a wine-style format. The Prestige Neo Experience pairs six Neo Cocktails with the omakase menu. The Prestige Neo & Sake Experience adds four premium sakes served alongside the sushi and nigiri courses. For non-drinkers, the Non-Neo Experience features six alcohol-free beverages vacuum cold-fermented using seasonal produce and premium Japanese teas, also in a wine-style format. An à la carte menu is also available, covering premium sake, Japanese whisky, champagne and a selection of Australian and international wines. In keeping with the Japanese philosophy of ichigo ichie, the idea of treasuring each encounter as a singular moment, no two visits to Sushi Kappo are intended to feel the same, with seasonal ingredients and evolving pairings shaping each service. +81 Sushi Kappo is located at 259 Montague Road, West End, Qld, 4101. Source: Sense Communications Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.