Connoisseur is bringing strawberry matcha to the freezer aisle with a new ice cream stick launching exclusively at Coles in late July. The new release takes one of the year’s biggest drink trends and turns it into matcha ice cream swirled with strawberry syrup, then covers the lot in a strawberry-flavoured pink chocolate shell. Strawberry matcha has moved quickly from café menus into desserts and bakery cabinets, helped along by more than 110,000 TikTok videos shared under #strawberrymatcha. The combination has become especially popular with Gen Z, pairing the earthy flavour of matcha with sweet strawberry and, crucially, producing something extremely photogenic in the process. Connoisseur senior brand manager Vanessa Mason said shoppers were increasingly discovering new flavours through social media and online culture rather than during a trip to the supermarket. “Consumers today aren’t just discovering flavours in store anymore; they’re discovering them through culture, social media and what’s trending online. “As strawberry matcha is one of the biggest flavour sensations of the past year, we saw an opportunity to be the first to reimagine it into a premium ice cream stick. It captures everything people know and love about the flavour trend while delivering the indulgence and craftsmanship Connoisseur is known for.” Connoisseur is calling the launch a first for premium ice cream sticks in Australia. It follows the success of the brand’s Pistachio Gelato range, with the pistachio sticks now its second best-performing multipack. Matcha is not entirely new territory for Connoisseur either. The brand already sells a Matcha Green Tea with White Choc one-litre tub, making strawberry matcha the next logical addition to its growing line-up of trend-driven flavours. Connoisseur Strawberry Matcha sticks will be sold in packs of four for $12, exclusively at Coles from late July. Source: Wired Co. Find more food retail updates on Crumb Wire.

The team behind Italian hotspot Rovollo is opening a new 30-seat wine bar in Sydney’s Martin Place this September. The Heritage Room will sit just metres from its parent restaurant, bringing Tuscan wines, food cooked over a Josper grill and an intimate private dining room to the CBD. While the new venue will indeed operate as an extension of Rovollo, it promises to bring its own identity to the table. The Tuscan touch Inspired by traditional Italian wine bars where food gets just as much attention as what is in the glass, the menu will feature a rotating selection of artisan Tuscan cheeses and meats hand-selected by Esper Group executive chef Cami Feliciano. Larger dishes will include a signature ciabatta sandwich and handmade pastas, giving CBD workers a lunch option that sits somewhere between takeaway and a full restaurant booking. The enoteca’s wine list will cover bold Italian reds including Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino, alongside Tuscany’s best-known white, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, with plenty more available by the glass. Esper Group director Andrew Wallace said the new venue would retain the warmth and old-world hospitality diners had come to expect from Rovollo, while creating something more flexible. “We love the intimate dining experience we’ve created at Rovollo, but due to its size we haven’t been able to accommodate the many requests we’ve had from guests who are looking to either pop in for a wine, or for an exclusive space. “With The Heritage Room, we are creating something that’s intentionally designed to meet their needs, alongside the service and experience they know and love.” A working wine cellar will hold more than 150 bottles from acclaimed wine regions, including vintage Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino. The venue will also include a private dining room for up to 25 guests, designed for long lunches, dinners and special events. Wallace said the private dining room had been purpose-built to offer guests a more personal experience. “A lot of private dining in Sydney is an afterthought,” Wallace said. “This won’t just be a space to gather; it’ll be immersive and customisable with thoughtful touches that leave people feeling like the room has been created just for them.” Feliciano’s set menus for the room will complement the Italian wine list, with indulgent grills including Tuscan bistecca and infused, dry-aged steaks. The entire venue will also be available for private events of up to 50 people. The Heritage Room by Rovollo will open from midday until late, Tuesday to Saturday, with the private dining room available to book on request. Source: Wineglass Media Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.

Arms Length in Potts Point has appointed The Waratah and Three Blue Ducks alum Dipti Karnad as its new head chef with a newly designed menu to demonstrate her culinary chops. The New York-inspired neighbourhood wine bar and restaurant has added dishes including stracciatella with persimmon, grilled octopus with eggplant caponata and pan-fried snapper, which join signature favourites like the stuffed flatbread and milk-braised pork ragu mafaldine pasta. Karnad studied at Le Cordon Bleu and rose through the ranks at Three Blue Ducks before going on to lead the kitchen at The Waratah in Darlinghurst. She described Arms Length as her dream job, combining the neighbourhood wine bar concept she had always wanted with the chance to create technical dishes using Australian produce. “The wine bar concept is exactly what I’ve always wanted to do. There’s both that community feel and a focus on creating technical dishes that showcase beautiful Australian produce, but it isn’t restricted to fine dining.” Arms Length is owned by hospitality operators and sisters Rebecca O’Shea, Rosie O’Shea and Danielle Sue, alongside Danielle’s husband, former Ormeggio at The Spit chef Jeff Sue. The family first opened the venue in Redfern in 2021 before relocating it to a terrace house on Kellett St in Potts Point in 2024. The 60-seat restaurant is designed as a relaxed neighbourhood spot where diners can settle in over shared plates, wine and cocktails without being restricted to the formality of fine dining. Karnad said the venue’s mix of spaces also helped create that relaxed, stay-a-while feel. “The variety of the different spaces, from the front room and bar to the outdoor terrace and booths, mean you can sit for hours over a few bottles of wine and share plates and just enjoy the vibe.” Jeff Sue likened Arms Length to visiting a friend’s house for a dinner party, only with personal chefs handling the food. “There’s delicious food continually being brought to the table, but it’s not taking centre stage; the focus is on people coming together to talk and catch up. “Then you take a bite of something and it stops you in your tracks.” He described the menu as elevated comfort food, while keeping the venue open to people who might only want to stop in for a drink. “Arms Length is also the type of place where you’re welcome to come just for drinks, like you’d do in downtown New York.” The venue has an extensive wine list focused on boutique Australian producers, alongside monthly cocktail specials and a dedicated martini menu. The martini line-up includes yuzu and lychee, appletini and banana espresso martinis, with each also available as a mini. Arms Length also runs a series of weekly dining deals alongside its seasonally changing à la carte menu. There is $19 pasta and wine every Tuesday, $29 steak frites and wine on Wednesdays and a $15 create-your-own mini meal on Thursdays. Arms Length is located at 7 Kellett St, Potts Point. It is open from 4 pm until late Monday to Thursday and from 12 pm until late Friday to Sunday. Reservations are recommended, but the venue also welcomes walk-ins. Source: Wineglass Media Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.

This is really, truly, not a drill. Zambrero has launched a nationwide search for Australia’s Biggest Hands to mark the arrival of its new Fat Taco, with $5,000 worth of tacos up for grabs. The competition is open from July 22 to August 4 and asks Australians to measure their hands for a shot at becoming the official Face (& Hands) of the Fat Taco. The Fat Taco is the thickest taco Zambrero has developed since Dr Sam Prince founded the chain in 2005. It comes stacked with a choice of protein, pickled red onion and sour cream and has been designed to be eaten with one hand. The person found to have Australia’s Biggest Hands will take home $5,000 worth of tacos and the highly unofficial national title. Zambrero CEO Daryl McCormack said the company had first considered filling the role internally, but the team’s hands did not make the cut. “We considered filling the role internally, but after an audit of the Zambrero team’s hands, we had to admit we simply weren’t up to the task. “Somewhere out there is an XXL gloved Australian whose hands were made for this moment, and we will not rest until those hands are wrapped around a Fat Taco. The search starts now. We want every Australian to show us what they’ve got.” As far as quirky food contests go, this one is up there with Australian hall of famers like the nationwide naming competition that gave the country Vegemite iSnack 2.0 and Smith’s search for a new chip flavour through Do Us a Flavour. There is also a second prize for entrants whose hands may not have the size but still carry what Zambrero is calling Big Hand Energy. The $500 cash prize will go to the person who best embodies the spirit of carrying an entire round of drinks without spilling, bringing every shopping bag inside in one trip or opening every jar on the first try. How to enter Entrants need to place one hand flat against a ruler, measuring tape or Zambrero’s official measurement sheet, then upload a photo and their details through the Zambrero website. Hands will be measured from the tip of the middle finger to the base of the palm, where the hand meets the wrist. Stretching will result in disqualification. Entries for Big Hand Energy will run through Zambrero’s Instagram and TikTok accounts (@zambrero), where people can nominate themselves or someone else by commenting on the official competition post and explaining why they deserve the title. The search closes at 11:59 pm on August 4, with the winners of Australia’s Biggest Hands and Big Hand Energy announced on August 12. No purchase is required to participate and entries are limited to one per person. Source: Forward Agency Find more food culture updates on Crumb Wire.