Macca’s has turned the humble cardboard drinks tray into an actual handbag, complete with cup holders, gold hardware and enough room for keys, sunnies and headphones. The limited-edition McCafé Tray Bag takes the familiar cardboard drinks tray and turns it into a proper carry bag, finished in a rich fig colour with a chunky shoulder strap, zip pocket and dedicated drink holders. Only 100 will be available in the first drop, and they’ll be free. It is ridiculous in exactly the way a fast-food fashion collab should be, but the timing is not completely random. Macca’s has spent much of this year pushing further into drinks, including a national beverage expansion in July that added 10 new options across Refreshers, Energisers, Crafted Sodas and iced and cold coffee. “Earlier this year, Aussies showed us they’re more than willing to mix up their usual drink order, and we’ve continued to see that adventurous spirit grow,” said Tobi Fukushima, Marketing Director of Menu at McDonald’s Australia. “We’re always looking for new ways to bring exciting flavours to our customers, and these two new drinks are all about giving people fresh reasons to discover a new favourite sip. “At the same time, we know drinks have become more than just something to enjoy. They’re part of daily rituals, culture and self-expression, which is why we couldn’t stop at drinks alone. “The McCafé Tray Bag is a playful reimagining of one of our most iconic items, bringing together fashion, function and our love of the drinks run in a way only Macca’s can.” There are now three more additions to the drinks menu on the way, giving the Tray Bag something new to carry: Iced Tiramisu Latte with Cold Foam: McCafé espresso with tiramisu flavoured syrup and milk, served over ice and topped with cold foam and cocoa. Red Bull Strawberries & Cream Energiser: Red Bull with strawberry flavoured syrup, topped with cold foam and freeze-dried strawberries, served over ice. Affogato: A shot of McCafé espresso poured over vanilla soft serve. Fashion and lifestyle creator Riley Hemson fronts the Tray Bag campaign, which plays directly into the way coffee runs have become content in their own right. “I love anything that’s unexpected, and this is probably the most unexpected accessory I’ve ever owned,” said Hemson. “It’s instantly recognisable, a little bit playful but still looks chic. Whether I’m grabbing my go-to Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso or catching up with friends over a crisp Refresher, it’s my new drinks-run essential.” The first 100 McCafé Tray Bags will be available from 12 pm AEDT on Friday, October 9 through the dedicated Tray Bag website, with a second drop still to be announced. The Iced Tiramisu Latte with Cold Foam, Red Bull Strawberries & Cream Energiser and Affogato will join Macca’s menus nationwide from Wednesday, October 14. Source: Omnicom Find more food and drink news on Crumb Wire.

The Great Graze is returning to Barangaroo, bringing 25 food stalls, native ingredients, and a long communal table to the waterfront for the weekend. A new partnership with Aboriginal-owned hospitality business Indigiearth gives this year’s festival a stronger First Nations focus. Founder Sharon Winsor will curate a Native Food Market at Pier Pavilion, where Indigenous food businesses will sell ready-to-eat dishes and take-home products made with native ingredients. Director of retail and place at Lendlease, Monique de Cseuz, said, “Barangaroo continues to be a must-visit hospitality, arts and culture precinct, with an innovative and diverse program of activity throughout the year. “The Great Graze is a wonderful example of this, giving Sydneysiders and visitors alike the chance to explore our waterfront in a new way – through food and community. Events like this are central to what makes Barangaroo such a vibrant place to spend time.” Winsor’s own menu includes a crocodile roll with slow-cooked crocodile tail and finger lime, kangaroo and bush tomato mince served with guacamole, cheese, Kakadu plum and sea succulent corn chips, plus a bush tomato and vegetable dish with Kakadu plum salad and finger lime balsamic dressing. Native ingredients will also show up across the wider festival. Restaurants along Wulugul Walk have been asked to include at least one in their pop-up menus, with Belles Hot Chicken serving a sandwich with Kakadu plum glaze and waffles with native fruit syrup. Anason, Belles Hot Chicken, Gina, Lotus, Muum Maam and Zushi will all be trading along the foreshore, while a long communal picnic table will run through Wulugul Walk for anyone planning to make a meal of the circuit rather than stop at just one stall. Over at Waterman’s Cove, the line-up includes Anita Gelato, Annamese, Banksia Bakehouse, Bottega Coco, Devon Cafe, Mr Panino, Sweet Belem and Tea Republic. So far, the menu includes Annamese’s grilled chicken lemongrass skewer with hoisin, peanut and nuoc cham, Anita Gelato’s wattleseed crème brûlée ice cream and a strawberry cream cheese doughnut from Devon Cafe. There is also a sweet trail running through the precinct, with seven dessert retailers serving festival-only specials. Banksia Bakehouse is putting out a wattleseed and chocolate chip cookie and a crème brûlée Danish, while BROOKI, Rivareno Gelato, Yo-Chi, Bourke Street Bakery and Enze are also taking part. Pier Pavilion will double as the First Nations Hub, with products from Aboriginal businesses including Native Botanical Brewery, Ziggy’s Wild Foods, Southcoast Seaweed, Baagi Milaygin, Unexpected Guest, Lore Australia and Ngumpie Weaving. Barangaroo House will become the Barangaroo House Festival Bar for the weekend, adding an extended licensed area to the food markets, live music and family-friendly entertainment spread across the precinct. The Great Graze is free to enter and runs across Barangaroo on Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18. The precinct is accessible by ferry and Metro, or around a five-minute walk from Wynyard Station. Source: The Cru Find more food and drink news on Crumb Wire.

Australians do not need much convincing when it comes to mango season. Around 95% of the country’s mango crop is eaten locally and Peters Frosty Fruits is betting there is still room for one more version of summer’s favourite fruit. The new Frosty Fruits Mango Sorbet stick takes that familiar flavour into supermarket freezers, combining mango sorbet made with real mango puree with a passionfruit sorbet swirl made using real passionfruit juice. It also looks the part. The stick comes in a mango-shaped mould with a soft sorbet texture, no artificial colours or flavours and 56 calories per serve, which the brand says is fewer calories than a whole mango. “Mango is such an iconic part of the Australian summer, so it felt like the perfect flavour to bring to Frosty Fruits in a fresh and playful way. The launch is an exciting step forward for Frosty Fruits, extending our successful sorbet platform with a fresh new offering for consumers,” said Andrea Hamori, Head of Marketing at Peters Ice Cream. While mango season only comes around once a year, Aussie brands have made sure the flavour can be enjoyed without interruption. Biscuits, cakes, drinks – the king of summer fruit is everywhere, all year round. “We know Australians love Frosty Fruits for its refreshing, fruity flavours, and our new Mango Sorbet takes that experience somewhere new. Whether it’s cooling down after a day at the beach or reaching for a fruity treat on a warm summer evening, we think this will quickly become a new freezer favourite,” Hamori added. For Frosty Fruits, the mango stick extends its existing sorbet range rather than straying too far from what people already know the brand for: cold, fruity freezer snacks made for hot weather. Frosty Fruits Mango Sorbet will start rolling out nationally from mid-September. Six-packs will be available at grocery stores for RRP $9, while single serves will be sold through petrol and convenience stores for RRP $3.50. The new flavour joins Frosty Fruits Fruit Stack, Tropical 50% Less Sugar, Tropical and Watermelon Slice. Source: WiredCo. Find more food retail updates on Crumb Wire.

Mozzarella making, pasta rolling and chocolate tempering have all proven themselves as solid date and girls’ night options, but there’s a new kid on the social-classes block deserving of our attention. Kafe Kooks in Ultimo is putting roti paratha forward as a contender, with in-house Roti Master Suresh Rajandra teaching small groups how to stretch, flip and fold dough before finishing it with the all-important smash that gives the bread its flaky layers. Rajandra said, “I love that the classes are kept to small groups because it creates a really relaxed atmosphere. People feel comfortable asking questions and getting involved in a way that’s much harder to do in a big group. Before long, everyone is competing to see who can stretch their dough the best.” The process has all the ingredients of a good class to take with friends, family or a special someone. There is enough technique involved to make getting it right feel satisfying, but plenty of opportunity to get your hands dirty and room for things to go sideways once the dough starts flying. “My favourite part is bringing out a freshly cooked roti and showing everyone how to give it a good smash to make it beautifully flaky,” adds Rajandra. “You can see everyone’s faces light up when they see it happen, and then there’s the smell of that hot roti straight off the grill, with all that incredible sweetness and aroma from the ghee. That moment never gets old.” Customers who have previously attended sessions with the Roti Master have also raved about the sensory aspect and Kafe Kooks’ overall hospitality. One attendee called the experience “a night to remember” and singled out the roti throwing and folding session, while another said the class was “a lot of fun” and the food “absolutely delicious”. It helps that roti making is not yet one of those default things people think to do with their hands on a night out. The flipping, stretching and smashing still feels novel, but the five-course Malaysian banquet and cocktails are holding their own too. Once the class wraps, guests sit down to a five-course shared Malaysian feast, with the option to make the evening bottomless. That makes the format feel less like a cooking lesson with dinner tacked on and more like a proper night out where the activity happens to involve learning how not to tear a sheet of roti dough. Keeping it Klassy For owner Andrew Ray, the classes have also opened up conversations that rarely happen during normal restaurant service. For an Asian restaurant effectively designed as a love song dedicated to David Bowie – decor, memorabilia, pillows, you name it – the curiosity writes itself. “I get asked everything from how I first became fascinated by roti, to why I started Kafe Kooks and even the connection between David Bowie and the business,” Ray said. “It gives me a chance to connect with people in a much more personal way than you normally get to during the day-to-day running of a restaurant. “And of course, we love watching everyone have a go at flipping their roti. There’s always plenty of laughter, and we’ve captured some great moments on camera. Seeing people go from being a little nervous about handling the dough to getting stuck into it is a big part of the fun.” Kafe Kooks’ upcoming Roti Masterclasses are scheduled on October 8, October 22, December 3 and December 17 from 6 pm to 8.30 pm at 63 Mountain Street, Ultimo. Tickets are $95 plus a booking fee, or $125 plus a booking fee for the bottomless option. Find more food and drink features on Crumb Wire.