Fifth-generation Queensland Wagyu producer King River has opened The King River Room, a dedicated private dining space at Brisbane institution Moo Moo The Wine Bar + Grill. The space marks a shift in King River’s trajectory, from cattle producer to premium beef brand with a permanent home in its own backyard. Despite exporting to more than 45 countries, Brisbane is where the King River story began, and The King River Room brings it full circle. From end to end Founded on fifth-generation cattle country in north Queensland, King River operates as a vertically integrated Wagyu business, overseeing breeding, backgrounding, feeding and logistics from end to end. The past four years have seen the company focus on building a premium brand with full supply chain control, positioning itself as a price maker rather than a price taker in global markets. King River General Manager Joshua Rich said: “While 80 per cent of our product is exported to more than 45 countries, Queensland is where our story began. We love the idea of showcasing our Wagyu to diners, chefs and global partners in an immersive paddock to plate experience here in our home state. “We’ve spent the past four years evolving from a commodity supplier into a premium Wagyu brand with full supply chain control, and the King River Room brings our vision to life. The King River Room offers a permanent space to tell our story, from our family’s cattle country in Queensland to the plates of some of the world’s best restaurants.” The King River room Moo Moo The Wine Bar + Grill was founded by Steven and Autumn Adams and has been one of Brisbane’s most respected steak institutions since opening in the historic Port Office Building in June 2010. Specialising in premium Australian beef across dry-aged, Wagyu and Angus cuts, the restaurant has built its reputation on long-standing relationships with the country’s best producers, with venues in both Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Designed by Brisbane-based Studio Collective, The King River Room will host exclusive tastings, distributor visits, global chef delegations and curated dining experiences, including a signature banquet showcasing the depth and versatility of King River Wagyu. The space seats up to 18 people and is available for private bookings. Moo Moo Executive Chef Trent Robson said, “When you work with beef of this calibre, it changes the way you cook. King River Wagyu has depth, richness and consistency that chefs dream of and that makes it possible for us to have the freedom to hero the product in its finest form. “The King River Room will allow us to take guests on a journey from the Queensland paddocks where the cattle are raised through to a dining experience that celebrates precision and flavour. It’s not about serving steak but creating something memorable.” The opening coincides with growing international demand for premium Australian beef, with Queensland continuing to strengthen its position in high quality Wagyu production. The King River Room is open now at Moo Moo The Wine Bar + Grill, Brisbane, from May 5, 2026. Source: Pressed PR Find more dining out updates on Crumb Wire.

Mother’s Day is one of those occasions where the bar is high and the reservation waitlist is higher. Food has always been the love language that needs no translation, and this Sunday, Sydney and Melbourne’s best venues are making sure the message lands loud and clear. Whether she’s the kind of mum who wants a long, lazy brunch with bottomless bubbles, a proper sit-down lunch with all the trimmings or a dinner that runs well into the evening, there is a table with her name on it somewhere in this list. The hard part is choosing. Here are eleven experiences worth booking for a celebration of Mum. A’Mare, Sydney A’Mare is pulling out the harbour views and the Italian feast for Mother’s Day, with a four-course sharing menu curated by Chef Alessandro Pavoni across two sittings at 11:30 am and from 1:45 pm. The menu reads like a greatest hits of Italian dining: creamy buffalo mozzarella, fresh seafood crudo and wagyu beef cheek among the highlights. A three-course set menu is available for children aged 4 to 12. Adults at $195pp, kids at $90. Book here. Windows Restaurant – Pullman Sydney Hyde Park, Sydney Windows Restaurant at Pullman Sydney Hyde Park is laying on a Mother’s Day Seafood Buffet on Sunday, May 10, running from 12:30 pm to 3 pm with views over Hyde Park to match. The spread features fresh seafood on ice, including prawns and oysters, alongside a selection of hot dishes and desserts. It’s a format that works for the whole family, with tickets priced at $139 per adult and $59 per child aged 4 to 13. Pullman Sydney Hyde Park is located at 36 College Street, Sydney. Book here. Touch Wood – Sydney Fish Market, Sydney Waterfront all-day dining restaurant Touch Wood is pulling out all the stops this Mother’s Day, with a three-course menu available from 10:30 am at $95pp, plus a kids’ menu at $30pp. Mums are treated to a complimentary glass of prosecco and a box of cookies on arrival, and fresh floral arrangements from Mayfarm Flowers can be pre-ordered with bookings via Sevenrooms by May 8 for collection at the venue. The menu opens with Sydney Rock Oysters before moving into entrees of either Heirloom Tomato and Burrata or Cured Kingfish with Grapefruit and Saltbush. Mains span Pan-Roasted Snapper Fillet with Café de Paris kombu butter, crispy capers, pickled daikon and a potato and mignonette salad; a 300g Flat Iron Steak with charred onion, roast peach jus, pickled walnuts, side salad and fries; or a whole-roasted Cauliflower Steak with Café de Paris kombu butter, crispy capers and mignonette salad for vegetarians. Everything wraps up with a Davidson Plum Pavlova with chantilly cream, Davidson plum curd, candied wattleseed, finger lime pearls and fresh seasonal fruit. The kids menu includes a soft drink or juice on arrival, with a choice of a beef burger and Fries or Pasta Napolitana with Parmesan, and the same pavlova for dessert. Touch Wood is located at Sydney Fish Market. Book here. Botanica Vaucluse, Sydney For a Mother’s Day long lunch that doesn’t require navigating a dietary minefield, Botanica Vaucluse is worth knowing about. The restaurant is Coeliac Australia audited and confirmed 100% gluten free, making it one of the few premium Sydney dining venues where guests can eat across the full menu without compromise. The kitchen is led by chefs Abby James, formerly of Quay, and Thai Sams, formerly of Bentley, with a seasonal menu designed for relaxed, extended dining rather than a quick turn. This Sunday, May 10, the venue is adding live entertainment to the mix as part of its new Sunday programming series, keeping things elevated without losing sight of what matters: the food, the atmosphere and the company. Book here. RAFI North Sydney Hatted restaurant RAFI in North Sydney is offering a four-course shared banquet menu this Mother’s Day, with bookings from 11:30 am on Sunday, May 10 at $150pp. The produce-led menu reads well: kingfish crudo, grilled scampi with chilli miso butter and MB7 Wagyu among the highlights. A kids menu is also available at $40pp. The detail that sets this one apart is the inclusion of complimentary professional photography on the day, which is a genuinely thoughtful touch for an occasion worth remembering. Book here. Lotus Barangaroo, Sydney Lotus Barangaroo is marking Mother’s Day with a share-style modern Chinese banquet on May 10, from 12 pm to 3 pm, at $129pp. The menu spans salmon sashimi with lychee vinaigrette, handcrafted dumplings and truffle spring rolls to start, before moving into BBQ duck pancakes, steamed barramundi with ginger and shallot, crispy master-stock pork and wok-fried Wagyu beef, all served with seasonal greens and char siu fried rice. Pralines close out the meal on a sweet note. Mums receive a complimentary glass of sparkling rosé and a special gift on arrival, with a limited-edition Cherish Your Mum cocktail also available on the day at $26. Book here. DOLLY – Le Méridien, Melbourne French bistro Dolly, tucked below Le Meridien Melbourne, is running a four-course Mother’s Day menu across dinner on Saturday, May 9 and lunch on Sunday, May 10, at $95pp. Mums arrive to a complimentary glass of G.H. Mumm Cordon Rouge Brut NV Champagne before settling into a menu shaped by Executive Chef Hervé Borghini’s Bordeaux roots and Michelin training. Seasonal Oysters with Blackberry Mignonette open proceedings, followed by Scallops with Nduja and Celeriac Purée. Mains offer a choice between the bistro’s signature 250g MB2 Porterhouse with crispy frites or Barramundi with Fondant Potato, Kohlrabi Remoulade and Bouillabaisse Sauce. A classic Crème Brûlée closes the meal. The 1930s-inspired underground setting does a lot of the heavy lifting on atmosphere. Book here. Dorsett, Melbourne Dorsett Melbourne has partnered with T6 Pâtisserie for an exclusive Mother’s Day High Tea on Sunday, May 10, bringing together French technique and Southeast Asian flavour in the heart of the CBD. The collaboration is led by T6 Pâtisserie’s pastry chef Tommy Er alongside Dorsett’s own pastry team, with...

Yo-Chi has launched a new limited-edition vegan-friendly flavour, Cinnamon Banana, available now at all venues nationwide. The Melbourne-born frozen yogurt brand has built its reputation on creative flavour combinations and an extensive toppings bar, and Cinnamon Banana feels like a natural extension of that. The new flavour combines warm cinnamon spice with real bananas for an autumnal frozen yogurt that works on its own or paired with Choccy yogurt for a vegan-friendly banana split combination. The base is coconut, making it entirely plant-based without feeling like it. Oliver Allis, Brand Director at Yo-Chi, said: “This isn’t just one for the lactose intolerant and vegans out there. Cinnamon Banana is arguably one of the best tasting yogurts we’ve ever created with a creamy coconut base. I can’t wait for everyone to try it.” To mark the launch, Yo-Chi is rolling out a vegan-friendly edition of its Yo-Chi Hacks series across social channels, showcasing the most creative Cinnamon Banana combinations for anyone needing inspiration at the toppings bar. The Cinnamon Banana launch follows the brand’s recent nationwide bakery collaboration, which saw local bakeries across the country hand-baking and delivering mini cinnamon scrolls fresh to Yo-Chi’s toppings bar in each state, suggesting the brand has developed something of an affinity for the flavour. The flavour arrives alongside Yo-Chi’s new Icy Go Bowls, a collaboration with KeepCup designed to keep frozen yogurt colder for longer. The reusable bowls sit within Yo-Chi’s broader commitment to reducing single use packaging, alongside its existing use of compostable cups. Cinnamon Banana is available now at all Yo-Chi venues nationwide for a limited time only. Find more food and drink updates on Crumb Wire.

Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day is returning to Australia on May 5, with 34 Scoop Shops across the country serving unlimited free scoops for one day only. From classics like Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Cookie Dough to Scoop Shop exclusives, the offer is straightforward: turn up, get a scoop, rejoin the line and go again as many times as you like. Last year, Australians scooped up more than 160,000 free cones nationwide. Victoria led the charge with over 50,000 free cones, followed by Queensland with 45,000 and New South Wales with 41,000. Choc Chip Cookie Dough was the runaway favourite, with more than 24,000 scoops served. This year, Ben & Jerry’s is targeting one million and one free scoops globally, up from one million in 2025, across 13 countries. Sean Farrell, Country Manager for Ben & Jerry’s ANZ, said: “Free Cone Day is one of our biggest and most-loved days on the calendar. What started as a thank you to fans in one store and one community has turned into an iconic global event that brings fans, scoopers and our local communities together. There’s something pretty special about seeing Aussies come together over free ice cream.” The tradition dates back nearly 50 years to Burlington, Vermont, where co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield handed out free scoops as a thank you to locals who had supported the business through its first winter. What began as a single Scoop Shop giveaway has since grown into a global annual event spanning 13 countries. “Free Cone Day is all about our fans,” Farrell added. “Having served one million scoops globally in 2025, this year’s aim is to go bigger and better, one million and one scoops to spread a little joy on the best unofficial holiday of the year.” Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day takes place on May 5 at 34 participating Scoop Shops across Australia. Source: Society Marketing Communications Find more food and drink news on Crumb Wire.