Baking Association of Australia’s Victorian Baking Competition names Country Cob Bakery’s sausage roll best in show
A Springvale bakery is home to the state’s best sausage roll, with its gourmet pie also snaring a trophy.
Food
Don't miss out on the headlines from Food. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Making Victoria’s best sausage roll is a hard task, but baker Ryan Khun swears by this one rule.
“If we didn’t follow the judges’ feedback then we wouldn’t have won a thing,” he said.
Country Cob Bakery for the first time was crowned the state’s best for its sausage rolls at the Baking Association of Australia’s Victorian Baking Competition.
Khun has been baking for 10 years but only started winning major award categories in the esteemed competition four years ago.
This year his sausage roll and gourmet pie – a slow-cooked beef and mac and cheese mash-up – won gold medals.
The bakery, which has stores in Springvale, Boronia and Kyneton, also won silver medals for both its fruit flan and scallop pie, and a bronze for its plain pie.
“Our bestseller is the classic plain meat pie, it’s everyone’s favourite no matter what other varieties we do,” Khun said.
Khun was proud the bakery’s sausage roll had been acknowledged after years of perfecting.
“We’ve been working on the ratios, the seasoning and learning from the judges comments from previous years,” he said.
“Last year we were told the flavour was a bit bland, so this year we worked on that.”
After four years at the top, Khun will take a hiatus from the show next year.
“We have been winning too many awards, so I think we’ll stay away from the competition for a couple of years,” he said. “Not only to rest, but to give someone else a chance at winning.”
BAR BOMBAY
Melbourne restaurateur Jessi Singh isn’t one to give up.
When Covid lockdowns caused his CBD wine bar Mrs Singh to close last month, the chef already had plans to fill the 80-seater’s void.
Like his other tongue-in-cheek venues – unauthentic Indian restaurant Daughter-in-law and Mr Brownie Rooftop – Bar Bombaywill be an un-colonial Indian bar challenging the exclusivity of the world’s yacht clubs, particularly those in Bombay undercolonial rule.
“In India, the Bombay yacht clubs were all British clubs – they even had signs out the front saying no Indians or dogs allowed,” he said.
“This will be a yacht club for everyone, where everyone is welcome.”
Head chef Johann Jayasekera will lead the kitchen, cooking dishes inspired by Indian, Chinese and Sri Lankan cuisine such as chilli coconut sambal lobster, whole fish with curry oil, roasted tandoori chicken with curry chips and curry gravy and a butter chicken pate.
A roaming champagne and whisky trolley will keep guests hydrated, with classic martinis and tiki-inspired cocktails at the ready.
Singh said a generous offer from his landlord and the city’s reopening were motives to open a new venue in the CBD.
“Melbourne is my home. It’s a world-class city for food and wine, and while I have struggled these last couple of years, Melbourne needs people like me more than ever,” he said.
Bar Bombay softly opens March 24 and will be open for lunch and dinner six days a week.
88 Flinders Ln, Melbourne.
BOTTOMS UP
Raise a glass to the comeback of our city’s two favourite drinks festivals. Have some bubbly fun at The Prosecco Festival,which is popping bottles of Italy and Australia’s finest fizz at the Abbotsford Convent on March 26. Prosecco queen Mel Brauer will share her sparkling wine knowledge with a series of masterclasses. Sample some of the best international and local pours from Dal Zotto Wines, Cester Camillo, Pizzini, Box Grove, Brown Brothers, Cloak and Dagger, Babo Wines, Calneggia, De Bortoliand Divici.
Meanwhile, The Melbourne Cocktail Festival is back for its third year, partnering with the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival from April 4-10. The week-long celebration includes rooftop parties at Pomelo and HER, a Bar Safari across 40 city venues and a tasting day at SPLASH! at Queen Victoria Market.
Prosecco Festival, Saturday March 26, 11am-3pm, 4.30-8.30pm, from $69 per person. Tickets: eventbrite.com.au
Melbourne Cocktail Festival, April 4-10, tickets available from March 9 via: melbournecocktailfestival.io
COOK ALONG
Maha chef Shane Delia is marking the release of celebrated Sydney chef O Tama Carey’s new cookbook with a special masterclass via Providoor next Friday.
The cook along will be available to Victorian and NSW customers on Delia’s food delivery platform. Each produce box comes with a signed copy of the Lankan Filling Station chef’s cookbook, ahead of its April release date.
Lankan Filling Station favourites, such as the devilled cashews, fish curry, pol symbol and curry powders, will be included in the packs. Boxes cost $179 for two people. The cook along begins at 7pm.
Order before Friday via: providoor.com.au
The top five spots for fish ‘n’ chips in Melbourne
From the best humble take-out shops to fine dining dens, here are the top five places to reel in delicious fish ‘n’ chips in Melbourne.
Would you pay $30 for meat on a stick?
The views from the city’s hottest new hotel rooftop are unmatched, the drinks top-tier — but how much are you willing to spend on the city’s fanciest skewer?