Melbourne Royal Show 2023: Best things to eat at the showgrounds

There’s a new sweet treat at this year’s show worth your time and money — and it won’t break the bank. See the full list of budget friendly eats here.

Melbourne Royal Show fans Andy Vo and Madison Hebden enjoy fairy floss, a burger and a toastie. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Soft served in doughnut cones, a chicken nugget food truck and scones, jam and cream.

This year’s Melbourne Royal Show has something for all tastes — including this $5 showstopper.

It’ll make your cheese dreams come true.

1. CHEESE WHEEL GNOCCHI: $23

That Arancini Guy
Our favourite festival truck is peddling more than cheesy fried rice balls. The Grazeland native is also bouncing fluffy gnocchi through a giant cheese wheel for your indulgence.

Graze

Talk about crunch factor.

2. FRIED CHICKEN BAO: $16

Wonderbao

Satisfy your textural fantasies in one bite. Float on a pillowy white cloud of Wonderbao’s trademark buns filled generously with shatter-crisp Korean fried chicken, lettuce, pickled red cabbage and a fair squirt of yuzu mayo.
Graze

Introducing the ultimate hangover cure, in a box.

3. CHICKEN AND GRAVY ROLL: $17.50

EBBY Street Food

Mr Miyagi’s festival outfit EBBY has the ultimate hangover cure. Here it slams roast chicken in a soft white roll with mayo, before drenching it in gravy. Comes with chips.

Graze

We love nugs

4. SPICY NUGGIES: $16 FOR FIVE

Nuggies
*New
Dial up the heat with chilli-flecked golden nibs of juicy chook. There’s also something for the kids (minus the spice).

Building 13

Don’t be an animal: spread the jam before cream.

5. JAM AND SCONES: $6.50

CWA

This timeless country classic never goes out of style. Made simply with cream, self-raising flour, milk, sugar and salt. Don’t you dare use lemonade in the baking process. It’s also a faux pas to slather cream before jam.

Melbourne Laneways

Tokyo Lamington understood the assignment.

6. ORIGINAL LAMINGTON: $5

Tokyo Lamington

*New
Sydney sensation Tokyo Lamington makes its show debut, selling squishy squares of nanna’s finest with a twist. While we’re tempted by the yuzu meringue, fairy bread popcorn and Japanese forest flavours, it’s hard to ignore the OG: a choc dunked, shredded coconut rolled sponge filled with raspberry jam and vanilla cream.
Eat Street

7. BREAKFAST PIZZA: $15

Capaldi Pizza

*New

Top Melbourne chef turned pie purveyor Ray Capaldi is now flippin’ pizzas. The focaccia-based pockets have been engineered to eat on the go, brimming in traditional toppings such as red sauce, mozzarella and basil, mushrooms, eggs and bacon for breakfast and salami and olives. His largely successful Wonderpies outfit will also have a show presence.

Graze

Combine two of your fave snacks in one dessert.

8. STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE CONE: $15

Chimnutz
*New

Chimney cakes, or kürtoskalács, is the doughnut creation taking over central Europe. Made with a yeasty dough spun into a cone, fried and sugar coated, Chimnutz then adds a twirl of soft serve with all the trimmings. The strawberry shortcake flavour is a Show exclusive.
Eat Street

Nothing wrong with a solid burger fix.

9. CHEESEBURGER: $16.50

Goldieboy Burger Co

*New

With 10 years in Melbourne’s food truck game and many more appreciating America’s finest, Goldieboy founder Simon O’Keefe is bringing his burgers showside for the first time. He’s put bougie butcher Peter Bouchier to work to create the perfect combo of chuck and brisket beef for the patty, which is slammed between a high-melt American cheese, special sauce and two pillowy potato buns. Drool.
Graze

10. QUEENS DOG: $16

Hot Dog Deli
Hot Dogs! Come get your New York-style hot dogs! This American food truck is slinging its finest snags with the Queens Dog, loaded in American chilli and cheese, a firm crowd favourite.
Pavilion 7 Boulevard.

Melbourne Royal Show. September 21 to October 1. melbourneroyal.com.au/show