Cape Schanck farm Morning Penni named as delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards National Finalist 2024

A Mornington Peninsula farm has been named among the state’s best for its top-tier produce.

Morning Penni Farm has been shortlisted as a delicious Produce Awards National Finalist 2024 . Picture: David Caird

Mornington Peninsula chef turned green thumb Karl Breese has a simple life mission.

He wants to grow and sell fruit and vegetables “beyond organic”, as naturally as possible, minus any synthetic nasties.

“My son was born with allergies, and I believe that comes from the way we grow our food,” Breese said.

“My pull is really to grow beyond organic, as naturally as possible. I want my son to pick something from the patch and have no need to wash it.”

Breese, who founded Morning Penni farms two years ago, has been named as one of the five delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards Victorian National Finalists for 2024.

Karl Breese was motivated to start his “beyond organic” movement by his son’s allergies. Picture: David Caird

He was nominated by Barragunda Estate chef Simone Watts, who hired him to work as a farm hand at the Cape Schanck estate where she is building a kitchen garden restaurant.

Morning Penni subleases its gardens from Barragunda, with Breese’s produce on-sold at local farmer’s markets, restaurants, fellow Peninsula supplier Torello Farm and to the public.

“I really try to grow as much as I can. This year we had potatoes, onions, brassicas, celeriac and lots of root vegetables,” he said.

“We grow 50 varieties of produce and an array of flowers.”

When Watts opens her restaurant, set to open sometime next year, Breese aims to supply 100 per cent of the produce, or at least “as much as possible as a one-man band can.”

He also has the ambitious long-term goal of providing 300 families with a full diet of organically grown and raised produce.

“My plan is to raise chickens for meat and eggs, grow vegetables, nuts and fruit trees and pulses, all as naturally and physically possible,” he said.

In its 19th year, the delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards unearths and champions Australia’s best primary food producers across five categories, Dairy, Earth, Paddock, Sea and Producer of the Year.

Other Victorian finalists include Long Paddock Cheese, Daniel’s Run Farm, Discovered Wildfoods and Corner Inlet fisherman Bruce Collis.

This year’s DHNPA National Trophy Winners will be announced in August.

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Julien Moussi is opening his third pub next month. Picture : Nicki Connolly

Cafe kingpin’s exciting new move

Big things always seem to be on the horizon for Melbourne cafe baron Julien Moussi.

He’s launching his third pub in Hawthorn next month, and recently snapped up a building that’ll play home to his exciting first nightspot.

“It’s actually the old ‘first class’ lounge at South Yarra train station,” Moussi said.

“My vision is it will sit somewhere between Arbory, Garden State (Hotel) and (Sydney’s) Caterpillar Club.”

The unnamed project is set to be Only Hospitality Group’s biggest to date, with food and cocktails the key focus of the mega-venue running parallel to platform 1.

Moussi said he was in talks with Metro to allow access train platform access from the bar.

“I’m hoping to have it open within 15 months,” he said.

In the meantime, Moussi will be a busy bee returning Hawthorn’s The Beehive Hotel to its former glory.

“We want this place to feel like the glory days of the 90s and 00s. It’s pretty nostalgic pub and is probably the place a lot of locals had their first beer,” Moussi said.

While the pub building has existed for the last 200 years, it hasn’t traded as one for the last 15, moonlighting as restaurants Serafina and Butcher and Vine in recent times.

The 300-seater space will have a public bar, bistro and upstairs area that’ll host functions in the future.

“Expect modern pub fare, with a strong focus on woodfire cooking — it’ll be creative and simple, with something for everyone on the menu,” Moussi said.

New Zealand chef Chris Rendell (Rockpool, Donovan’s), who recently worked at the country’s pub giant Savor Group, will lead the food direction.

Moussi is well-known in Melbourne for his arsenal of cafes and pubs, including Hotel Collingwood and Hobson’s Bay Hotel, Clubhouse Malvern and MOB in Camberwell.

The Beehive Hotel, 84 Barkers Rd, Hawthorn opening July 20.

Four Pillars co-owner and head distiller Cam McKenzie.

Victorian gin named world’s best

It’s official— this Yarra Valley gin is the world’s best.

Four Pillars Gin was one of six spirits worldwide to score an “outstanding gold medal” for its Barrel Aged Bloody Underhill Shiraz at the prestigious International Wine and Spirits Competition in London this week.

The shiraz-infused gin was one of six spirits to score 99 points and the only gin to take the title.

Spirit Judging Committee Member Oliver Ward said the judges spent three days tasting thousands of spirits from across the globe, awarding 760 medals and 50 golds.

This is the world’s best gin.

“Four Pillars Barrel Aged Bloody Underhill Shiraz Gin has a warm, complex and rich palate of cocoa, licorice and juniper with hints of mint,” Ward said.

“The levels of both sweetness and alcohol are perfectly judged.”

Co-founder and head distiller Cameron Mackenzie said he always knew this was a “special gin”, which he made in collaboration with Yarra Valley winemaker Sarah Crowe of Yarra Yering.

“We couldn’t be prouder to wave the flag for Australian gin around the world,” he said.

But it doesn’t come cheap. A bottle of Bloody Underhill Shiraz costs $175 per bottle.

Melbourne whisky distillery The Gospel was also named Australia’s best scoring-whisky at the same awards for a second consecutive year.

The $95 straight rye whisky was the joint, second-highest scoring Rye Whiskey in the world—tying with a rare $1200 whiskey and beaten only by a $2400 18-year-old Kentucky Straight Rye.

Shane Delia has introduced $15 lunch bowls at Maha. Picture: David Smith

Insane deals to fuel work from office cravings

Restaurants are pulling out all stops to get people to eat in restaurants during the cost-of-living crisis — even if it means losing money.

TV chef Shane Delia is peddling a $15 “Bowls of Goodness” lunch deal this month at his city restaurant Maha, while lobster restaurant Pinchy’s is pushing $20 plates of lobster linguine from next Thursday night.

Thai favourite Longrain has also grown its CBD footprint by opening a pop-up canteen to cater for the lunch crowds — with $16 salads and $18 curries.

Delia said while he wasn’t making any money, he wanted to give back to his loyal customers for their support over the years.

“At $15, we lose money, but it’s not about making money at all,” Delia said.

“We have come to the realisation we lose money per head, but the foundation of our business is about being hospitable. We need our customers more than ever — they stood beside us in the pandemic, supported Providoor and came back in a spending flurry post Covid.”

Delia said the bowls would be generous, and wouldn’t skimp on quality.

“They’ll be generous bowls. I’ve told the team everything has to be substantial,” he said.

“All of our chefs are designing the bowls. I’m not doing one. And the flavours will change every week.”

This week, diners can try chef Federico Fioravanzo’s bowl, made with braised pork belly, tahini and lemongrass-scented rice. The following, group head chef Daniel Giraldo shares a Latin spin with spice braised beef filled out with pickled carrots and cous cous, while chef Martin Zoyaza’s lamb barbacoa, corn and chicken rice bowl rounds out the final week.

Delia said while times were tough in the industry, he was always looking a new ways to get people eating well, especially in the city midweek.

“Get into the city and interact with restaurants in a way that suits you,” he said.

“We can’t compare the hospo industry today to yesteryear, everything has changed and we need to work with a different employment model. We need to be flexible with customers and customers need to be flexible with us.”

Lobster restaurant’s hospo crisis response

The closure of several CBD restaurants has led a trendy seafood eatery to switch up its food offering.

Pinchy’s, best known for its lobster rolls, has installed a new executive chef and menu to ensure it isn’t next to face the axe.

The cost of living crisis and downturn in revenue has caused several restaurants in the city and Carlton to shuttered in the past two months, including La Luna, Gingerboy, Izakaya Den and Botswana Butchery.

Incoming New Zealand chef Barret Jones has swapped the venue’s snacky, finger-food for more value-for-money eats — including fish and chips, lobster linguine and a seafood pie.

Pinchy’s bougee fish and chips.

Pinchy’s director Jeremy Schnick said the spate of recent restaurant closures inspired the move.

“With the constant cost-of-living pressures, nearby closures, the ongoing difficulties of CBD operation, particularly during winter, and a huge increase in wage costs post-Covid, the decision was clear for me,” he said.

“I found an amazing new executive chef and together we decided we needed to give guests something larger and distinctive in our delicious menu offering — something they can feel more value in, and slowdown to spend time eating with friends or a loved one, appreciating what’s in front of them.”

Don’t worry, the lobster rolls are still on the menu served with a bearnaise sauce and saltbush fries.

Pinchy’s, level 1/200 Bourke St, Melbourne

Lorne pub king reveals next Geelong move

Executive chef Mario Tambajong, restaurant manager Adam Zelley, publican Paul Upham and venue manager Morgan Hampstead are behind Eileen’s at Sawyers Arms Tavern in Geelong.

The publican who brought a taste of Melbourne to the Surf Coast is putting the final touches on his latest Geelong pub project.

Eileen’s at Sawyer’s Arms Tavern, 2 Noble St, Newtown, opening June 15.

Paul Upham, behind MoVida and Coda at The Lorne Hotel, will open French-inspired steakhouse Eileen’s inside Sawyers Arms Tavern next month.

Upham has covered a lot of ground since selling the Lorne pub to Sydney billionaire Justin Hemmes in 2021.

He’s installed Coda’s former executive chef Mario Tambajong in the kitchen, and MoVida restaurant manager Adam Zelley on the floor.

Together they’ll oversee food and service at Eileen’s, the gastro pub in the main dining room and mod-Asian eatery Two Nobles upstairs.

“What we’re doing here isn’t too dissimilar to Lorne,” Upham said.

“We’ve got some great spaces in the hotel and we want to capitalise (on) those spaces.”

He’s also thinking of turning the courtyard into a wine bar. Watch this space.

“I grew up coming to this hotel. I had a lot of family members and people I went to school with come here,” he said.

“I get the same sense and feel (as early-days Lorne Hotel). It’s a special place.”

Eileen’s flame-powered menu is still a work in progress, but will include classics such as lobster thermidor, chargrilled steaks such as 1kg bisteca and waygu scotch fillet, plus all the trimmings and a special tiramisu dessert.

Gimlet at Cavendish House ranked No. 84 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2022. Picture: David Caird

New snub for Melbourne in top restaurants’ list

Melbourne has been snubbed for another year in the prestigious 50 World’s Best Restaurants long-list.

After Gimlet at Cavendish House made its debut at No.84 in 2022, the latest 100-51 rankings released overnight failed to mention any other local venues.

Sydney’s celebrated seafood restaurant Saint Peter, by chef Josh Niland and wife Julie, was the only Australian venue to be named, creeping in at No.98.

Could chef Ben Shewry’s Attica re-enter the prestigious list?

Maybe Vue de monde will make its debut? Picture: Jake Nowakowski

There is still hope Gimlet, or other high-profile Victorian eateries, such as Vue de monde, Attica or Brae, will make the cut when the 50-1 rankings are revealed on June 5 in Las Vegas.

Local restaurants may be overlooked on a world stage, but the same can’t be said for bars.

Caretaker’s Cottage debuted in the World’s 50 Best Bars list last October, ranking 23rd in the global competition.

It was the only Melbourne bar to make this year’s 50-1 list.

Melbourne Central’s funky food hall bar, Byrdi, re-entered the extended list at 61.

It was the only Melbourne — and Australian — bar to make this year’s extended list.

The 51-100 restaurants list included 12 new entries from 11 different cities, from Berlin, Mumbai to Seoul and Sydney.

World’s 50 Best Restaurants director of content William Drew said: “This year’s extended list is a true representation of global gastronomy. With restaurants located across six continents, we’re thrilled to see so many new entries from exciting names that are making their mark on the dining world.”