Way beyond the burger: Your guide to the food at this year’s Royal Show
By Emma Young
It ain’t the Show of your childhood where your options were a burger with grated carrot, a bucket of hot chips and a wand of fairy floss or a cinnamon doughnut.
The version that opened at the weekend boasts a vast selection of international and local cuisine, adding vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal options to the classics with more than 80 food vendors overall.
Some of last year’s punters with the usual suspects – which rest assured, are still available.
Here’s a taste …
Want Italian? Try Pasta e Fagioli, Galleria Burrata and Gnocchi Gnocchi Boys.
Chinese? Hungry Dragon’s bao buns, Chubby Dumpling or a Giant Bao Zi from Baolicious.
Indian? Tikka Tango.
Middle Eastern? Real Moroccan Cuisine or Turkish Gozleme.
Vietnamese? Banh Mi Kitchen.
Japanese? Try Felix & French’s bulldog-shaped taiyaki, Wakka Japanese Noodle’s street food or Sushi Hub’s Tamagoyaki on a stick.
Filipino? Banana Leaf.
Healthy? Joey’s Acai, the Pita Pit or an OJ from The Big Orange.
Indulgent? DNK Cupcakes offers 22 flavours, including vegan and nut-free; or try Mai Tardi’s gelato or nutty heaven bar (available at The Long Paddock and the Dairy Pavilion’s Ice Cream Bar); Sweet Purpose’s choc-coated strawberries; the Sweet Box Cart’s giant macaron ice cream slider; or pineapple soft serve from Dole Whip, Big Boyz Canteen on Viveash Avenue.
Meaty? Char Bros BBQ has specialty barbecued meats, including 12-hour smoked brisket and Asado lamb birria burritos showcasing WA lamb with a Mexican twist. Danny’s Food Truck has crowd favourites including a smoked pork burger with fries; Smokr has slow-cooked meats, including tacos, burgers and kids’ meals; Frank + Lulus has cheese kransky-loaded fries.
Cheap? Cheese toasties with Perth Royal Food Award-winning ingredients cost $4 at The Dairy Pavilion and Feasting Barn (add ham for 50c). Sausage sizzles cost $5 at AgVenture Hill. Scones are $5 at the CWA, Farm 2 Food Pavilion, and tea or coffee in fine china $3 and biscuits for $2. DNK Cupcakes has mini cupcakes from $3.75 at the Feasting Barn. Kids can decorate a character cupcake in the Creative Arts and Cookery (Ellie Eaton) Pavilion’s ‘Create and Take’ session for $5. You can also bring a picnic: organisers have promised a focus on providing chairs, tables and better shade for picnickers. Just make sure you don’t bring glass or booze.
Local? At the Farm 2 Food Pavilion Perth Master Chef contestant Alex Crisp will command the main stage from 11am-4pm daily cooking meals with award-winning produce, such as La Delizia Latticini’s handmade burrata, which won champion cheese at the 2024 dairy awards. You can taste the dishes and take home the recipes.
Boozy? Across the various bars (detailed below) taste six wines from the Margaret River wineries Swings & Roundabouts and Howard Park Winery that won silver and gold at the Royal Wine Awards. A special edition Regal Lager brewed by WA-based Rocky Ridge Brewing Company is in all bars. In various venues you can also taste this year’s award-winning beers: Rocky Ridge’s hybrid & specialty beer, Gage Roads’ lager, and Shelter Brewing Co’s amber-dark ale. Local distillery Idle Hands will offer a Watermelon Collins and Yuzu + lychee spritz; Fremantle-based Running With Thieves provides passionfruit vodka and grapefruit gin and soda.
Caffeinated? Try the Side Sip, Coffee Bean, Mopoke Coffee, Groovin’ Beans Coffee Co, Adventure Golf Coffee, Golden Girls Coffee, Pussycat Cafe or Carvery Coffee.
Where to retreat with a front-row seat
There are six dedicated drinking and dining zones including revamped themed bars and new dining precincts.
The Long Paddock (new venue): panoramic views of the main arena and its events (equestrian, motocross, monster trucks, drones and fireworks etc), a premium drinks menu and seven food options nearby. Kids allowed.
The Truck Stop (new venue): outdoor street eats with food trucks, festoon lights and a view of the community stage.
Feasting Barn: a new and improved food court with more than 25 food options, including home-cooked meals and takeaway staples.
Cattle Bar: a casual spot for drinks with a sense of the outback.
Woody’s Bar and BBQ: classic pub experience with beer, bites, and lumberjack vibes. Kids allowed.
Wheel + Bull: enjoy burgers from Milky Lane and the special edition Regal Lager while watching the Grand Final on the big screens.
The Perth Royal Show runs until September 28. Tickets max at $22. Buy online to avoid queues at the gate. Get the app for maps, locations and all other info.
Read more
WA news LIVE: Just a day in WA for Albanese; Cripps reflects on going from farm life to footy