State winners in this year’s delicious Produce Awards will feature in a dinner at the Botanic Gardens Restaurant this month. Chef Paul Baker, one of the SA awards judges, says he will feature as many producers as possible in dishes such as Nomad Farms Pastured Chicken boudin blanc, Two Gulfs Blue Swimmer Crab, iceberg lettuce, finger lime and fennel pollen. The four-course dinner is on Thursday, May 31, from 6.30pm. Tickets are $155 a head, including matched wines. Details and bookings at botanicgardensrestaurant.com.au.

A new plant-based company, Funky Fields, has launched on local soil to support a growing movement towards organic, vegan and ethically-made food with its first product, Organic Spreadable, available now. The vegan butter will lead the suite of plant-based food items from Funky Fields, set to reinvent the milk and meat category by challenging the perception that dairy and meat-like products can only come from animals.

Since its inception in February, HWKR has been the talk of town. Curious and eager-eyed foodies join the weekly queues to experience this innovative concept – a rotating calendar of tenancies in four permanent, state-of-the-art commercial kitchens. Feeding this hungry city, HWKR is excited to reveal local favourites Messina and Wonderbao have replaced KOI Dessert Bar and Monkey’s Corner on 2 May. Messina’s collaboration with Wonderbao will leave you keen for more with their unique version of ‘Duck A l’Orange’ – duck fat caramel filled bao doughnuts served with orange gelato. Do we need to say more?

The Streets of Barangaroo launches its autumn/winter masterclass series this month. The series kicks off at modern French restaurant Été (pictured). Pull up a chair for a Rhône Valley wine masterclass on Tuesday 22 May. You’ll be treated to six half-glasses of French wine (think Châteauneuf-du-Pape) and a selection of house-made and artisan-produced charcuterie, local and imported cheeses, and trout rillettes. June sees a donut making masterclass with Shortstop Coffee & Donuts and an art masterclass at Bel & Brio, while July fights the chill with a winter warmers cocktail masterclass at Barangaroo House.

William Inglis Hotel‘s The Newmarket Room restaurant has just launched their new autumn menu, and announced the appointment of a new executive chef, Sercan Kesici. Sercan previously worked in the kitchens of many hotel brands, including Ritz Carlton, Hilton and Novotel, and is now managing the Newmarket Room kitchen, as well as the many events held at the hotel. Meanwhile, on the new autumnal menu, you can expect to find grilled octopus with eggplant caponata and lemon curd, beetroot cured Ora King salmon, Junee rack of lamb and a house baked orange tart.

Alpha Restaurant has announced three more regional Greek dinners for 2018, following the success of their recent Cretan dinner. Each will feature a four-course menu created by Executive Chef Peter Conistis, as well as matching wines. The first, The Best of Peloponnese will take place on Monday 21 May, and offer dishes such as Spartan braised chicken, which is slow cooked with spring onions, dill, white wine and green beans. There’s also squid spetsofai: while spetsofai traditionally hails from the region of Thessaly and is made using pork sausages, this version is unique to the Southern Peloponnese and includes whole squid braised in red wine, tomatoes and eschallots. The dish will be served as a warm salad with orange balsamic, leeks and roasted red peppers. For dessert, diners will be treated to Ladopita, which is based on a traditional festive syrup cake from the Peloponnese locale of Laconia. It is made with semolina, oranges and extra virgin olive oil, and covered in a delicious syrup made with Muscat wine from Patras, which is located in the northern Peloponnese.

Enjoy amazing Opera House and Harbour Bridge views this Mother’s Day, with Aria‘s three-course menu at $220 per person, including canapés and champagne on arrival and a small gift for all mums. There are three seatings: 12pm, 12:30pm and 1pm. Kids’ menu available at $60 per child. Bookings can be made by calling (02) 9240 2255. 1 Macquarie Street, Sydney

On Saturday 12th May Arbory Bar & Eatery’s own Nick Bennett is joining forces with Diana Chan (CHANTEEN & 2017 MasterChef Champion), Renee Trudeau (Little Latin Lucy) and Dylan Roberts (Claremont Tonic & Charlie Dumpling), to deliver Good Beer Kitchen as a part of the 2018 Good Beer Week celebrations. Good Beer Kitchen will see each chef paired with a brewer to put together a four course lunch alongside a curated beer match. Each dish created will be served with the beer that’s been used as the special ingredient, highlighting the characteristics of each brew. Brewers include Stomping Ground Brewing Co, Mountain Goat Beer, and Sailors Grave, all from Victoria, and Garage Project from New Zealand. Tickets are $85.00 and are inclusive of four specially curated courses as well as a beer from each brewery.

Hidden away from prying eyes, The Store Room is one the best kept secrets in St Kilda. The charming and eclectic speakeasy (former barbershop) is filled with interesting collectables from a 1980s Mickey Mouse telephone to an Arne Jacobsen armchair, and is the perfect destination to start or finish a night out. To experience the magic of The Store Room for yourself, you’ll need to dial up the automated phone sitting inside the doorway and request your exclusive entry. On the drinks list you’ll find everything from gin to agave, Savignon Blanc to a heavenly Velvet Glove Shiraz, and even a selection of Japanese whiskeys. The Store Room also offers a refined selection of hand-picked cheeses, cold meats and a killer jaffle, perfect for grazing on over the winter months.

Three international culinary stars have been added to the celebrity chef line-up for the 2018 Cake Bake & Sweet Shows. Master Patissier Eric Lanlard, cited as one of the best in the world by Vanity Fair will be bringing his internationally acclaimed skills to Australia, as will South African TV favourite and author Siba Mtongana. Also confirmed to attend is another TV regular from London, Lorraine Pascale, who is also a Vogue contributing editor and author of seven cookery books. These cooking superstars join already confirmed local stars Kirsten Tibballs (pictured), Katherine Sabbath, and Anna Polyviou, and previously announced international talent Candice Brown – winner of the 2016 Great British Bake Off.

Young Gun of Wine‘s Top 50 will be hosting a public showcase at Prahran Market on Saturday 12th May. The Top 50 tastings brings together the best of the best young winemakers across Australia for the ultimate night of wine. Each winemaker that has been selected in the Top 50 will be there on the night pouring their two wines that were selected as a part of the awards.

Uncle Drew Cafe at 23 Groom Street, Clifton Hill is now open for drinks and dinner service every Friday and Saturday evening. The perfect spot to cosy up on a cold nigh, the menu is Italian-inspired from small plates including grilled artichokes and shared antipasto plates to fresh pasta such as tagliatelle and house made gnocchi plus desserts drunken tiramisu and chocolate ganache. The drinks list is a collaboration between Uncle Drew and Melbourne’s Waterslide Bar team who have created classics with a twist including the ‘Mexican Breakfast’ (Tequila Tromba, Peach Snapps and English Breakfast Tea) and the ‘Espresso Drewtini’ (Mr Black Coffee Liquor, Dukes Cold Brew Coffee and Archie Rose Vodka).

Chef Carlos Montobbio from Esquina in Singapore will be making his way to Olio Kensington Street to cook along side head chef, Lino Sauro for a 2 night Four Hands Collaboration Dinner on May 9th and 10th. Tickets are available from $120pp for food only and $170 with wine pairing. Dishes include grilled baby lettuce and suckling pig from Carlos and Coda di Rospo and a pistachio tart from Lino. For more information, visit kensingtonstreet.com.au.

Toby’s Estate has recently launched SHIFT, a limited edition series all about challenging your perceptions and changing your coffee experiences. Volume 1 is about changing the perception of Brazilian coffee, which isn’t the most popular in the specialty coffee scene. But having three bags of just Brazilian coffee would be too easy, and with the nature of the SHIFT game, Toby’s Estate really wanted to flex your expectation and perspective around Brazilian coffee. So, they’ve decided not to tell you which one of the three bags is the Brazilian coffee, allowing you to wonder and enjoy.

The mercury is slowly starting to drop as summer shifts to autumn but that doesn’t mean the party is over. The Royal Oak Double Bay is championing chilly get-togethers with its versatile social venue, Phil’s. Each week throughout autumn the space is hosting live entertainment from 6pm, including live duos until 9pm on a Friday and Saturday, plus Sunday sessions every week from 4.30pm, with the best local DJ talent behind the decks. The tunes kick on from 8.30pm Sundays with resident DJs. Phil’s is also launching a fresh new wine list for autumn, alongside its extensive menu of craft beers and beers including 4Pines now on tap behind the bar.