Archie Rose gin has been announced as the official Gin Partner of Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, making it the first ever Australian spirit to be a sponsor of the world-renowned event. Kicking off on February 19 and culminating in the parade at the Sydney Cricket Ground on March 6, Archie Rose’s creative director, Rocky Hair, has developed two bespoke Bottled Cocktails to mark the occasion, featuring label art designed by queer artist, Ashley Ronning. Big Daddy and Ex On The Beach celebrate the spectrum of individuals from the LGBTIQ+ community in a loving way, and are available via Archie Rose’s Cellar Door in Rosebery, Sydney, plus at select other venues around the city and at archierose.com.au.

Carriageworks’ beloved Saturday market has announced a new series of Sustainable Kitchen Workshops, teaching you to create in a way that loves your body and the earth. Hosted with the sustainable gurus at Cornersmith, the workshops will be hosted every week for three months, in the Carriageworks cafe. This Saturday, learn the art of fermentation at the Kosher Pickles Workshop, one of Cornersmith’s most closely guarded recipes. The workshop kicks off at 9am. Reserve your place now here.

Melbourne Food and Wine Festival has been announced for 2021 and its blockbuster calendar is stretching far beyond the city limits. While the program was postponed in 2020, it’s back better than ever this year, and will feature returning favourites and new creations alike. The Bank of Melbourne World’s Longest Lunch is back, showcasing the culinary splendour of Stephanie Alexander, Philippe Mouchel and Jacques Reymond in the Treasury Gardens, and is backed up by little sister event Bank of Melbourne World’s Longest Brunch, with a menu designed by Lune Croissant’s Kate Reid in collaboration with Melbourne’s café king Nathan Toleman. The program will also extend to Melbourne’s western suburbs for the first time, with a subprogram of events entitled the Westside Crawl. Tickets for the 2021 Melbourne Food & Wine Festival signature events go on sale from 9am on Friday 12 February 2021, at mfwf.com.au.

The Rocks will be the place to be this winter with the launch of a brand new gin bar, restuarant and distillery. Set to be one of Sydney’s hottest openings this year, Hickson House – by the team behind The Barber Shop and The Duke of Clarence – is one to add to the bucket list already. Spearheading the revival of The Rocks, in line with City of Sydney’s vision to create one of the world’s most envied heritage precincts, Hickson House will offer immersive, experiential tours, culminating with tastings, a spirit store and private dining experiences; with a mezzanine lounge sitting above an expansive bar, serving bespoke cocktails alongside a botanical-inspired menu. Stay tuned for more info about this powerhouse venue.

Banksia Bakehouse is fronting the worldwide éclair renaissance, and their new Biscoff Éclair is certain to turn heads. The Biscoff Éclair is the ultimate sweet fusion: choux pastry filled with Lotus Biscoff cream and Callebaut dark chocolate crisp pearls, then topped with torched Italian meringue and a Lotus Biscoff biscuit, and we certain they’d pair perfectly with a frothy cappuccino. These sweet-as-can-be desserts are named after a ‘flash of lightning,’ a witty reference to how quickly they’re consumed, and from what we can see, the Biscoff Éclair is deserving of its namesake and will be scooped up in the blink of an eye. Get yours now at Banksia Bakehouse in Sydney CBD.

Mumm Marlborough is the newest sparkling wine range from Champagne house G.H Mumm and it’s destined for your bar fridge. Comprising a Brut NV and Rosé, Mumm Marlborough is made from New Zealand’s finest grapes, from its oldest winemaking region on the South Island, but with the classic Champagne making-techniques as Maison Mumm. Both wines are made from the classic trio of Champagne grapes, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier, with Pinot Noir as the leading lady. The Brut NV is a non-vintage cuvée with notes of stone fruit, cherry and citrus, complemented by honey and biscuit; while the Rosé is a vintage cuvée, aged for four years and revealing flavours of small red berries, cranberries, rose petals and complimented by notes of shortbread. Pick up your bottles now for $35-40 a pop.

Windsor’s favourite modern Italian restaurant, Tipico, is bringing its much loved annual passata making experience to Prahran Market this Saturday. The 30 minute sessions are totally free for adoring fans of Italian fare, and the experts from the Tipico kitchen will teach fans how to prepare, mince, season and cook tomatoes in a way that would make any Italian Nonna proud. During the demonstrations, there will be bowls of freshly made pasta available to purchase and eat on the spot, plus bottles of freshly made Italian passata to take home for $10 each. Stop by a session between 10:30am and 1:00pm this Saturday.

To honour the Year of the Ox, Eat Fuh and Kylie Kwong have come together to create two exclusive dishes, availavble in the South Eveleigh store. Each dish represents the rich cultural heritage of the creators, alongside the multicultural flavour of the unique location. Kylie Kwong’s dish is Long Life Hokkien Noodles, a favourite during Lunar New Year, featuring Uncle Jimmy’s fresh egg noodles and native bush mint grown on-site. While Eat Fuh Director, Hoang Nyugen’s dish is Bánh Xèo, a crispy, savoury crepe that is quintessentially Vietnamese. The exclusive dishes are available until Thursday 25 February. Don’t miss out, reserve your place now.

You can now frame your favourite meals, with Food For Everyone’s new range of posters created to raise money for FareShare – an Australian charity that cooks millions of free meals for those in need. This is Food For Everyone’s second collection, also created by Melbourne artist, Gemma Leslie, and features artistic representations of recipes from Australian hospitality heavyweights, Andrew McConnell, Lennox Hastie, Lisa Valmorbida and Kay-Lene Tan. Gemma’s artworks use her signature ‘naïve’ style, inspired by organic forms, imperfections and bright colour. What better way to give back, than having some of Australia’s best dishes gracing your walls? Pre-order your print now for $80, available until Thursday, 25 February. https://www.foodforeveryone.org.au/