Wendy Hargreaves: Eating for a cause — tasty ways to help bushfire recovery
Wondering how to help communities impacted by bushfire? Melbourne bars, restaurants and cafes are giving you the chance to help those in need by eating and drinking.
From exclusive cooking masterclasses to all-you-can-eat oyster frenzies, venues and suppliers are volunteering their time and energy to raise cash for people in need, and every little bit counts.
PIZZA & COCKTAILS
Level 1, 150-156 Gertrude St, Fitzroy, (03) 9416 2229
January 13 from 7pm
Here’s a great excuse to drink cocktails and eat pizza, with all proceeds going to Red Cross Australia. Fitzroy’s Everleigh will host bartenders from 16 of Melbourne’s most popular venues for $15 cocktails on Monday night, with $10 pizza slices in a food truck outside the bar by some of Australia’s most famous chefs, including Ben Shewry, Andrew McConnell, Peter Gunn and Shane Delia. Tickets available at the door for $20.
ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT OYSTERS FROM EDEN
273-279 Cecil St, South Melbourne, (03) 9690 3737
Thursday, January 9, from 5pm
Melbourne restaurateurs have rallied to support Wonboyn’s John the Oyster Bloke, who lost his house in the Bega Valley. Lamaro’s Geoff Lindsay has bought 150 dozen of his oysters, grown just south of Eden in NSW, and will give them away with as much Brewmanity beer as you can drink from 5pm tonight. Just put $50 in the bucket for those who need it most. Every cent will go to the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund. Lamaro’s will also run a silent auction and raffle.
SOCIAL FOOD PROJECT COMMUNITY DINNER
Melbourne’s Social Food Project will donate 100 per cent of ticket and drink sales to the Australian Red Cross at a one-off dinner at the Prahran Market. The $100 ticket includes a Four Pillars Gin cocktail and canapés on arrival followed by three shared courses and drinks available for purchase from the bar.
COCKTAILS AT THE MILL HOUSE
277-279 Flinders Ln, Melbourne, (03) 9662 4002
January 19 from 3pm-8pm
Bartenders from five of Melbourne’s best bars (Heartbreaker, Black Pearl, Ends & Means, The Rum Diary Bar, and Hats & Tatts) will volunteer their time to serve their signature cocktails at The Mill House, raising money for Red Cross Australia. Each bar will have one hour to sell as many cocktails as possible. Booze brands including Four Pillars Gin, Tromba Tequila and Ketel One have jumped on board to help make the event possible.
SMITH & DAUGHTERS MASTERCLASS
111 Moor St, Fitzroy, (03) 9042 4117
Rockstar vegan chef Shannon Martinez will be joined by Masterchef’s freshly-minted judge Melissa Leong for three exclusively small masterclass dinners at Smith and Daughters Deli. Each event will have a different theme: snacks and cocktails on January 19, desserts and pastries on February 2 and cooking life skills on February 9 (all with delicious food and wine). For your chance to get a seat at the table, head to @shannon_martinez profile on Instagram on January 11 and 12 and make a bid. All proceeds will go to Wildlife Victoria and Animals Australia.
AND MORE…
On Friday, January 10, Lune Croissanterie will donate $2 from every pastry sold to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal and Wildlife Victoria.
ST. ALi is raffling an exclusive private dining package for you and nine friends. The $50 ticket gives you the chance to win the dinner in St ALi’s private dining room, with all booze and food included.
Capitano will be donating all proceeds of every bowl of its famous Rigatoncini in Vodka Sauce to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal until January 12.
From January 10 until the end of the month, Lucas Group restaurants will donate $2 for every table that dines in our venues, and invite our guests to match this.
This weekend, January 11 and 12, Yarra Valley winemaker Dominique Portet will donate every dollar from their Rosé sold to the Salvation Army Bushfire Appeal.
The Hardware Societe’s Hardware Lane cafe will donate all proceeds to WIRES Wildlife Rescue on Monday, January 13. There will also be a a raffle and donation boxes at all venues, with an ai to raise $10,000.
Chocolate meccas – the Yarra Valley, Great Ocean Road and Mornington Peninsula Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery venue – will be donating $1 from every ice cream sold to the CFA.
Sunda Dining has bottled their famous Vegemite Curry to donate 100 per cent of proceeds to the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund, Zoos Victoria and Wildlife Victoria. Pre-order these tasty $15 jars via info@sunda.com.au for pick up at Sunda when they reopen on Friday 17 January.
At Ostēr , for the entire month of January, the restaurant will donate 10 per cent of every lunch special and every tasting menu, with cash going to the Australian Red Cross.
For more hospitality industry fundraisers, go to Restaurants for Relief Directory, a national listing of hospitality venues raising cash for those in need.
Wendy writes online at fiveofthebest.com
Image (at top): Brett Hemmings / Stringer