A brand new event is launching in Sydney this December that will bring Australia’s favourite cooking show to life and is set to be the hottest ticket in town for anyone in the food and beverage industry – MasterChef Live. With the phenomenal success of the last two television series, the new live event will build on the power of the MasterChef brand with a festival of cooking to be held from 10-12 December at the Hordern Pavilion and Royal Hall of Industries at Moore Park. Encompassing... ...Read more »

Pasta giant Barilla has announced its largest integrated marketing campaign in Australia, ‘Share the Passion’. The campaign consists of a $4.5 million above-the-line investment over the next twelve months, including TV and print advertising, a national on-pack consumer promotion, a national demonstration program, Casa Barilla cooking events, public relations and various trade and consumer activities. The company will build on the success of its Casa Barilla Cooking School in Sydney, with... ...Read more »

US-grocery retailer Whole Foods market has launched an App to help users “eat and live better”. Called the Whole Foods Market Missions App, it revolves around more than 70 challenges known as ‘missions’, where users engage in a series of steps to earn badges. Users can create a profile to track the badges, like ‘Organic Avenger’ and ‘Local Yokel’, they earn and their favourite tips, which can be shared through Facebook, Twitter or email. “The... ...Read more »

Male students at Victorian Government schools are flocking to kitchens in record numbers, inspired by the popularity of MasterChef-style TV programs.Launching Education Week at Footscray City College today, Acting Premier Rob Hulls joined Education Minister Bronwyn Pike, MasterChef Australia finalist Chris Badenoch and year 11 and 12 hospitality students for a cooking challenge in the school’s brand new industrial kitchen. Mr Hulls said the popularity of television cooking had resulted in a... ...Read more »

More than ever, Australians are reaching for the takeaway menu instead of the fridge door.  Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show a consistent growth in the Cafes, Restaurants and Takeaway Food services category over the last three months; December’s figures show a record turnover of $2.9 billion dollars, an increase of 3.9%. Despite an increase in the purchase of household cooking items, believed to be sparked by the widespread popularity of TV cooking shows, it seems Australians... ...Read more »

Red meat meals make up half the nation’s top 10 dishes, according to a report launched by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) – and cooking from scratch is becoming a more regular occurrence. The report, titled Last night’s Dinner, provides an in-depth understanding of Australians’ food preferences and main meal practices. On top of showing the leading dishes it also shows that Australians are taking the time to cook healthy and nutritious meals from scratch with fresh ingredients,... ...Read more »

Nearly 40% of Aussie mums are raising fussy eaters – a problem that’s costing time, money and extra effort in the kitchen, the Nestlé National Voice of Aussie Mums* survey has found. The survey of 16,597 mothers by the world’s largest food group also discovered that mothers still take on more than their fair share of cooking duties, a vital piece of information for food marketers. Around two in every five (41%) Australian mums have to cook two or three meals each night to ensure... ...Read more »