Australian restaurants on a knife edge as inflation bites and food costs soar

Australian restaurants are finding inventive ways to use seasonal produce, substituting expensive vegetables with cheaper ones. Photograph: Stevica Mrdja/Getty Images/EyeEm

Restaurants and cafes are constantly adapting their menus to try to mitigate the rising cost of produce and cutting staff hours, as inflation hits profit margins in the hospitality sector.

Jackie Middleton, who co-owns Earl Canteen, a small sandwich chain in Melbourne, and Dame, a high-end cafe on Collins Street, says not a single day goes by when she doesn’t get an email saying the price of a product has increased.