Matt Mirosevich is starring in a reality television series due for release next year.
I can't give too much away, but the Nelson Bay chef will be doing what he does best - cooking - on the show. More details will be released, I am told, this week following a media briefing.
Matt won the Brett Graham Scholarship in 2020 and the opportunity of a lifetime to work at The Ledbury in London. But when he arrived at Sydney airport he discovered that all flights had been grounded due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Confined to a single-bedroom apartment in Pyrmont, he decided to think outside the box and emulate an experience that Sydneysiders were missing.
"It was a sort of epiphany. I was scrolling through Instagram when I saw a post someone had put up about how great it would be to go out for dinner again, and how they are stuck in their apartment eating packet meals," he said.
"I realised I was allowed to go shopping, and the idea of cooking dinner for my neighbours popped into mind."
Matt designed and printed a three-course menu, with meal prices and a contact number included, and slid the flyers under the door to each unit in his complex.
"Initially, most residents just did it because there was not much else to do," he said. "At the start, I was catering for six to eight people ... six weeks later it was 25 to 30."
The meals proved a hit among residents craving a weekend restaurant experience. Matt would spend two days prepping and cooking the meals before delivering them to each unit on Saturday evenings in warm takeaway containers.
As lockdown restrictions lifted and life returned to "normal", Matt received a call from one of the neighbours he'd made lockdown meals for, asking if he could cater for his birthday party. Since then, Matt has plated up food for thousands of guests between Sydney, Newcastle and the Hunter Valley - including well-known brands and celebrities.
"I have been lucky enough to cater for The Kid Laroi, The Fall Guy's crew, Shaq O'Neal, to name a few. I also work with Porsche, Ferrari, Salesforce and more," he said.
Matt has now launched a new business, Catered by Matt (cateredbymatt.com).
His brother George, also a Brett Graham Scholarship winner, owns Bare Chefs on Newcastle's Honeysuckle Drive and says he will be kicking off 2025 with some "big changes with both our product and service ... exciting is an understatement". Bare Chefs offers a healthy, restaurant-quality take on "grab and go" meals (barechefs.com).
Wine, Dine for Disability
Wine and Dine for Disability is back after a five-year hiatus.
Three of Newcastle's best chefs will be cooking for a packed house at Earp Distilling Co in Carrington next week. Jake Deluca (Flotilla), Ryan Crothers (Jana Restaurant & Bar) and Josh Gregory (Thermidor) will prepare three courses on Monday, October 21, paired with wines from Hunter Valley winemakers Andrew Thomas (Thomas Wines) and Mike De Iuliis (De Iuliis Wines).
Hospitality students from Callaghan College will be serving guests on the night.
All have generously donated their time to benefit ConnectAbility Australia, a NSW-based not-for-profit organisation that supports more than 1000 people with disabilities across the Hunter and Central Coast regions.
Colin Law, area manager commercial at ANZ Bank, co-founded the fund-raising dinner in 2016.
"The return of the event after a COVID hiatus has been high on my priority list. In the event's first four years, over $50,000 was raised to support people in our community who live with a disability," he said.
"Sharing the opportunity with AON and The CFO Centre, two other local businesses who also care about their community, just made sense.
"All our chefs, wine and venue partners jumped at the chance to be involved again, and we are pumped that our return year is a sell-out!"
A decade in business
Common Circus at Hamilton is turning 10 this weekend and celebrating with a family-friendly festival from 9am on Saturday - and you're invited.
"There will be a petting zoo in the car park, face painting, a coffee cart outside with donuts, live music and hopefully a good vibe," store owner Lauren Henry said. "We are also hosting an art exhibition upstairs, Saturday and Sunday, featuring the work of some local artists which will also be for sale."
Lauren opened Common Circus on Brooks Parade at Belmont a decade ago, quickly building a following on the basis of her quality (Glee Coffee Roasters) coffee offering. She opened a second Common Circus, at Hamilton, in 2021 which became the flagship cafe and homewares store. Earlier this year Lauren decided to focus solely on the Hamilton venue, and Glee took over Common Circus at Belmont, renaming it Good One.
"It's been a good hard slog to turn the ship around this year but we've been gaining a lot of traction, and the cafe is building as well. We've had growth since closing Belmont, so that's been good," Lauren said.
Short and sweet
A Mexican Fiesta Night is being held at Newcastle Food & Flower Markets on November 2, from 5pm. It's a five-course degustation with a mariachi band and an open bar, and children eat free. Tickets are $79 at foodandflowermarkets.com.au.
The Cakeboi himself, Reece Hignell, did "Mayf" proud on episode one of Dessert Masters on Monday night. His banter with close friend Emelia Jackson was a highlight.
A cafe/kiosk operator is being sought for Foreshore Park in Newcastle.
Hao Chi Newcastle is now offering a $29 express set lunch special on weekdays, 11am to 3pm.
Paolo's Pasta takes over the kitchen at Charlie's Rooftop on October 23. Tickets are on sale now.
Busan Chicken at Cardiff is branching out to Newcastle's CBD.
