Camberwell’s 2016 Dine In Dine Out Food Fiesta biggest to date!

A big ‘thank you’ to all who attended Camberwell’s Dine In Dine Out event in August. It was our biggest food fiesta yet, with Camberwell traders putting on a busy day of food tastings, demonstrations, free kids’ activities and live entertainment.

The winter food fiesta took place on Saturday, August 6 and marked the fourth consecutive year of the event.

This year, we did things a little differently and operated two pop-up spaces, including one at the Marketplace carpark and the other in Evans Place. Burke Road also came alive with traders putting on food tastings in the street, while live performers roved across the shopping precinct to entertain shoppers and children throughout the day.

Thousands of people flocked to the Camberwell shopping precinct to experience the colour and flavours of this memorable event.

Camberwell Centre Association manager Kerry Daly said the 2016 Dine In Dine Out event was a success.

“It is always a pleasure to bring together the chefs, restaurateurs, entertainers and local traders to celebrate and showcase the best of Camberwell,” she said.

“This year, we went all-out with our Evans Place Pop-up Park, the Marketplace Park, street food tastings in Burke Road and extra performers. Camberwell came alive for our food fiesta.”

Marketplace Park

Located near the Camberwell Fresh Food Market, the Marketplace Park offered visitors the chance to experience food tastings and family-friendly activities.

There were games and rides including giant checkers, a miniature Ferris wheel, carousel rides, distorting mirrors and free ‘paint-a-plate’ crafts.

Thanks to Lady Paella, Bin – The Asian Store, Crepes for Change (supporting homeless youth), the Outside Broadcast Van, Sprinnt, Minimax and traders in the Camberwell Fresh Food Market for getting involved in the Marketplace Park.

Children and adults also made the most of the free rides in the antique firetruck, which departed from the pick-up point in the carpark. Passengers got the chance to ride around Camberwell in style in between enjoying the food on offer.

Evans Place Pop-up Park

Camberwell eateries had the opportunity to showcase their winning recipes and favourite dishes of the season, and shared tips for making cooking at home more enjoyable.

Camberwell restaurants and cafes that sold food and participated in the Evans Place Pop-up Park included Firechief Pizzeria, Red Robyn, The Source Bulk Foods, Michel’s Pattisserie, Coltivare, Boss Pizzeria, Little Pony, Minimax, Lady Paella and Rainbow Meats.

Race Party also held slot car racing to give racing fanatics the chance to test their skills on the track, while roving performers and face painters kept people entertained.

From 6pm, the pop-up park transformed into an After Dark Jazz Park, which included food, wine and plenty of live music from Dr Jazz & the Gangsters Palace.

Street food tastings, market fun and Pokemon lures

Several Camberwell traders, including Juno and May, Café Platia and Cuppa Cha, showcased their cuisine through food stalls along bustling Burke Road. It gave traders the opportunity to highlight special dishes and offered passers-by tastings of food and drinks.

The Camberwell Fresh Food Market hosted cooking demonstrations, offered visitors food tastings and shared dinner meal ideas. The market also gave away a hamper every hour on the day, with many lucky winners leaving with full tummies and a smile on their face.

Pokemon Go fans flocked to Camberwell to take advantage of the many lures that were placed around the shopping precinct for Dine In Dine Out. The busy day offered a perfect setting for gamers to get involved and catch ‘em all!

Roving performers and entertainment

Dine In Dine Out wouldn’t have been the same without our roving performers to keep visitors entertained.

Balloon modellers, face painters, jugglers and stilt walkers kept the day full of energy and fun.

Children also took part in Bubble Muffin’s educational food workshops where they learnt about different fruits and vegetables and how to prepare them in simple yet tasty meals. And the best part? The kids got to eat and enjoy what they made too.

View more photos from Dine In Dine Out in the gallery below:

By Sharon Green

Earlier this week Camberwell had the pleasure of hosting two entrepreneurs who shared an insight into running a food business.

The Camberwell Entrepreneur’s Network led the event that featured Bernard Chu and Yen Yee, co-owners of a luxury patisserie in South Yarra called LuxBite.

Held at Firechief Pizzeria in Camberwell, the duo shared an insight into their journey as trainee pastry chefs, to working at top eateries and finally stepping out and starting their own food business.

Between them the pair have accumulated a wealth of experience working at some of Australia’s leading restaurants including Quay and Pier in Sydney, Summit Restaurant, Comme Kitchen, Rockpool Bar & Grill, and Giuseppe Arnaldo & Sons.

But it was in late 2010 that Bernard and Yen decided to branch out and start their own business, LuxBite, a patisserie that specialises in unusually-flavoured macarons and beautifully decorated cakes.

So what are their tips for success in the food business?

Work hard

The pair follow a hard-working style of practice that they say is evident throughout the operation of their business.

“I say the better the rest is, the harder you have to work. It has taken a lot of hard work to get to where we are now,” said Bernard.

“We have high standards after working in top restaurants. We have a strict work ethic.”

Stay true to yourself and what you believe in

Bernard and Yen migrated to Australia from Malaysia about 11 years ago so it’s no surprise that their patisserie has a focus on infusing Asian flavours in interesting ways.

Their beautifully crafted macarons come in a range of unexpected flavours such as caramalised white chocolate, mandarin jaffa, green tea pistachio and rose lychee.

They also release a limited edition of wild flavour combinations frequently – cherry blossom with hints of orange and red bean, and Nutella with freckles have been recent creations.

Find opportunities for exposure

After being invited to appear on MasterChef in June 2013, the pair encountered staggering success.

LuxBite received 250 emails about their famous Lolly Bag Cake created on MasterChef, within the hour it aired on TV. The majority of the emails were requests to order the cake featured on the show.

The exposure has meant LuxBite now attracts a wider and more varied customer base.

Collaborate with others in your industry

Bernard and Yen are advocates of what they call “brand sharing” or collaboration with other established brands and businesses in their sector.

They don’t view competing businesses as a threat, but instead approach it as an opportunity to create new relationships and learn from each other.

They cite Adriano Zumbo, one of Australia’s most celebrated patissiers, as their mentor and admit he helped them in the initial stages of setting up LuxBite.

Bernard and Yen have also teamed up with other restaurants and events as a way to collaborate and expand their reach.

But they don’t see collaboration as simply self-serving. It gives them the opportunity to learn and grow, too.

“We try to give back to the food industry by sharing our knowledge,” said Bernard.

“If you have a successful brand, don’t be selfish with it. Share it with others.”

Take feedback on board to improve your business

LuxBite started out as simply a patisserie that specialised in sweet treats. But after being positioned in South Yarra for a while, they received numerous suggestions to offer breakfast.

They toyed with the idea of offering a mix ‘n’ match breakfast ordering system where customers could choose variations of typical breakfast ingredients to create a plate they wanted.

But they’ve settled on a dine-in brunch menu that offers what LuxBite does best – offering a fusion of Asian-inspired flavours in their food products.

Customers can enjoy dishes like pulled pork and lap cheong (Chinese sausage) with corn fritters, and their popular Pandan chicken burger with apple and kiwi relish.

“It helps to listen to what people want and adjust yourself and your business accordingly. But do it in a way that doesn’t stray your business direction,” said Bernard.