The Maillard Project
Brisbane City’s coffee scene is set to score a new top-flight dispensary at the end of July. The crew behind highly regarded Margaret Street cafe Coffee Anthology is putting the finishing touches on forthcoming sibling venue The Maillard Project, which will be arriving on Charlotte Street on Monday July 27. The space is shaping up to be a multi-faceted hub for all things coffee and brunch, with head honcho Adam Wang eager to harness the best elements of Coffee Anthology and take them up a notch. Boasting a light modern aesthetic across the entire venue, The Maillard Project will offer expertly brewed coffee, a leisurely dine-in service, coffee roasting and barista training under one roof. The cafe will offer an improved version of Coffee Anthology’s brunch menu, with a full kitchen capable of producing dishes that its older sibling’s streamlined set-up could not. Guests will be able to sit in a formal dining space or a casual alfresco portion, free to feast on a mix of Anthology favourites and seasonal and experimental newcomers, as well as the popular breakfast degustation, which will transfer over to The Maillard Project as Coffee Anthology’s kitchen transitions into a pastry kitchen. The Maillard Project will boast three coffee machines – one for takeaway orders, another for dine-in orders (plus a coffee bar for batch and pour-over brews) and a third for training. Baristas of any skill level can book in to practise on the machine, learn more about the art of coffee making from the pros and improve their overall skill level (roasting education will also be available). Adam hopes The Maillard Project’s educational focus will improve the community’s collective knowledge of coffee and help younger baristas find their footing in the industry quicker. We’ll have a closer look at The Maillard Project at the end of the month!

Barbecue Mafia
After scoring a legion of new fans with the November 2019 launch of its debut location at Western Magpies AFC in Chelmer, the brains behind low ‘n’ slow barbecue outfit Barbecue Mafia have expanded once more. Last Saturday July 11, the team unveiled a brand-new pit stop at Coorparoo Kings AFL Club, continuing the brand’s clever strategy of teaming up with suburban sports clubs to establish a string of quality barbecue outlets across Brisbane. Now lovers of central Texas-style barbecue can sink their incisors into Barbecue Mafia’s signature pecan-fed pulled pork, Mafia hot links and beef ribs (lovingly cooked in Brisbane-made custom-built smokers), as well as the crew’s Secret Southern Slaw, shoestring fries and mac ‘n’ cheese. The arrival of Barbecue Mafia Coorparoo comes as the crew gears up for further expansion, with a pop-up at Sandgate Hawks AFL Club taking place on Sunday July 26 between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm. Plans are in the works for this site to become Barbecue Mafia’s third permanent location, with all three sites boasting a licensed bar on premises and undercover seating, as well as a family- and pet-friendly atmosphere.

The Golden Pig’s ‘Elements of Dessert’ classes
Did iso ignite a sweet flame in your cooking repertoire? Interested in taking your baking skills well beyond banana bread? Pastry chef Savannah Haigh can assist you with that. Savannah will be heading up The Golden Pig’s three upcoming ‘Elements of Dessert’ classes, sharing skills she’s refined at the likes of Zumbo Patisserie and Bennelong Restaurant. Each class will explore one classic dessert element, with Savannah demonstrating the various techniques that can be applied to take them to the next level. On Sunday August 23, Textures of Chocolate will cover everything from rich chocolate mousses to tempered dark chocolate, Textures of Caramel on Sunday August 30 will focus on the likes of creme caramel, caramelised puff pastry and more, and Sunday September 20 will unlock the secrets of egg whites with Textures of Meringue – think poached, Italian and shards. In addition to ‘Elements of Dessert’, The Golden Pig has just rescheduled all of its cooking classes after a little hiatus – head to The Golden Pig website to book.

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