Black Star’s watermelon cake and The Continental’s Martini in a can might be the talk of Sydney’s King Street, but come Sunday 8 November the Newtown Festival brings a wealth of other reasons to stray to the 2042 – many of them edible.
The Newtown Locals are bringing the brewskies and waffle makers back to Camperdown Park for a second instalment of their annex of the Newtown Festival. Who are the Locals? None other than 16 of the neighbourhood’s finest bars and eateries, all collaborating to present five one-off dishes just for the day.
Bloodwood, Mary’s, The Bach and Oldtown in Newtown have teamed up to make chicken-steak waffles with chipotle maple syrup and candied pancetta, for instance, while the Hartsyard and Stinking Bishops collaboration has resulted in poutine with beer-and-beef gravy. And the crossover fever doesn’t stop there. For drinks you’ve got Mary’s and Young Henry’s working together on the hops, alongside coffee and homemade soft drinks.
Among the most anticipated dishes is the dessert, a lovechild sprung from the wholesome union of Black Star, Brewtown and N2Gelato: caramel biscuit topped with yuzu-curd gelato, with freeze-dried raspberries and a pipette of red shiso syrup.
Bloodwood chefs Claire van Vuuren and Mitch Grady are co-curators of this year’s offerings, which ring in at just $10 a pop.
“There’s so much talent and depth in the local area now,” says Grady, “and it’s great to have the Newtown Festival reflect some of this.”
All proceeds from the Newtown Locals stalls will be donated to First Response, Newtown Neighbourhood Centre’s frontline service dealing with drug and alcohol abuse, mental illness and homelessness.
“It’s about making the Newtown festival about Newtown again,” says Grady.
Newtown Festival, Sunday 8 November, Camperdown Memorial Rest Park, Newtown, NSW