MORNINGTON Peninsula chef Andrew Ballard will take centre stage at the Good Food & Wine Show in Melbourne later this month, curating the Singapore Airlines VIP Lounge menu and unveiling an exclusive Japanese-inspired lamington.
Frankson-based Ballard was named Australian Chef of the Year in 2021, and is in his 20th year as executive chef of the show, which runs from 29 to 31 May at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The show draws more than 90,000 visitors nationally each year across Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane events, and in 2026 adds two major new experiences: Bakers Alley, a dedicated bakery precinct, and an intimate hands-on Cooking School.
Ballard said he had drawn on Singapore Airlines’ Business and First Class in-flight menus to shape the VIP Lounge offering.
“I’ve created my own interpretation of dishes you might otherwise experience while flying off to some far-flung destination,” he said.
“The menu includes crispy-skinned pork belly, my take on a classic roast chook, and of course beautiful Australian barramundi.”
The Japanese-inspired lamington Ballard will debut in Bakers Alley has its origins in his time overseeing the kitchens of the Australian Pavilion at World Expo in Japan last year – a six-month event that welcomed more than 27 million guests.
“By far, one of the most popular dishes we served was the classic Australian lamington,” he said.
The show-exclusive creation features sponge cake, yuzu ganache, mitarashi caramel and cheesecake. Ballard said it was a preview of what he planned to take to Japan at the end of 2026 for the launch of Lamington Lab in Osaka.
He said Bakers Alley was his personal pick for show visitors. “It brings together some of the best Victoria has to offer in all things baked, buttery, flaky and farinaceous,” he said.
Away from the show, Ballard’s focus is on bringing his international career credentials back to the peninsula. He and Paul Golding, who hails from Balnarring, will represent Australia at the Culinary World Cup later this year as part of the Australian National Culinary Team – whose training kitchen is secretly tucked away in Frankston – before the Culinary Olympics in 2028. He is also planning a one-month pop-up in Balnarring in early 2027.
Ballard said the peninsula was one of the most “delicious regions” in Australia. “For high-end dining I love what Michael is doing down at Moke in Flinders,” he said.
“For classic food and good wine, Assaggini just off Mornington’s main strip is always a favourite. And for a quick, casual bite, my go-to has to be Cosy & Tasty Dumplings in Frankston.”
“That’s the beauty of the peninsula — you can go from refined dining to dumplings without feeling like you’ve made a bad life choice at any point,” he said.
The Good Food & Wine Show runs 29 to 31 May. Tickets are available at goodfoodshow.com.au
First published in the Mornington News – 19 May 2026
