New Season. New Menu
By Dylan Sanding, Executive Chef
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like cooking at the MCG, here’s the short version, it’s iconic. And there’s absolutely nowhere to hide. So when we set out to create menus for the ’G, I know one thing for sure — the food has to live up to the stadium. No gimmicks. No filler. Just great produce, strong ideas and menus that people actually remember long after the event wraps up.
At the heart of everything we do is our food philosophy: Victoria’s Best, Flavoured by Melbourne. That’s not just a line we like the sound of — it’s how we cook, how we source, and how we build every menu. Victoria gives us incredible produce, and Melbourne gives us the attitude, culture and diversity to do something interesting with it.
This season, the team and I decided to lean into something a little more playful.
We started talking about the foods that made us fall in love with eating in the first place — the dishes we grew up with, the flavours that bring back memories, the things that made us excited to sit at the table. Roast chicken. Chilli crab. Iced treats. Old‑school sweets. The kind of food that doesn’t need explaining.
Then we asked ourselves the fun question: What happens if we give those classics the MCG treatment?
What happens if we give those classics the MCG treatment?
The result is a menu collection that’s nostalgic without being stuck in the past. Familiar flavours, reimagined with a bit more polish, a bit more confidence and a lot of respect for the ingredients. These are dishes that feel comforting and exciting at the same time — food that makes you smile when it hits the table and brings back a childhood memory.
One thing I’m big on is letting great produce do the heavy lifting. We work with some incredible Victorian suppliers — many of them small, specialist producers who do one thing really, really well. We don’t ask them to supply everything. We ask them to supply their best. When the ingredient is that good, you don’t need to overthink it.
At the end of the day, food at the MCG isn’t just there to fill a gap in the schedule. It’s part of the experience. It sets the tone, sparks conversation and becomes part of the story people tell when they leave.
So whether you’re planning a big moment or something more understated, my advice is simple: have a bit of fun with it. We certainly did. See you at the ‘G. View menus.
— Dylan
