Kane and Able: Making an impact in the cocktail space

Danny Kane has a long history in the wine business, having held senior roles at Yarra Valley producers Oakridge, Mandala and Levantine Hill. 

But he and his wife Rebecca Grey, who are co-owners of Luton Wine Bar in Hawthorn, are today making waves in the cocktail space. 

Two year ago the couple wondered if there could there be a natural, plant-based way to give cocktails a silky foam finish with no egg whites required.

They decided to find out and created Aquafab. 

It has been 12 months since Aquafab hit the market and it gone national, being used over in 700 venues across Australia. Over 400,000 cocktails have been mixed, shaken, and sipped using Aquafab, which has just gained global reach through the cruise ship industry. 

A container will soon land in Miami as Aquafab joins the drinks lists aboard cruise lines Seabourn, Princess, Disney, Holland America, Celebrity Cruises, and Royal Caribbean.

Aquafab is made from 100% Victorian fava beans (also known as faba beans) -  grown in the Wimmera region in western Victoria. 

“We just wanted to make life easier behind the bar,” says Kane. 

Darren Burton, the bar manager of Adelaide restaurant Kiin, says: “When I sat down with a representative carrying Aquafab I was delighted to see an expression of egg white alternative which has a long shelf life and imparts minimal flavour while creating a wonderful texture. 

"Ever since, I have endeavoured to utilise Aquafab as a component of many of my cocktails, especially for dessert and non-alc uses. 

"It's always great to be able to reassure anybody with allergies or dietary preferences that all of our foamy cocktails are safe for them!”

See https://aquafab.au/

A 500ml Aquafab has an RRP of $19.99. 

Images: Andersen Studios and Bonnie Savage

It’s a wonderful story and I’ve attached the press kit - with pics, a cocktail recipe and the press release here. 

Meet the Melbourne visionary challenging chocolate's big guns

You need to have a lot of bravery - and an equal amount of talent - to take on the big boys of the chocolate business like Cadbury and Nestlé.

Melbourne-based Pana Barbounis is both brave and talented.

He is the man behind Pana Organic, a team passionate creating Vegan and organic treats that ahave made a big impact in a short time.

Pana's diverse range includes chocolate, frozen desserts, baking products, spreads, snack bars, and beverages that are all plant-based, gluten-free and dairy-free.

That's a whole lot of hip appeal in for one brand.

"Organic has always been a huge focus on foods we ingest," says Pana. "Something to not be contaminated. As consumers discover some of the hidden industry practices, we will see a continuous shift towards organic products.

"Plant-based options are something many are moving towards and many are making more of a conscious decision and will equally want to see this grow."

Asked how hard is it for a small business to compete with global giants like Cadbury and Nestlé, he says: "They are the leaders and have been around for 100+ years, and naturally, they would like to protect their space.

"At Pana Organic, we think we can co-exist with everyone and spread the love."



Do Vegan chocolates taste different to milk brands?

"There was a bigger gap in the beginning of the plant-based chocolate journey. Over time we have gained more knowledge, experience and understanding on how ingredients perform and are able to reduce the gap and offer consumers a delicious plant-based alternative.

"Raw was a trend that has come and gone. Organic and plant-based are here to stay, in my opinion. Gluten-free is an interesting trend as more people are diagnosed with this allergy, so I see this trend growing over the next few years for sure!"

So what makes the Pana brand succeed?

"Simply, my great relationship with food and the understanding of growing your own organic food."

Recent profits have been reinvested into the business and the brand has ventured into the freezer aisle with Pana Organic Frozen Desserts tubs and stick varieties including flavours like Burnt Fig & Caramel and Maple Peanut.

Pana Organic is available in Woolworths and Coles nationwide along with independent grocers. For a full list of stockists see pana-organic.com

Turkish delight: Plant-based Sydney pleasures

Steakhouses are two a penny. Asian restaurants? In abundance. Seafood specialists? So many.

But plant-based eateries focusing on the cuisine of Turkiye? Not so much.

Not only does renowned chef Somer Sivrioğlu’s eatery Maydanoz have a different food and wine vibe, it also offers excellent, informed service at a central Sydney location - just behind Wynyard station.

Even on a Monday night, Maydanoz (Turkish for parsley) is buzzing with several groups relishing the share plate offering.

It is a venue that is very much on-trend, with many individuals nowadays making efforts to reduce their meat and dairy intake.

I'm a protein man through and through but the flavours and textures on offer at Maydanoz are good enough to turn my head, while my vegetable-loving wife is in her element.

Anyone expecting simple flatbreads, kofte and meaty kebabs will find themselves out of their comfort zone - but in a good way.




The meze-style menu is a collaboration between Sivrioğlu (currently filming MasterChef in Turkiye) and his group executive chef Arman Uz, who is on duty the night we dine.

The menu features many dishes that would be cooked at home, not in restaurants, along the Aegean coast of western Turkiye, Uz tells us.

Guided by an excellent maitre 'd and a charming server, both very well informed about the menu, we sample dishes ranging from festive stone-baked bread with Pepe Saya butter, lentil kofte with lettuce leaf, radish, molasses and pickled chilli (a Turkish san choy bow), and salty and chewy barbecued Tilba haloumi with thyme honey and sesame. 

Lovers of dips will enjoy the whipped feta, pistachios, sweet and sour grapes with basil and dill, while mains included Brussel sprouts with , baba ganoush, pistachio and chilli, along with Imam Bayildi; eggplant, tomato, bullhorn, tamarind and green herbs. 

For those who cannot live without meat or fish, there are but two protein options: kingfish collar kebab with sumac onion, ezme salsa, and chicken with bulgur pilaf, chilli and tomato.



For adventurous drinkers, Australian wines are joined on the list by Turkish wines from the coastline stretching from Gallipoli on the north to Denizli on the south.

Think the likes of easy drinking styles including Isabey Sauvignon Blanc, Majestik Grenache and Kalecik Karasi Rosé, Sevilen Plato Kalecik Karasi, and Centum Syrah, all very reasonably priced by the glass.

There is also a good list of cocktails and beers.



Maydanoz is open for dinner Monday to Saturday from 5pm and lunch from Monday to Friday from noon. It is well worth a visit. 

See https://www.maydanoz.com.au/. (02) 9262 3161 50 Carrington St, Sydney.

# The writer was a guest of Maydanoz 

and apple juice.