Why Canberra's Meat and Wine Co has Wagyu steak from chocolate-fed cattle

When it comes to Meat and Wine Co - which is set to open its doors in Canberra on Wednesday - the answer may surprise you.

It turns out the restaurant's Wagyu steaks come from cattle that are not only grass fed, they're also chocolate fed.

"Our meat is going to taste a little bit different and I'm not saying better but it's different," says Bradley Michael, the chief executive of Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group, which owns Meat and Wine Co among others.

"Our Wagyu cattle feed on chocolate just before they come to us and our grass-fed cattle eat longer than any other cattle. It's from a family that have been farming cattle for a long time. It's part of the Mayura Wagyu program that gets exported to Japan and we've done a deal with the family to supply Meat and Wine Co."

Meat and Wine Co is a restaurant that focuses on - you guessed it - meat and wine. But while the name is a simple one, the menu is not. The South African-inspired eatery brings together a combination of premium meats, world-class wines, and a commitment to the latest food trends.

While Meat and Wine Co is the first restaurant from the Seagrass group to make its way to Canberra - with it finding a home in the new Constitution Place development - it won't be the last. The group is already looking at opening a Five Guys - with the company owning the Australian rights to the popular American burger chain - as well as Italian Street Kitchen and Ribs and Burgers.

Truth be told, Michael says Canberra is his baby - although his restaurant empire includes locations in Sydney, Melbourne, London and Dubai. And it's not the first time they've tried to open in Canberra.

Some may recall the Meat and Wine Co signs indicating it was going to open on the Kingston Foreshore a few years ago but after some issues, it fell through.

"It just didn't work out because the extractions that we needed the building couldn't give us," Michael says.

"So Canberra has been on my list for about five years and this is my little baby. I'm looking for great things out of it."

These plans are so great that not even COVID-19 can put a stop to it. In fact, the pandemic only sped up the Seagrass group's growth plan. The Canberra restaurant is one of 11 to have opened across Australia and overseas since the pandemic started, with more on the way.

"When COVID happened, it settled for me that the hospitality business is very powerful because not having restaurants to go eat at, was a big human thing that we missed," Michael says.

"It was never going to go away even though people thought that this was going to be the end and it would be part of the new norm.

"I took a risk of saying that I thought that they're all going to be wrong. I thought it was going to be better than we ever thought it was going to be because people are going to be locked away.

"I renovated all our stores while they were closed. And I pushed hard on locations that people were giving up in COVID because I thought when COVID did end and people would start coming out of their homes to start socialising. And I was right."

New Acton's Morning Glory announced on the weekend that they are closing their doors - temporarily.

Just like the rest of us, 2020 gave the team a chance to reflect and as a result, they are about to embark on a transformation and will be closing their doors from Sunday.

For those wanting to know a little more - or simply cannot wait until the cafe opens its doors once more - Morning Glory will be posting updates throughout the process and promise to be back up and running before you know it.

Verity Lane Market is adding to its collection of pop-up kitchens with My Sabor opening on Thursday.

The pop-up is the brainchild of Daniel Mark, former Head Chef of Lanterne Rooms and will be bringing a modern Australian menu with an Asian twist to the market's offerings.

"My heritage is Asian Portuguese, Indian and Chinese, and I was born and bred in Malaysia," Mark says.

"The word sabor means flavour in Portuguese and pays homage to that part of my culture. I chose this word because I want to showcase the different flavours I bring to each dish."

The menu will be presented as a range of Tapas-style share plates to allow for all diners at a table to indulge in the same dish.

These include truffle oil egg custard with XO; steamed half-shell scallops with ginger and scallion risotto; and charred octopus with Asian summer herbs and radicchio.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: