When Bear’s first opened, the idea was to create a wine bar with a kitchen revolving around nostalgic Australian dishes: the kinds of things owner Nathan Schofield grew up eating as a kid and that you might find at the humble charcoal chook shop. Classic dimmies, potato cakes and what has come to be known as the bachelor’s handbag: a whole or half charcoal chook. These hits are already sprinkled throughout the menu, and the 2026 Melbourne Food & Wine Festival provided the perfect opportunity to dial them right up.
How did you come up with the idea for your event?
We really just wanted to turn Bear’s into our own little chook shop. All our dishes were inspired by these classic chook shop flavours, but we were sure to put our creative twist on them and elevate the experience with full table service and a paired beverage selection, too.
I called the beverage pairing the V/Line beverage pairing. The idea was that most of the producers I supported and listed in the beverage pairing were more or less accessible using public transport. I had to bend the rules a little bit, as that proved quite difficult. But the hope was that people tried these products, enjoyed them and felt like supporting them after the fact, either with a designated driver or by using public transport, hopefully making them seem more accessible.
What did you serve on the day?
First course
Prawn “cocktail”
Prawn twister. Fried pastry, barbecue tiger prawns, gochujang mayonnaise, coriander and black caviar.
Sot-l’y-laisse (“the fool leaves it”)
Charcoal chicken oyster, oyster emulsion, fresh chervil.
Beverage pairing: 2025 Minim Wines ‘Patsy’ Fiano, Heathcote
Second course
Souvlaki
Baharat-spiced chicken hearts, hibachi-grilled with confit garlic labne and curry leaf.
Chips, cheese ’n’ gravy
Duck-fat potato galette, Gruyère, parmesan, chicken gravy.
Beverage pairing: 2021 Sutton Grange ‘Estate’ Viognier, Bendigo
Third course
North Melbourne dim sim
Slow-braised kangaroo tail, mustard greens and fermented chilli caramel. Our take on the famous South Melbourne Market dimmie.
Beverage pairing:
2018 Nazaaray Estate ‘Bangles’ Pinot Noir, Mornington Peninsula
2018 Scotchmans Hill ‘Cornelius Kirkcaldy Vineyard’ Pinot Noir, Bellarine Peninsula
Fourth course
Peri-peri chook
Charcoal-grilled half chook, peri-peri butter sauce.
Bolo do caco
Madeiran sweet potato flatbread with garlic and herb butter.
Heirloom tomatoes
True Leaf heirlooms, Victorian olive oil, tomato vinegar and oregano.
Beverage pairing: Henry of Harcourt ‘Original’ Apple Cider, Harcourt
Fifth course
Bear at the beach
Our take on frog in a pond. Raspberry jelly, Enbom Honey cream, burnt white chocolate, salted dark chocolate bear.
Beverage pairing: House-made ‘Fanta’ spider
Looking back now, what was the highlight of the whole thing?
It’s so hard to choose just one thing. For me, it was working with the team. Being such a small venue, there has never been a disconnect between the front-of-house and back-of-house/kitchen teams, but the venue definitely felt far more cohesive. I’m so proud that my team pulled it together with me, and we were able to completely sell out our event with two full restaurant flips. It was a fast-paced and electric evening.
Is there anything you’d do differently if you were to run a similar event in the future?
There isn’t a whole lot I would do differently if I was to run the same or a similar event. Mostly, it would be operational tweaks and promotion. As an example, I would advertise the beverage pairing more and include it as an optional add-on during the ticketing process. I barely sold any drinks pairings and ended up having to return a bunch of stock to distributors.
What did you find was the best way to sell the tickets or otherwise get the word out?
We mainly used word of mouth in the restaurant, reminding diners that we were hosting the event. We also relied on social media to do its thing. I think because we were just over a year old as a venue, we still had a bit of hype from opening and gained some traction there.
What’s the best event you’ve been to lately at another venue? What made it so great?
I attended a Greek wine trade event at Aegli in South Melbourne a few months back. It was a deep dive into a single producer’s wines, Nico Lazaridi, and the wines were paired alongside a well-thought-out menu by Aegli. They are serving some seriously exceptional Greek food. Chef Ioannis Kasidokostas’s menu is meticulously put together – just don’t ask me for the names of any of the dishes.
You feel like you’re being welcomed into Ioannis’s home and being treated to Michelin-standard meals. They are traditional Greek dishes made with elegance, poise and just the right amount of richness. There will always be a place for charcoal souvlaki, but Aegli is all about refined and thoughtful cooking with warm and professional service.
Any advice for anyone thinking of doing an event for the first time?
Don’t be afraid to give it a go. Plan meticulously and make sure you’re staffed up. Sometimes it’s more about getting your name out there and being recognised for something great than saving on costs and not providing the best possible experience. I often doubt myself, but after standing back and looking at the event we hosted, I was so proud of my team for helping me put it together and, finally, proud of myself. It took me a year and a half of owning this wine bar to build that confidence.
Bear’s Wine Bar, 502 Queensberry St, North Melbourne, bearswinebar.com.au, @bearswinebar