Allan Campion

Welcome to the Melbourne Foodie, a site dedicated to the best of the Melbourne food scene.

The idea behind The Melbourne Foodie to to create a place that is not just a website, a blog, an email newsletter or a Twitter feed, but a bit of everything in one online space.

Many people (me amongst them) consider Melbourne to be Australia’s most edible city. This is due to its incredible mix of restaurants (at all price points), talented chefs, fresh produce markets, eat streets and food stores that offer amazing ingredients from around the world.

Melbourne is also a city where many of those who live within its boundaries have a love of good food and cooking, both eating out and cooking at home.

So the subjects covered here are pretty broad from seasonal produce and cooking to starting a backyard vegetable patch through to eating out, the best food stores, farmers’ markets, chocolate stores, favourite foodie suburbs, bakeries, gelati makers, coffee places etc. There’s also a section with links to the latest food news from newspapers, magazines and local bloggers.

So no matter if you live in Melbourne or are looking to visit in the near future, there will be (hopefully) plenty of helpful information, news and reviews.

It is not a place for ‘negative’ reviews (there are more than enough of these online). If I don’t like somewhere it simply won’t be featured here.

I hope you enjoy the site and I look forward to hearing about your favourite Melbourne places.

The mini bio

I was lucky to have spent some of my childhood in Melbourne and to have lived here permanently since 1990. I’ve worked as a chef, food writer and food reviewer, as well as creating Melbourne Food Tours in 2004 and Melbourne Cooking Classes in 2008. There’s a full bio available if you’re keen to know more.

I believe I have one of the best ‘jobs’ in Melbourne. By that I mean I get to meet the people who run the most amazing food stores and restaurants around Melbourne. I then get to write about them in books and websites (like this one). I get the opportunity to take people on food tours to meet these same people. I also get to work closely with many of the best chefs, chocolatiers, patisseries and wine experts in my Melbourne Cooking Classes program. Basically I get to talk food with Melbourne’s experts all day long.

Not bad for someone who fell in love with food in year 9 cooking classes – then left school at 16 to become an apprentice chef.

Little did I know that that decision would lead me to work in Turkey, Ireland, Australia and England. That I would cook for actors, admirals, prime ministers and theatre directors. That I would have eaten my way across Europe, Asia, the Pacific and Middle East. Have written articles for magazines and newspapers. Been involved in establishing a publishing business (while knowing about publishing). Have written 30 + cookbooks and food guides (with co-author Michele Curtis) since 1995.  Be the co-author of The Foodies’ Guide to Melbourne and The Foodies Diary. Become a food tour guide. Establish Melbourne Cooking Classes.

What I do know is that no matter what work I do it all starts here in Melbourne. It’s all about Melbourne. It’s all about the butchers, bakers, chocolatiers and gelati makers. The people who get up every morning to create great food for us.

Today I have one of the best jobs in Melbourne. And work in one of the world’s best food cities. And all because I fell in love with food at age 16. What’s not to like about that!

Warning – only read further if you want the ‘official’ bio!

Allan Campion is a Melbourne based chef, food writer and food tour operator. He started as an apprentice chef at age 16 and has worked in Australia, Ireland, England and Turkey.

Food travels have brought him further afield to eat in Egypt, India, Nepal, Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, New Zealand, Spain, France, Italy and most recently Singapore and Vietnam.

Allan has chosen to make his home in the food loving city of Melbourne since 1990. He has long been a contributor to the Australian food scene and a promoter of the finest food the city has to offer through magazine and newspaper articles in Australian Gourmet Traveller, Vogue Entertaining, Epicure, Food and Drink and The Sunday Age.

Together with Michele Curtis, he began the successful Foodies’ Diary in 1995 as a way to remind food lovers about the importance of using fresh, seasonal ingredients.

The Foodies’ Guide to Melbourne followed soon after and explores the city’s very best food stores. Both books continue today as annual releases. Many other popular titles followed including Tucker for Tots, Chilli Jam, Sizzle!, Campion and Curtis in the Kitchen, Every Day Cooking and Food with Friends. The latest Campion and Curtis cookbook (number thirty) is titled In The Kitchen, a giant 1000+ recipe tome covering everything the home cook will ever need.

He was involved in the creation of Ludo The Good Food Store in 2003 with a focus on sourcing the best food products from Melbourne and regional Victoria. Other consultancies include food trend reports on the Australian food scene for UK clients.

Allan founded Melbourne Food Tours in 2004 to lead food lovers to the best food stores, produce markets and restaurants in town. Melbourne Cooking Classes started in 2008.

Other work includes giving talks at seminars and conferences. Allan hosts festival stages at events like The Bright and Sandy Festival, Restaurant 09, Chocolate Rush and the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.

When not working he’s keen on tennis, keeping fit, gardening, art, reading, travelling and enjoying the many fantastic restaurants around Melbourne.

I did warn you!