Food Social

The Verdict

Do you ever feel like you love food just a bit more than all your friends? Not just eating it... (Sorry Champ, I don’t think you’re alone there), but something a little more?

Here are the telltale signs: You want to know where all the best chefs get their ideas from, and what makes that dish so special, and you consider yourself to be a pretty serious ‘foodie’ – regardless of how much you hate that word. You only ever want to chat about all things food.  And while you’d never recognise an actual, legit, celebrity on the street, you’d sure as hell recognise Andrew McConnell or Shannon Bennet.

Maaaan, have we got good news for you! We recently discovered a nifty little group of like-minded foodie legends, called Food Social.

Food Social is the brain child of food-loving Melburnian Pheh Sze (known to her friends as PS) who has taken a leap from the professional world to follow her dream of connecting food lovers from all around the world, city by city. PS recognised that simply booking a table at a restaurant or dining out does not always completely fulfil a foodie’s desires.

It’s a really interesting concept: basically Food Social is a membership based club that hosts foodie events around Melbourne. The events are themed and run to various formats – A-Z Global Feasts, Cook Offs, and Tastings. Not only do the events give you access to epically delicious food events, they also give you the chance to meet the chefs and owners and hear their personal stories. As the name suggests, Food Social’s events are really social gatherings - they’re perfect for catching up with old friends or making new ones.

The events are often sell-outs, so if you want to be in the know, have early access to discounted tickets, access to a food forum where you’re able to ask chefs questions, and a heap of other goodies (including your drinks at events!) you can grab a Food Social membership.

The A-Z Global Feasts are the most regular event and, fantastically, are all about working their way through the alphabet - with each event dedicated to a different letter. Right now, they’re up to E, and as such, the next Global Feast will be held at Saba’s Ethiopian Restaurant.

Meanwhile, the Cook Off events add a touch of the competitive, and are particularly appealing to those of us who like a challenge. Typically at these events a chef demonstrates the cooking of a dish, while the Food Social foodies split in to teams for a ‘cook off’. It’s food, excitement, competition and education all rolled in to one – and like your very own MKR or Masterchef episode. We won’t even judge you if you film it.

The Food tasting events are exactly as they sound – head along and you’ll get a chance to taste some really excellent produce. These events focus on one food type – plus, the next event is a chocolate tasting event, so we presume we’ll see you there?!

Food, friendships and fun – what’s not to love?! 

Image credit: Jenna Fahey White and Michelle Jarni for The Urban List

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