CHEAP EATS FOR CHIC TREATS & THE ART OF LOVING INTO SUBMISSION
Your exclusive invitation to Sydney's most delicious double life: where working-class bangers & mash meet members-only mischief, and saving our money so we can splurge is frankly good manners.
SYDNEY - Food & Drink Guide
Get the Cherry & Chocolate hot cross buns from Baker Bleu in Double Bay - they're outrageous. "Best I've ever eaten," according to James. A 6-pack filled with dark Valrhona chocolate and sour cherries $30 for a limited time only.
While at Baker Bleu, order the Panna Iced Coffee: a long black with a sweet vanilla cream.
At Chinatown Country Club, I ordered the Moon River: a single-origin cold brew with a maple cream float and a touch of orange blossom.
CULINARY COST CUTTING
Let’s talk about the humble sausage, three ways. Because if I’m going to save for fashion, I need to be smart somewhere else. And food? That’s the easiest place for us to start.
But before we get to dinner, a quick fashion confession…"
Style Challenge Update: I did break my shopping rule for one purchase - tights from DAL 1992 they come in a monogrammed checkerboard pattern, I brought pale blue for the socks, and Marron for the stockings.
Also, a few recommendations:
LOVED INTO SUBMISSION WITH NICK CAVE
Plus: Bella Freud's Voice Has Me So Mesmerised I Got Out & Left My Car Running (Worth It)
Reading:
In his book Never Split the Difference, Chris Voss, a former FBI hostage negotiator, lays out a masterclass in high-stakes negotiation.
Then there's Nick Cave.
In his Red Hand Files, Cave received a simple heckle from a reader named Wallis: Wanker. Rather than dismissing or ignoring it, or firing back with a sharp retort, Cave disarms with love. "We must approach the world as collaborators and willing participants in its preservation, and each other, Wallis, as friends."
There’s something to learn from both - the strategist and the poet. Sometimes, you need to outmaneuver an opponent, and other times, you need to defuse a situation with grace, love, and a recognition of our shared humanity.
You might even be surprised to learn what Nick Cave eats for lunch every single day. Find out for yourself.
Listening:
Fashion Neurosis with Bella Fraud interview with Jonathan Anderson
CHEAP EATS
Speaking of saving our money, tonight’s dinner is cheap and cheerful, so we can keep our shmeckles for Loewe. Have you seen the vegetable and fruit sculptures in their Hôtel de Maisons in Paris? Glossy oversized tomatoes, pumpkins and a green apple, front and centre as it should be.
That green apple - crispy, sour & crunchy lifts the exhibition space, just like it does my tuna mix.
And now? Sausages. Really?
For James, it's something quite special. Back home, the sausage was considered the "poor man's steak." "A rib of beef is pretty fucking rock 'n' roll, but the sausage? That was the poor man's treat," he says.
SO TONIGHT'S DINNER IS: BANGERS & MASH
I’m cooking Bangers & Mash with an Onion Gravy & Colcannon - and bonus, it'll give us two breakfasts.
Wine Pairing: Drink whatever you want, it's Bangers and Mash, c'mon!
LEFTOVERS TWO WAYS
1. Bubble and Squeak:
Leftover colcannon fried into a crispy patty, topped with a fried egg and brown sauce.
2. English Muffin Sausage Patty:
Buy 6 extra sausage - that’s to match your pack of 6 English Muffins, squeeze the meat out of the casing and form a patty with your hands, fry it, toast your English muffin and top with that cheap plastic cheese, a fried egg, and brown sauce that’s spicy and tangy.
KITCHEN TIPS:
Double batch the onion gravy - freeze half for next time.
Make extra colcannon while you're at it - perfect for tomorrow night's dinner with burnt lamb forequarter chops.
Always save meat roasting juices in the freezer - you can use them next time you make gravy.
Full recipe following.
PLUM & VANILLA CAKE
Tinned fruit. Reminds me of breakfast in Austria, when Mum and I walked the Lech River Trail together. Each morning at the guesthouses, we'd start with a simple brekky: yoghurt and tinned fruits before moving on to local cheeses and meats.
I found a tin of plums in my cupboard, I’m shopping my own pantry and made a version of Bill's Plum and Vanilla cake added a dollop of Greek yoghurt it’s quick and easy to make and delicious with a cup of tea after a swim :-)
Let me know if you would like the recipe.
PRIVATE MEMBERS CLUBS: AUSTRALIA'S NEW WAVE OF EXCLUSIVE SPACES
We’re strategic with our spending - cutting back in some areas so we can invest in what truly matters to us. For some, this means skipping casual indulgences for a Loewe Puzzle bag. For others, it’s about access: exclusive spaces, luxury experiences, and private members clubs that offer more than just prestige. And Australia's new wave of members only clubs proves that exclusivity isn’t just a luxury, it’s an investment many are willing to make.
Private members clubs are no longer just a London or New York thing. They've arrived in Australia, bringing with them a new standard of sophistication and exclusivity. These spaces aren’t just luxurious, they’re absolutely niche.
The Pillars in Sydney's CBD for example, was founded by entrepreneurs who are their own target market - successful business leaders looking for meaningful peer connections. Then there’s Black Rock Resort, a luxury motorsport retreat at Lake Macquarie. Membership to these clubs isn’t just a transaction, it’s an application process. You don’t simply join - you have to be chosen.
What truly fascinates me is what makes these spaces work. Members might join for the facilities, but when a club gets it right, they stay for the people.
These clubs have mastered the art of desire. They market without marketing & sell without selling. The key? Membership isn't guaranteed - it’s elusive, and that’s exactly what makes it irresistible.
They keep members guessing, engaged, and excited to be part of something exclusive. More than just a status symbol, these spaces foster a sense of belonging - where friendships form, connections deepen and pride in the club becomes part of the experience.
Here's where these clubs get really interesting; Black Rock Resort is pioneering something new in the private club space. If you're passionate about motorsports, membership isn’t just about access, you can actually live there. They're selling luxury real estate within the community, extending their brand beyond the club and into a way of life.
It’s a smart move, built on a simple truth, the most successful clubs evolve around what their members truly want.
The key to launching these spaces successfully? It’s all about brand vision and the art of intrigue. Get it right - blend exclusivity, community and desire - and you create something irresistible.
A space people are not only willing to pay for but eager to belong to and proud to be part of.
Fascinated by these spaces, I recently sent in a video resume to The Pillars, I want to contribute my skills to help shape The Pillars into a world-class members club.
LOCAL OBJECT ART & FULL STOP
RECIPES:
Bangers & Mash with Onion Gravy and Colcannon
Ingredients:
1kg Pork & fennel sausages
For the Onion Gravy:
3 large onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
Gravox gravy mix (enough to make 500ml)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Begin by pan-frying the sausages to create flavourful pan drippings for your gravy. In the same pan, slowly cook onions in oil until they reach a beautiful caramel colour. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Prepare the Gravox according to package instructions, then add it to the onions along with Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Let the mixture simmer until it reaches your desired thickness.
For the Colcannon:
4 large Dutch Cream potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 small Savoy cabbage, finely shredded
1 leek, finely sliced
bunch chopped parsley
1 cup milk
125g butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Start by boiling the potatoes until tender. While they cook, fry the leeks and cabbage in butter until golden and soft - remember, the longer you cook them, the sweeter they'll become. Once the potatoes are done, drain them well. Mash them with warmed milk and half the butter until smooth. Gently fold in your golden cabbage and leeks mixture. Finally, season generously with salt and plenty of black pepper for the perfect finish.
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