Ozzy Osbourne may have gained infamy for biting off a bat’s head, but when he headlines this year’s Download music festival, there will be more palatable dishes on the menu.
Hell’s Kitchen – the line-up of food stalls hand-picked by Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham of Sydney’s Mary’s group – makes its return to the heavy music festival, which will welcome the Prince of Darkness, Slayer and Alice in Chains on the stage, and chefs from Laura (Gourmet Traveller‘s 2019 New Restaurant of the Year) and Momofuku Seiobo on the pans.
Igni‘s Aaron Turner makes his second appearance at this year’s Hell’s Kitchen in Melbourne; he’ll be joined by Jo Barrett of Oakridge Winery and Phil Wood of Pt Leo Estate’s Laura.
Jo Barrett, co-executive chef of Oakridge Winery (Photo: Supplied)
In Sydney, festival-goers will have the chance to try dishes prepared by Momofuku Seiobo chef Paul Carmichael, and Enrico Tomelleri of mod-Italian restaurants Fratelli Paradiso and 10 William St); while Ali Currey-Voumard (Gourmet Traveller‘s 2019 Best New Talent) will journey to the mainland from her culinary home at The Agrarian Kitchen Eatery in Tasmania.
Smyth and Graham will also be flipping their famous burgers at the Sydney event. The festival is a natural fit for the Mary’s duo, who match a menu of fried chicken and natural wine with a thrash-metal soundtrack (turned up to 11) at their bar in Sydney’s Inner West.
Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham of Mary’s (Photo: Supplied)
And though it may seem incongruous to pair Judas Priest with, say, the grilled marron from Momofuku’s 10-course dégustation menu, Smyth says fine dining and metal music are “a match made in hell”.
“Hell’s Kitchen is about acknowledging that great food doesn’t need to be served in a fancy restaurant,” Smyth says.
“There are 35,000 people at Download festival whose idea of joy and fun and romance is getting wild watching Ozzy and Slayer. We want to connect with that and kick out the fucking jams.”
Both cities will also host a roster of “less fancy” food stalls such as All Day Donuts, Taco Truck, Ryan Gozleme, Chat Thai and Messina.
Download Festival, downloadfestival.com.au, Saturday 9 March, Parramatta Park, Sydney; and Monday 11 March, Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne.
