INTERSTATE EXCHANGE
Call it a reaction to all those border closures, or the desire to conquer new lands, but chefs and restaurateurs are crossing state lines at rapid pace. One interstate transfer of note is Nomad Group, which translated its Sydney flagship Nomad to Melbourne in 2021 and is now doubling down with Rein and La Rue. Rebecca Yazbek, co-owner of Nomad Group says the reception has been welcoming. “The hospitality industry in Melbourne has been inclusive and supportive,” says Yazbek. Could this be the moment the Sydney-Melbourne rivalry morphs into comraderie? “They are parochial for a reason – the produce in Victoria is definitely second to none.” Joining the Victorian migration is Merivale’s Totti’s, which landed in Lorne, and Mr Wong heading to Melbourne’s CBD. Meanwhile, some of Melbourne’s best bakeries are expanding into
