Swillhouse is one of the very finest distillations of hospitality. The team run Le Foote, Caterpillar Club and Shady Pines, among others, and they’re now turning their creative minds to events. The just-announced Swillfest – billed as the “world’s most original wine fair” – debuts this September, and we’ve got the exclusive on the line-up.

“When we were first putting the concept together, it was essentially going to be a wine fair – but everything we approach has to have a unique angle, it needs to be viewed through a really original lens,” Swillhouse’s creative director Jordan McDonald tells Broadsheet. “So I was like, ‘How do we make this really groovy and something that no one’s been to before?’”

The team settled on a grand “hospitality expo”. It’s a celebration of all the bits and pieces that make the industry so spectacular and beloved: entertainment, music, good food and good wine.

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“It’s putting these things that we love so much all in the one place – finding the masters of each domain and bringing them all together,” McDonald says. It’s fitting, then, that Mike Bennie is leading the curation of Aussie wines.

The festival takes over Le Foote, and the stretch of George Street it sits on, on Saturday September 21. The venue’s cosy corners and art-filled dining spaces will be busy: masterclasses in Cencio Dining Room, pop-up stalls in the bar, a stage in the courtyard.

All the masterclasses are designed to be both “performative and informative”. Fancy a carcass breakdown led by Whole Beast Butchery’s Marcus Papadopoulo? Or a silver service how-to led by Maurice Terzini? Local performer Demon Derriere will be leading a “self-love masterclass”, Sam Studd’s bringing plenty of cheese, and there’ll be a whisky session held by Dan Woolley of Highwayman.

Food’s being overseen by Swillhouse exec chef Brendan Fong. But there are guests, too: chef and author Ellie Boudhana (ex-Hope St Radio) and Luke Powell. “We’re giving them a space to throw down really old-school, takeaway-food style. It’ll be super simple stuff – like the fanciest sausage sizzle you’ve ever been to.”

Le Foote’s kitchen will have a special one-day snack menu, and the guest chefs will be peppered throughout the festival. The main party zone’s on George Street, where there’ll be mobile bars, a Messina truck and Mecca coffee.

“Eight-piece, full-funk explosion” Badderfly – the band Swillhouse created especially for Cat Club – will hit the main stage, along with other headliners Kingswood, Hevenshe and Maanyung. While a second stage in Le Foote’s courtyard will feature the Calvin Welch Quartet, led by Hubert’s resident jazz man.

Roving performers will span acrobatics, tap dancing, comedy and burlesque – think Benjamin Noir, an “operatic, accordion-playing stripper”.

“We’ve been talking about this for years,” McDonald says. “Just like we were talking about launching a print publication for years. Then, after a while, you put the wheels in motion, and Swill becomes part of the family. That’s the intention with Swillfest.”

While 2024 has seen many popular festivals cancelled, the Swillhouse team is pushing the boundaries of the Aussie events roster, and we can’t wait for festival day. Tickets are available now, punters, but be quick.

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