Blog.

Golden Chicken was founded in Hervey Bay in 1986 by brothers Simon and Diploma. Tim and Tracy Tester now own and operate the Urangan store, continuing the tradition of quality food and great service that Golden Chicken is known for.

Of all the changes in the way Australians eat over the past 30 years, one trend has stuck around – and arguably had the biggest impact – the rise of the gourmet hamburger. Once just a family treat at a fast-food chain or a greasy staple from the local fish and chip shop, the humble burger has been reimagined into a premium dining experience.

Having also recently marked 30 years of operation, the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) stands as a Queensland success story and an icon of the state’s hospitality industry. We went behind the scenes to see what it takes to craft one million meals each year and meet the team behind this multi award-winning operation.

While we toasted into the 2000s with Chandon, Lemon Ruskis and Carlton Cold, on the eve of the next decade, we raised hyper-coloured, Cinco de Mayo-inspired cans of pale ale to welcome in one of the most seismic shifts in Australian gastronomy – the arrival of a wave of Tex-Mex and American barbecue-inspired cuisine. 2016 was also a watershed year for Bidfood, rebranding from the familiar Bidvest to the name we all now know.

The 2000s were a time when the bar on dining in Australia was raised to a new height. One that set us on a trajectory we’re still riding today. While an influx of British chefs brought fresh skills to our shores in the late 90’s, it was just as common for Australian chefs to head to the UK to upskill, where they were in high demand for being among the hardest-working and most talented in the game.

1995 was the year Aussie diners were either dressed in double-breasted jackets, raising glasses of Domaine Chandon in upmarket restaurants. Or they were wearing Stussy pants and Kuta Lines jumpers, piling plates high at Sizzler and ordering loaded potato skins at The Keg. It was also the year Bidfood Australia began its journey.