F&B SPECIALISTS are shaking up conference hospitality by making Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre the first business events venue in Australia to offer premium cocktails on tap.
Unveiling its 2026 menus, MCEC promises more than just catering. The offering is designed to capture Melbourne’s vibrant energy, with interactive food stations, local artisan partnerships, and flavour-led experiences.
“We want to celebrate the city around us. Melbourne isn’t passive. It’s active, fast, social. Everything we’re doing with the 2026 menus leans into that,” said Karl Edmonds, the venue’s Executive Sous Chef of Culinary Development.
“The suppliers, the stations, the flavours. It all points back to Victoria,” Edmonds said, referring to the surrounding state where MCEC caterers sources the bulk of their ingredients.
The headline innovation – cocktails on tap – comes through a collaboration with Straight Up Cocktails and Campari, ensuring Aperol Spritz, Spicy Margarita and Blood Orange Americano are poured with precision, even at the largest events, said a spokesperson for MCEC.
Beyond the bar, the menus feature bubble tea bars, gelato scooped to order, and popular Asian street food such as Hawker Lane Singapore noodles, all designed to encourage guest interaction. Dietary inclusivity is also baked in, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options integrated rather than sidelined.
“Quality ingredients, treated with care – that never changes. Now we’re also looking at how people interact with our food and how they move around the space,” Edmonds added.
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Local producers such as Sher Wagyu and Lard Ass Dairy take centre stage, while Victorian wines and craft beers dominate the drinks list.
Paul Kanaan, the venue’s head of F&B, highlighted the importance of regional partnerships: “Local gives our menu the pulse of the city. Subtle Tea is a perfect example. It’s creative, surprising, Melbourne to the core.”
MCEC is also tapping into the growing demand for low- and no-alcohol options, expanding its range of sugar-free drinks, non-alcoholic alternatives and canned mocktails. “Guests want choice without compromise,” Kanaan said.
Photo credits: Ashley Ludkin
