And today is .......

CHEESECAKE DAY slices itself onto our calendars each July 30.

This is one of the creamiest days of the year! It’s a day to indulge in the decadence of this dessert, and sample some of the tastiest flavours. Today, we have the sweetest excuse to treat ourselves to a slice (or two) of something special.

From the humble plain baked version to tangy key lime, or maybe a chocolate one would hit the spot; whatever grabs the sweet tooth, today is certainly a day for some cheesecake.

A cheesecake is a yummy dessert that's like a cake. It's usually made with cheese (like cream cheese or ricotta), eggs, and sugar. Often, it has a crunchy graham cracker crumb crust. This crust sometimes uses butter to hold it together.

The inside of a cheesecake is very smooth and thick. Sometimes, sour cream is added to make it easier to shape. Cheesecakes can have fruit flavours like strawberry, blueberry, or lemon. They are often topped with fresh fruit or chocolate.

Which cheesecake, you say? Well, you simply can’t go wrong. Wherever you choose to buy your cheesecake, there’s the same meticulous baking standards of this rich dessert.

Each cheesecake is carefully baked to perfection, layered over a handmade biscuit base and finished with just the right touch of sweetness. Whether you're a traditionalist or just love a good dessert, this classic never disappoints. It’s the kind of treat that feels just right for cosy catch-ups, office shoutouts, or a night in.

Aussies are obsessed with cheesecake, universally viewing it as the ultimate crowd-pleasing dessert for summer barbecues, birthday parties, and holiday gatherings. Australia has developed its own distinct, nostalgic cheesecake culture defined by ultra-simple no-bake recipes, iconic local biscuit bases, and suburban bakery institutions.

While traditional baked New York cheesecakes are loved, the quintessential Aussie style is the effortless no-bake slice. These set in the fridge using a "holy trinity" of cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and crushed biscuits.

Home Baking - you can whip up your own creamy creation.

If you want a taste of a true Australian crowd-pleaser, this ultra-simple recipe is the nation's top-rated style:
  • The Base: 250g plain sweet biscuits (like Marie or Arrowroot), crushed and mixed with 125g melted butter. Press into a lined tin and chill.
  • The Filling: Whip 500g of softened block cream cheese with one 395g can of sweetened condensed milk and 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice until smooth.
  • The Set: Pour the filling over the biscuit base and leave it in the fridge for at least 4 to 6 hours (or overnight) to set perfectly.

We have put a distinct, localized spin on the classic dessert. You'll frequently find cheesecakes made with iconic Australian ingredients and flavours:
  • Tim Tam Cheesecakes: A popular no-bake variation featuring the beloved Aussie chocolate biscuit.
  • Milo & Caramilk Variations: Local home cooks frequently reinvent the dessert using cult-status ingredients like malty Milo powder or caramelised white Caramilk chocolate.
  • Native Flavors: Incorporating local ingredients like lemon myrtle or macadamias.
  • Retail Favorites: Brands like Sara Lee Australia offer baked options in Woolworths, while national institutions like The Cheesecake Shop sell millions of cakes nationwide.

If you are celebrating around Sydney, NSW, consider these local favourites known for their incredible slices:

Pasticceria Papa (Haberfield, Five Dock, Bondi Beach): Famous across Sydney for their signature, feather-light Baked Ricotta Cheesecake.

Uncle Tetsu (George St, Sydney): Perfect if you prefer fluffy, jiggly Japanese-style cheesecakes.

Normcore Coffee (Sydney CBD & Surrounds): Known to feature exceptional Basque burnt cheesecakes.

15cenchi: Located in the Darling Square precinct and The Galeries in the CBD, they specialize in delicate, gluten-free Japanese Basque cheesecakes.

The Smelly Cheesecake: Known for their light, airy baked cheesecakes, you can visit their cafe hubs in Chatswood or at Birkenhead Point.

Sweet Chick: Tucked away on Fitzroy St in Surry Hills, they offer stellar gluten-free cheesecakes that local patrons highly praise.

Or simply visit your local cake shop or bakery – your surprise yummy cheesecake is waiting for you!

Today, major Australian bakeries and dessert brands get involved with special promotions, freebies, and new flavour releases around this time:
  • The Cheesecake Shop: Australia's iconic franchise frequently hosts large giveaways or discount deals. For instance, they have previously marked the season by giving away thousands of free dessert cups at stores across the country. Baked favourites like the American, Marble and Quad Choc are waiting.
  • Local Bakeries: Dessert spots release limited-edition multi-packs specifically for the day, featuring unique variations like Lemon Ricotta or Matcha.

This World Cheesecake Day, maybe skip the loud celebrations.
Share a slice.
Or not.
Just enjoy.


Fun Facts about Cheesecake:
  • A cheesecake is not actually a cake – it is a baked cheese custard pie with a crust. The uncooked custard filling is poured into a crust and then baked.
  • On the old TV show The Golden Girls, the cast consumed more than 100 cheesecakes during the show’s seven-year run.
  • There's a restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden, that serves a garlic cheesecake? It's an all-garlic restaurant! It’s always a matter of taste.
  • From fluffy Japanese cheesecake to caramelized Basque burnt versions, the styles are endless. Flavours like blueberry, Biscoff, and chocolate have found a home.
  • A “Cheesecake Shot” is real, and it consists of vanilla schnapps and cranberry juice.
  • Cheesecakes look different all over the world. In Japan, they are baked to be super wobbly and jiggly like a cloud, while in Italy, bakers use a light, fluffy cheese called ricotta.


“Cheesecake is the dessert that dreams are made of”

“Happiness served”

“My fridge knows my secrets”

“Keep calm and eat strawberry cheesecake”




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Avocado Day smashes onto our calendars each July 31.

It’s almost impossible these days to find a brunch menu at an Australian café that doesn’t feature at least one dish with smashed avo on toast. Avocados aren’t just hype though they’re good for us, with more potassium than bananas.

Avocados have more fat than most other fruits. But don't worry, most of this fat is the healthy kind, called unsaturated fat, which is good for your body! They are also packed with good stuff like potassium (which helps your muscles work), and important vitamins like B, E, and K.

Australians love avocados for their unmatched versatility, health benefits, and massive local production. We Aussies are some of the biggest avocado consumers in the world, eating nearly 5 kg per person each year and are the third-highest consumers of avocados per capita globally. This obsession was largely ignited in the early 1990s when "smashed avo" became a globally recognized brunch icon.

Australia's avocado obsession is deeply rooted in local food culture, agricultural abundance, and a few distinct factors:
  • Smashed Avo Culture: Australia is the birthplace of the modern avocado toast phenomenon. When Sydney chef Bill Granger first featured "smashed avo" at his Darlinghurst cafe in 1993, he established a fresh, simple brunch staple that swept the globe.
  • Abundant Local Supply: Because of Australia's diverse climate, avocados can be grown domestically year-round. Peak supplies run from April to December, while Queensland and Western Australia provide a steady harvest to keep grocery shelves stocked.
  • Nutritional Powerhouse: Promoted widely by Avocados Australia, the fruit is celebrated as "green gold". It is packed with monounsaturated healthy fats, dietary fiber, and more potassium than a banana, perfectly aligning with Australia’s health-conscious, active lifestyle.
  • Year-Round Availability & Affordability: Unlike many other countries where avocados are an expensive imported luxury, Australia's robust domestic production—with crops expanding up the east coast and in Western Australia—makes them highly accessible and often very affordable.
  • Culinary Versatility: Beyond toast, avocados are a staple of the Aussie diet. They are commonly paired with Vegemite, folded into eggs, blended into breakfast smoothies, and are practically a mandatory component of a classic Aussie burger with the lot.

We have a growing avocado production line across Australian including Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania. It’s a huge industry. In the last 10 years, the consumption of avocados has tripled in Australia and the avocado industry is now worth about $460 million.

More than 75% to 80% of all avocados consumed in Australia are grown domestically, while imports make up the remaining balance - primarily sourced from New Zealand during the spring and summer months. We produce over 130,000 tonnes of avocados annually.

There are two main types of avocado that we see in Australia: (1) Hass and (2) Shepard, of which about 80-85% of avocados sold are Hass, while only 10-15% are Shepard. Hass avocados have a pebbly skin which turns dark purple when ripe. Shepard avocados are similar in size and shape but have smooth green skin and paler flesh. They also stay green even when they are ripe. The rich, creamy Hass avocado is typically in season from May to January, while the smooth-skinned, buttery Shepard variety takes over from February to April.

We love our avo - from the iconic breakfast smashed avocado to fresh salads, tacos, and dips.

Recent marketing has greatly promoted the “healthy” benefits of the avo with a bold new brand campaign ‘Avo-Can-Do, So Can You’ spreading the word about the delicious and nutritious benefits of avocados and their versatility across meal occasions.

Built on the insight that Aussie avocados are the ultimate all-rounder – packed with nutrition, flavour and endless uses – the campaign celebrates Australian Avocados as the can-do fruit that puts you in a can-do frame of mind.

Avocados are consumed in a variety of ways at different meal occasions. With many Australians wanting to lose weight, it helps to know avocados fit well into any eating pattern including diets for weight loss, and partner well with other nutritious foods.

And we thought it was all about taste.

Our avos are nutritional powerhouses packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, dietary fibre, and over 20 vitamins and minerals (including more potassium than a banana). They help lower bad cholesterol, promote gut health, and their unique fat content helps your body absorb nutrients from other foods.

Gone are the days of fat-phobia but why exactly are these fats good for us? Healthy fats help you absorb essential fat-soluble nutrients (such as vitamin E), reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, help maintain heart health, promote healthy skin and are great for the waistline.

Avos contain a brain-loving bundle of nutrients that help put you in a good mood, boost your energy levels and fight fatigue – talk about the ultimate food to kick start your day! It’s avocados delicious combination of niacin, folate, potassium, vitamin B5 and C that help your brain and nervous system perform at its best.

What’s not to love.

OK, pass me the knife – I have to cut open this avocado now – just a tinsy slice lengthwise around the seed with my sharp knife, twist, and scoop out the pip = YUMM!



Fun Facts about Avocados:
  • Not only does avocado do wonders for your insides, it’s also great as a facial mask.
  • As the ultimate "millennial gimmick", one Australian cafe featured an “avolatte”, a latte served in an avocado peel.
  • Avocado oil has a higher smoke point than olive oil and is a much better option than many unhealthy oils used to fry or sear.



“My emotional support food - avocado. It never judges. It just spreads”

“I don’t have bad days. Just unripe ones”

“You miss 100% of the avos you don’t smash”

“Avocadabra! And just like that, brunch was saved”




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Wednesday 29th July was International Tiger Day

"A complex landscape of recovery, conflict, and empty forests!"​

Sounds like our Club right there!

 
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