Taste of Spring
Thursday, 17 July 2025
Lighten up: Spring menu trends for 2025
Featuring:
John See – Head Chef at Republica, St Kilda – VIC
Emilio Rogliano – Bellboy Cafe – Melbourne
Spring is the perfect time to refresh your menu, with beautiful produce on offer and plenty of customers ready to dine out after winter hibernation.
Even in northern Australia where it stays warm all year round, spring is an ideal time of year for people to dine out with family and friends, with occasions like footy finals, Father’s Day, Melbourne Cup Day and Halloween on the calendar.
Here are some of the spring trends driving menus right now – think lighter dishes, fresh seasonal ingredients and bright pops of colour
Coming into season
Chat with your fresh produce supplier about beautiful spring crops like zucchini flowers, asparagus, peas and beans, baby carrots and beetroot, herbs like mint, dill, and basil, plus early stone fruits and berries.
Spring is also the best time to enjoy lamb – because it comes from younger animals, the meat is exceptionally tender and has a milder, more delicate flavour. Keep it simple and just quickly pan-sear it or slow-roast in the oven with plenty of herbs.
Sensational salads
Now is the time to ditch the soups and bring out the salads. Include crispy, crunchy, and creamy textures, puffed grains, fried shallots, roasted seeds, and silky dressings to enhance mouthfeel and visual appeal.
For a new take on salad, think beyond lettuce, spinach or rocket for flavour and greenery. Instead try soft herbs like dill, tarragon, mint, basil, and chervil as a base. Build with protein like tuna, prawns, chicken, egg or tofu, then add grains and legumes. Pickled and charred vegetables are also huge right now.
John See, Head Chef at Republica in St Kilda, is looking forward to spring and curating some lighter dishes for the menu. “Around the end of July I’ll start liaising with the growers to find out how the crops are going, and based around this I’ll work on some new dishes for spring,” he says.
With diners always looking for healthy options, salad can be a popular meal item on its own, as well as a side dish. And don’t forget the old favourites, John says Republica’s signature Caesar Salad is always a big seller.
Around the end of July I’ll start liaising with the growers to find out how the crops are going, and based around this I’ll work on some new dishes for spring.
Upsell with seafood
“Being a beachside venue, we sell a lot of seafood dishes all year round,” says John. “But when the weather warms up, we’ll sell even more.”
In particular John has noticed the wider appeal of raw seafood – “our scallop crudo sells well and so does the salmon tartare. I’ll change the garnishes with the seasons and I like to include native ingredients in most of my dishes.”
Keep the flavours clean and light by poaching or grilling rather than frying, then add fresh herbs and spring vegetables. Upsell add-ons or upgrades, like optional prawns for a spring risotto or salad, to add profit without risk of waste.
Plan for profit
Above all, manage your menu with more than just the cost of goods in mind. Prep time, how much space or how many chefs you have available, all come into play.
Emilio Rogliano, who owns Bellboy Café in Melbourne’s inner-north suburb of East Brunswick, advises to keep the menu small and concise. “You’ve got to consider the skills of your chefs,” he says. “If your head chef is away, can each dish be made by other members of the team?”
Bellboy offers a brunch menu and a separate bagel menu. “When we launched it was during Covid and the bagels were perfect for takeaway or dining in. They have worked well for us ever since.”
Emilio adds that when designing new dishes he and the chef consider which ingredients are most plentiful and cost-effective, and also the feedback from customers and staff. “We’ll often run seasonal dishes as a special, which is a great way to test them out.”
When we launched it was during Covid and the bagels were perfect for takeaway or dining in. They have worked well for us ever since.
A fresh start
Spring is the season to refresh, reset and reimagine your menu with colour, lightness and produce. From salads and seafood to clever ways with lamb and labour-smart dishes, there’s plenty of opportunity to drive profit while delivering the fresh flavours diners are craving. Keep it simple and let your spring menu shine.
An alternative to fresh seafood is the wide range of frozen products from Markwell Foods. With the benefits of consistent supply and price, portion control and minimal prep. From lobster, crab and prawns to salmon, barramundi and snapper, chefs will find plenty of inspiration for spring.
- Marinating some Shore Mariner Super Tender Squid Tubes in garlic, lemon, and olive oil, then grilling and serving them over a bed of asparagus, baby zucchini, and broad beans. Finish with a tangy herb salsa.
- Using any Shore Mariner fish products as a base for soft shell tacos, topped with spring cabbage slaw and a lemony aioli.
U/5 Squid Tubes
2 x 5kg
Trumps’ range of flaked almonds, dry roasted peanuts, pepita kernels, and sunflower kernels add rich texture and nutty flavour to any dish. They’re also a great labour and timesaver—ready to use with no prep required.
- Level up your salads – toss Trumps Pepita Kernels through a warm salad of charred asparagus, peas, soft herbs, and lemon zest; or add some crunch with Trumps Flaked Almonds over butter lettuce, mint, dill, avocado, and a green goddess dressing.
- Make a zesty tropical slaw with Trumps Sunflower Kernels, shredded cabbage and carrot, mango, coriander, and chilli-lime dressing; or sprinkle some Dry Roasted Peanuts on a warm noodle salad with charred pineapple and sticky chicken.
Almonds Blanched Flaked
10 x 1kg
Featured Products
Spinach Chopped Portions
4 x 2.5kg
Almonds Blanched Flaked
10 x 1kg
Aromatic Roast 1/2 Duck (B-Less)
10.08kg
Desiccated Coconut
10 x 1kg
Aromatic Shredded Duck Meat
12kg
Cornflour
4 x 3kg
Fried 1/2 Duck (B-Less)
10.08kg
Cous Couse arge Pearl
10 x 1kg
Skin On Duck Breast (B-Less)
9.6kg
Cranberry Dried Sweetened
10 x 1kg
3 Way Mixed Veg
6 x 2kg
Curry Powder Mild
6 x 450g
Broccoli Florets
6 x 1.5kg
Garlic Powder
6 x 1kg
Carrot, Cauliflower & Broccoli
6 x 2kg
Garlic Powder
6 x 450g
Cauliflower Florets
6 x 2kg
Granola Cranberry & Apple
10 x 1kg
Corn Kernels
6 x 2kg
Italian Herb
6 x 500g
Findus Vegetable Medley
6 x 1kg
Marshmallows Mixed (Pink & White)
10 x 500g
Green Peas
6 x 2kg
Mixed Herbs
6 x 500g
Vegetable Melange
6 x 1.5kg
Moroccan Seasoning
6 x 750g
1/4 Pound Beef Burger
36 x 113g
Onion Powder
6 x 1kg
BBQ Pork Riblet
1 x 3.2kg
Onion Powder
6 x 400g
Chef's Choice Burger
2 x 2.4kg
Paprika Smokey
6 x 500g
Chef's Choice Burger
2 x 2kg
Paprika Sweet
6 x 580g
Flame Grilled Meatball
5 x 1kg
Peanuts Dry Roasted (Unsalted)
10 x 1kg
Italian Meatball
5 x 1kg
Pepita Kernels
10 x 1kg
Mini Falafel
6 x 1kg
Pepper Black
6 x 1kg
