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Celebrating 30 issues of
Menu Magazine
CONGRATULATIONS Menu Magazine on your 30th issue. You’ve survived a pandemic, food bloggers, the curious influencer phenomenon, the rise of the celebrity chef, reality TV cooking shows and the cut-throat publishing industry. A 30th anniversary is often known as the Pearl Anniversary and rather apt as Menu’s first editor Shenade Unicombe’s first editorial for the magazine was about oysters. Shenade first met Scott at a party and was challenged to write 1,000 words on a topic of her choice while drunk. Scott admits he never expected Shenade to complete the challenge but was so impressed with her effort that she got the call to be Menu Magazine’s first editor. The oyster piece titled ‘Acquiring a Taste for Taste’, became one of Menu’s most controversial stories, especially the part where Shenade writes, “I’d rather listen to my parents shag, than Delta Goodrem and I thought I was never going to put an oyster in my mouth, ever.” Fate lead Scott to the crazy idea of launching his own magazine after the popularity of an online food guide he started up with a colleague. Although it wasn’t that crazy an idea, considering food
30
runs in Scott’s family with his great-great-grandfather Paul Augustus Pierre the first person in Australia to commercially grow asparagus. His great-grandfather John Knox Arnold had cooked for the Prince of Wales, King Edward VIII and the Duke of Windsor. Later, his grandfather Geoffrey Arnold managed several hotels and Scott’s mum Lynne Gage was a sales rep for a number of food corporations. With an inherent passion for food and 30+ years of publishing experience, Scott shares: “I’m proud of the lasting relationships I have formed with so many people who were involved right from the beginning. Without all the writers, photographers, advertisers, designers, volunteers, clients and readers, we wouldn’t have a magazine.” Issue six also became a talking point when the then owner of Zafferano Restaurant Albasio La Pegna appeared on the cover clutching a handful of spaghetti. The adage of not playing with your food offended some of Menu’s more sensitive readers and entertained the rest. Known as Perth’s culinary maestro, Albasio also appeared on the cover of Issue 20 for Dolce Bellissimo and shares: “It is the first real food magazine that
