AUSTRALIA. SSP Australia has unveiled two restaurants at The Square food court, Melbourne Airport Terminal 1, in partnership with chefs well-known in Australia. The travel restaurateur has opened The Grace Wine Bar and Eatery and Mobo Moga with Ray Capaldi and Gary Mehigan, respectively.
For The Grace Wine Bar and Eatery, Capaldi – an influential figure in Melbourne’s dining scene and renowned for his expertise in modern Australian cuisine – has created a menu “that reflects his deep understanding of travellers’ desires”, according to SSP.
The company added that The Grace Wine Bar and Eatery – which it describes as its most upscale bar offer – showcases high-quality produce and seasonal dishes that are globally inspired, alongside an evolving Australian wines and spirits list.
Scotland-born Capaldi’s global resume includes the five-star Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland, the Park Lane Hotel Hong Kong, the British Embassy in Moscow, Hotel Martinez in Cannes and Sheraton Mirage in Port Douglas.
Capaldi said The Grace will offer passengers something different, while giving them the classics, and signature dishes presented with a unique twist. “Guests will find the menu familiar yet more memorable while a focus on quality and consistency will shine through. We’re thrilled to be working with SSP Australia to bring The Grace to life. SSP is leading a change of pace to dining options in airports. We’re creating something to be proud of and making memories for our guests together.”
Gary Mehigan’s Mobo Moga menu features what is described as “the greatest hits of Southeast Asian cuisine”. SSP noted that the menu showcases Mehigan’s innovation and celebration of diverse flavours.
Hailing from Hampshire in England, Mehigan – one of the original judges on Network 10’s MasterChef Australia – is well-known in Australia through his television appearances.
He moved to Melbourne in 1991 and has headed the kitchen in some of the city’s most prominent restaurants including Browns, Burnham Beeches Country House and Hotel Sofitel before opening the award-winning Fenix in 2000, which he later sold. He also formerly co-owned The Boathouse in the Melbourne suburb Moonee Ponds.
Mehigan said: “When great food and service is part of your DNA, creativity and innovation are contagious. The future looks bright for great travel and food experiences, so why shouldn’t these start before you fly? My partnership with SSP Australia brings a world of endless flavour to Australian airports creating unique spaces and experiences, so passengers can relax and enjoy their travel almost as much as their destination.”
Mehigan shared the backstory behind the Mobo Moga name: “The inspiration behind our name Mobo Moga goes back to an early-20th-century trend in Asia where people adopted Western culture with zeal. The terms ‘modern boy’ and ‘modern girl’ emerged from this cultural shift.
“We look to capture the essence of that era, reimagined with a twist celebrating the vibrancy of Asian cultures. Mobo Moga is about fun and flavour, occasionally traditional but most often not.”
SSP Australia General Manager Dominic Cain said: “Our collaboration with renowned culinary talents such as Gary Mehigan and Raymond Capaldi, along with coffee industry icons Rocky Veneziano and Craig Dickson from Veneziano Coffee Roasters, exemplifies our commitment to excellence. Their expertise brings an unparalleled level of gastronomic finesse to our offerings.
“These new ventures at Melbourne T1 are a testament to SSP Australia’s ambition to set new standards in the travel food sector. We are not just raising the bar; we’re creating a whole new benchmark for quality and innovation in airport dining. The partnerships with celebrity chefs and industry legends are part of our broader strategy to revolutionise the way people experience food at airports. With these new openings, we are blending culinary art with the hustle and bustle of travel, offering passengers a taste of the extraordinary.”
He added: “This is an exhilarating time for SSP Australia. The new sites at Melbourne T1 are just the beginning and we’re looking forward to bringing more innovative and exciting brands to the market in the coming months.”
Melbourne Airport Head of Retail and Asset Management Aaron Gupta said: “Affectionately known as The Square, the food & beverage precinct is the first stage of the Melbourne Airport’s Terminal 1 retail refurbishment. With the opening of these amazing venues, The Square will be complete in time for Christmas. Travellers will be able to taste the best of Victoria with excellent products in both new and traditional creations.” 
