HANK Marvin is coming back – and this time in a celebration of culture and burgers.
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The bangin’ St Kilda-based street food purveyor had a taste of Ballarat’s booming foodie culture and left hungry for more – wanting to be part of the foodie movement here and to help promote it.
So, Hank Marvin has confirmed a return early next month with the Big Burger Biannual.
The inaugural regional tour stop in Ballarat aims to build on the success of Hank’s Bakers’ Exchange which hosted more than 4000 people amid the city’s winter festival.
Hank Marvin founder and manager Paul Wesolek said their traders took a punt on travelling to a new crowd in Ballarat and were impressed with the fervour in which people here embraced the exchange. Traders sold out both days.
“We really connected with Ballarat in a quick two-day stop, drawing on Hank Marvin’s pool of quality traders,” Mr Wesolek said. “We really want to build on that success and affirmation that Ballaratians really love vibrant food.”
Mr Wesolek said Hank was going on tour because regional Victorians had been calling for them and because it was a great chance to show off the top Melbourne cuisine.
Hank’s long-term goal is to flip the Burger Biannual and welcome leading regional traders into the touring family.
In an initial early step, Hank Marvin will put out a social media call for people to nominate their local Ballarat burger hero to join the four-day event in Ballarat Botanical Gardens (South).
“The food bowl pathway shouldn’t always be about the big smoke coming to regional areas. There are amazing restaurants and food in regional areas,” Mr Wesolek said. “There shouldn’t be any assumption one is better than the other.”
Hank Marvin will balance specialist traders with those more left-of-field options.
Mr Wesolek has also challenged traders to bring out their culture in burgers, and Ballarat can expect influences of Jamaica, Vietnam, Mexico, Korean, Thai and American.
He said the first two Big Burger installments at Hank’s Alma Park base in St Kilda had people averaging two burgers each per visit, usually one traditional and one more left-field.
Ballarat will feature 19 vendors with the audacity and hope people would make return visits during the market’s stay.
The South Gardens location will have a dining area for 800 people in what Mr Wesolek said was a picturesque setting that still felt intimate. Hank aims for a giant picnic vibe. It is a dog-friendly event with dog free dining spaces.
Big Burger Biannual will be serving in Ballarat from October 5-8.
Follow the Ballarat event on Facebook here.
READ MORE: Bakers ready to serve.