Rundle Mall’s Urban Kitchen was a standout event in 2024, held from May 3 to May 12 as part of the Tasting Australia festival. The Adelaide Economic Development Agency (AEDA) collaborated with 20 local and regional brands to deliver 38 live cooking demonstrations and masterclasses under the Gawler Place Canopy.
The event, hosted by Sprout Cooking School and led by renowned chef Callum Hann, aimed to reposition Rundle Mall as not just a retail precinct but a lifestyle destination. It offered visitors a unique opportunity to watch professional chefs cook and taste South Australia's finest produce, with dishes featuring ingredients from local partners like Mollydooker Wines, 78 Degrees, and Big Shed Brewing.
The campaign sold 99% of available tickets (1,096 out of 1,110), leading to a 7% increase in consumer spending in Rundle Mall during the event. Foot traffic surged, particularly on the event’s opening day, which became the busiest in May 2024. With this substantial return on investment, Urban Kitchen proved to be both a commercial and experiential success, driving foot traffic, boosting sales, and building strong connections between brands and consumers.
The event's popularity was confirmed through post-event surveys, with 96% of attendees indicating they would participate again. Urban Kitchen demonstrated the potential for Rundle Mall to combine culinary excellence and entertainment, drawing both new and returning customers to the precinct.
Brand Partners in 2024 included:
Pendleton Olive Estate, Mollydooker Wines, Harvest the Fleurieu, Raidis Estate, The Honey Alchemists, 78 Degrees, Choice Mushrooms, Big Shed Brewing, Mitolo Family Farms and Red Hen Spirits.
In addition to the daily cooking demonstrations, AEDA ran five masterclasses from Urban Kitchen to further extend its brand partnerships and collaboration with Rundle Mall stakeholders, and support its food and wine re-positioning with consumers. These masterclasses then led on to a further three exclusive in-store experiences:
- Two exclusive dessert-making demonstrations with Remco Brigou, the head chocolatier and product innovator at Koko Black, who then hosted a meet and greet in their Rundle Mall/Adelaide Arcade store.
- How to select the right glassware to enhance your wine drinking experience with RIEDEL, paired with premium Penfolds Wines and Lindt chocolates with RIEDEL stockist and Rundle Mall retailer David Jones, and an additional masterclass held within David Jones for its David Jones Rewards customers.
- Malissa Fedele, a recent South Australian MasterChef contestant, hosting a Mother’s Day brunch demonstration, as well as hosting a cooking demonstration for Rundle Mall retailer MYER.
- A tasting journey of four Red Hen Spirits gins with the owner and distiller,
