Destination Pentridge has strengthened its position as one of Melbourne’s most distinctive MICE destinations with the appointment of Michelin-trained Executive Chef Tom Hoy, bringing more than 20 years of international culinary expertise to the $1 billion lifestyle precinct.
Overseeing the end-to-end food and beverage experience across Pentridge’s B Division event spaces, Chef Hoy will play a pivotal role in delivering premium, scalable, and highly tailored dining across conferences, corporate events, weddings, and incentive programs.
Trained in some of London’s most acclaimed Michelin-starred kitchens – including Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Pied à Terre and L’Autre Pied – Hoy has built a career balancing refined technique with high-volume execution. His experience spans leading hospitality groups such as Caprice Holdings, before relocating to Melbourne where he helmed venues including East Elevation, Il Melograno and Lux Foundry.
At Destination Pentridge, Hoy’s remit spans a complex multi-venue environment anchored within the heritage bluestone walls of the former Pentridge Prison. His leadership will ensure consistency, creativity and operational excellence across a diverse event and hospitality ecosystem.
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This includes:
- Chapter Place, the precinct’s dedicated wedding, conference, and large-scale event venue.
- The Mess Hall, an 80-seat restaurant with additional 60-seat alfresco courtyard, reimagined as a flexible function and activation space.
- Olivine wine bar, offering elevated, share-style dining paired with a 500-label wine list for networking, VIP hosting, and private events.
- In-room dining across Adina Pentridge Melbourne (106 rooms) and The Interlude (19 room boutique offering), supporting residential conferences and multi-day delegate stays.
With capacity for more than 650 guests across the precinct, Pentridge’s B-Division offering is uniquely positioned to host concurrent events, large-format conferences, and bespoke private functions within one integrated destination.
Salted Egg, the celebrated South East Asian restaurant on Melbourne’s famous Flinders Lane, has arrived in the Top End – showcasing a produce-forward menu enhanced with native bush tucker twists when its new Darwin Waterfront venue opens this week.
From Melbourne to Darwin: Having cultivated a loyal following in Melbourne for its bold, vibrant flavours, Salted Egg Darwin will be helmed by Head Chef Mark Langat – working closely with the celebrated Salted Egg Melbourne team – and will lean into the wealth of fresh local produce, aromatic spices, and coastal ingredients at its doorstep.
The dish to watch? A dry laksa crowned with smoky, Skull Island grilled king prawns – a reinterpretation that’s ready to sit down at the table with Darwin’s most beloved staple – laksa – and hold its own.
“We’ve gone with a ‘dry’ laksa to capture the char grill flavour of the prawns – much like a classic Aussie BBQ,” says Sean Thomas, Executive Chef of Salted Egg Melbourne, who consulted on the Darwin menu. “The sauce is like a concentrated laksa soup – giving you the same flavours you would find in a bowl of laksa but highlighting the NT prawns.”
Having travelled extensively through South East Asia, and with previous experience at some of Melbourne’s iconic restaurants (Gingerboy and Movida), Chef Sean shared his tried and tested laksa tip: “The key to a good laksa is the umami smack from the dried shrimp, the richness from the coconut cream and fresh aromatic fragrance from the lemongrass – and personally, I love making a prawn head stock as the base.”
Chef Mark Langat is quick to agree, saying it’s a bowl that doesn’t just pay homage to his new home town; it dares to spark a new culinary conversation.
“Southeast Asian cuisine has deep roots in the Top End. We’re here to honour that and push it forward – with the boldness of Melbourne dining and the best ingredients the Territory has to offer, he said. “Laksa isn’t just a dish in Darwin, it’s part of the city’s cultural identity, which is why we’ve developed a Salted Egg version.”
Guest Contributor
2026-06-01 01:34:00