Jump in the Fire: Shannon Martinez

Overview

Mary's monthly hospo party is back for 2019. Jump in the Fire sees Australia's best chefs and sommeliers put their mark on the Mary's brand with one-off food and wine pairings. It all goes down on the last Monday of each month — coinciding with the start of the weekend for many industry workers, but open to one and all.

This year's event series kicks off on January 28, when renowned vegan chef Shannon Martinez of Melbourne's Smith & Daughters and Smith & Deli is in the house. She'll be slinging a range of vegan treats from the Mary's kitchen, including a meat-free version of the oh-so popular Mary's burger, vegan fried 'chicken', mash and plant-based gravy and rueben-loaded fries.

For drinks, Liz Carey from Wine & Food Solutions will be pouring rare minimal intervention drops from around the world. Some of these special bottles include a pét-nat from Germany, a small-batch red blend from Catalunya and a biodynamic white from Austria.

And, of course, there will be raucous tunes blasting, curated by local musicians and mates. To give you a sense of the vibe, the song 'Jump in the Fire' is a track off of Metallica's first album Kill 'Em All — a go-to at the venue.

The monthly event remains free of charge, but remember it's a small joint, so get in early to nab a table for your crew.