Mince Mag: Food, Culture and Community

Independent publishing is thriving in Melbourne, and few examples capture that spirit quite like Mince Mag. Combining hospitality, food, design and culture, the publication has grown into a creative platform that extends far beyond the printed page. Recently, we partnered with the Mince team to produce a limited-run merchandise collection ahead of their Issue 02 launch celebration, documenting the journey from concept to finished product along the way. We sat down with co-editor Julia to chat about the magazine's origins, the collaboration, and what's next for the growing creative community behind Mince. 

Getting to Know Mince 

Hi Julia! For people who are new to Mince, how would you describe the magazine?  Heya! Mince is an independent, physical publication exploring food and consumption through art, photography and text. We're focused on food culture and contemporary consumption, with editorial-led issues published in small runs. It sits somewhere between food writing, cultural criticism, and visual essays. But mainly we want it to be fun. 

What inspired you to start Mince?  Quincy and I have worked at the intersection of food journalism, media and PR for almost ten years now, and we felt disenchanted by a click-driven media landscape. 

We felt the same stories and venues kept getting coverage, so we decided to create our own lane. No best-of lists. No PR fluff. We’re here to platform ideas that live in the margins. 

As creatives in and around the hospitality industry, food is our lens, but not a limitation. As the universal connector, it’s merely a gateway to bigger conversations. 

Mince has expanded beyond print into events, merchandise and long-form video content. Was that always part of the vision, or did it evolve organically?  We had such a great response to our initial call out for the print magazine, which was a sign that a lot of us are feeling really fatigued by being online and creating content for commercial gain or other clients, rather than for pure creativity. We have met so many incredible creatives that work across all kinds of industries (photo, video, design, events) who all wanted to be involved, so the expansion into a “Mince World” felt natural. It feels like we are unlocking more ways to tell stories about food, culture and how we live and consume day to day. 

What has been one of the most rewarding moments since launching Mince? 

Being able to help facilitate the work of emerging writers and creators has been a highlight. Because mainstream media outlets are so pressured by what will perform or make revenue, we see a lot of amazing stories that don’t see the light of day. As a young writer or artist, it’s important to be able to navigate the process of pitching, editing and seeing your work come to life. So, it’s been amazing to help people do that. And help give a platform to people who don’t consider themselves writers or artists – everyone eats food, and everyone has a perspective on food, and that’s a valid enough reason for us to have their submission! 

From seeing the magazine in people's hands to exhibiting at art book fairs and international projects, what's been a standout moment for you so far? 

We were accepted into the Melbourne Art Book Fair this year in Melbourne and that was incredible. We made these custom slogan stickers that went down a hit, as well as having a mini meat grinder holding our keychains, a free giant gumball machine (which we bring to all our events). Then more recently we travelled over to Mexico City for the Hardcore Art Book Fair, and we had a few people asking us about Vegemite. We had taken some of those mini packets from the airport lounge before we left, so we ended up doing ‘Vegemite bumps’ at our table so people were able to try it for the first time. Most of them liked it! 

Creating the Mince Merch Collection 

What made you decide that now was the right time to launch a merchandise collection and how did the creative concepts for the collection come together? 

With our Mexico City trip ahead and our second issue coming out, we wanted to be able to offer limited edition merchandise to our readers and community that reflected where Mince was at in 2026. We designed two t-shirts – one that would reflect our time in Mexico, and one that would draw inspiration from a throwback cultural moment a lot of us who grew up in Australia would know and love. We worked with the amazing and hilarious Haylee from Outta Luck Studios who took our ideas and brought them to life. 

The designs have a distinct personality and draw inspiration from vintage graphic tees and nostalgic fashion references. What was the creative thinking behind the collection? 

Graphic tees are back in at the moment! The first t-shirt reminds me of Napoleon Dynamite in a way. It’s an internet meme reference but also, out of context, translates to ‘mince and the cheese’ which is funny and food related. The second t-shirt is a nod to the old t-shirt designs at Supré. They would have wild slogans like ‘DIRTY DIRTY HOUSE MUSIC’ and all sorts of things that felt a bit inappropriate for tweens to be wearing. But it was a rite of passage, hanging out in a shopping centre and convincing your Mum to let you buy a t-shirt and a pink headband from Supré. 

Merchandise can often become an extension of a publication's identity. What did you want people to feel when they wear or use these pieces? 

I love a slogan tee because I think it gives people a glimpse into your personality and humour. I love the idea that someone would be like ‘hey nice shirt’ and then you’d have a conversation with them about whatever the shirt is about. We love to facilitate community around here! 

Partnering with The Print Bar 

What initially attracted you to working with The Print Bar? 

Both Haylee as a merch designer and I were familiar with The Print Bar and absolutely love how community-focused the brand is. We had seen lots of other local artists and makers use The Print Bar’s services for all sorts of fun things, and the team seemed like a bunch of sweeties from the social media (spoiler: they are!) 

What was it like seeing the designs come to life through printing and embroidery? 

Seeing the process in the factory was such an awesome experience. Watching the printing happen and the designs quite literally come to life gave us a lot of excitement and confidence in selling the pieces and telling everyone all about them as well. 

Were there any moments during the production process that surprised you? 

I can’t believe how quick it was! And it’s so great The Print Bar has such a speedy turnaround time, so now I want to make a funny slogan tee for every occasion. 

The Launch Party 

You're launching the collection alongside your Issue 02 celebrations. Can you tell us a little about the event? 

The event was at Crooked Drinks, which is an amazing wine shop and bar, and is super passionate about local makers and supporting the community. They have been selling our magazines there since day one and are a pickup spot for our online orders, so it only made sense to throw a party in there. They just opened up a courtyard at the back too, so it’s going to be a great spot for a drink this summer! 

You mentioned a community-focused launch party bringing together readers, contributors and supporters. What can people expect on the night? 

We’ll be serving up some onigiri from Tamago across the road (some of my favourite onigiri) as well as good old chocolate chip cookies from one of our contributors. We’ll have some wine pouring, and people will be seeing Issue 02 for the first time! 

Why are community events such an important part of what Mince does? 

Being a community project and working with so many creatives, it’s so important to be able to bring everyone together in real life to connect and network but also mainly just have fun. A lot of our contributors are freelancers so they might not have a social office environment they go to every day, so it’s awesome that people can meet, eat and have a dance. 

What are you most excited about people experiencing at the launch? 

Honestly, I am so keen for people to see the hats that The Print Bar have made for us! I think they’re so fun and are going to be a hit. ince

What's Next? 

Mince has already expanded well beyond a traditional magazine. What's next for the publication? 

We have a few more book fairs and events coming up this year – we'll be at the Other Goods Soupermarket 5 September, the Emerging Melbourne Writers Festival closing night Litfair on 18 September, and we also have some trips to Jakarta and Sydney on the horizon. 

Are there any upcoming projects, ideas or adventures people should keep an eye out for? 

If anyone is keen to get involved, our inbox is always open, but we will do an open call for submissions for Issue 03 towards the end of the year, so we can’t wait to hear from you! 

Finally, what does success look like for Mince over the next few years? 

We’d love to have a physical space where people can come in and read Mince as well as lots of other zines and publications we’ve collected over the years, and have a space to work in, shoot and host events. Maybe make it a coffee shop-turned-wine bar at the front as well. Watch this space! 

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You can find out more about Mince Mag here.