The Cave #5

Like almost every Australian in their twenties, The Cave has been thinking a lot about London this week.

Mockney accents at the ready for fresh perspectives on niche news, restaurant culture, and the morning economy.

Comms

A new, niche look at niche news

Did you know the media is changing? No, we haven’t just rolled over and given up writing something interesting and different, just give it a chance. 

First, let’s acknowledge the obvious. This is one of the most discussed trends in comms and media circles right now. To demonstrate, simply click here, or here, or maybe here, or here, or even here. Or just carry on reading.

Niche and new media - typically podcasts and newsletters - is often viewed as a way of reaching specific audiences, who are far more engaged in the subject matter and those commenting on it than they are in ‘old’ media. 

But it’s now also starting to fill gaps where traditional media has collapsed and disappeared - namely local news.

Last year, the London Evening Standard ceased daily publication. In its place have come a bunch of newsletters focused on detailed reporting and big stories, all delivered by experienced journalists. It’s a model that offers hope, but the relative lack of resources means scrutiny and accountability are even more limited than before.

The death of local news is neither a new nor isolated phenomenon. Last year, concerns were raised about the impact of newspaper closures in NSW and Queensland, and the trend is only likely to continue as economic reality bites.

It is outside major cities where this has the most impact. London, for example, benefits from a surfeit of content, a huge potential audience of paid subscribers, and a sizeable pool of journalists to power new publications. Smaller towns and cities aren’t so lucky.

But wherever this trend takes hold, it will present significant problems. Local news, by its very definition, isn’t niche. It is universal to that community, and as such should reflect it. When costs rise to around $16 a month (that’s more than The Guardian), many are removed from a vital part of the local ecosystem.

This isn’t to say new and niche media doesn’t have its place (after all, newsletters are obviously incredible). But nor is it the answer to the disappearance of local news. 

There’s no pithy wrap up to this one. It’s undoubtedly interesting, a bit grim, and as such, worth watching.

Culture

A share plate of cultural trends

“We’d recommend 3 of the entrees, 3 small plates, then 1 or 2 of the large, depending on how hungry you are.”

If you’ve been to a half-decent restaurant lately, you would have heard a version of this (right before the all-consuming panic of having to choose sets in). Share plates are everywhere, responding to a clear demand for what Good Food defined as how “[a] generation likes to eat: flexible, endlessly remixable and most of all, good with a drink”.

Food has always been a useful barometer of culture and economics, both defining and reflecting emerging trends. Share plates are a prime example of this, as is last year’s cost of living theme, with closures and pivots aplenty.

So what’s on the cards, and what does it mean? 

For that, it’s helpful to look overseas. London (told you it was a theme) has always been ahead of its antipodean peers on this front - Guinness, orange wine, share plates, and maybe even brunch (don’t come for us) were all big in the UK capital before cracking the Australian market. And now, it’s dive bars that are gaining a foothold.

Crucially, it’s affordability, affability, and a lack of pretension that’s underpinning these new openings. Their owners speak of them being “a great place to spend some time” and “a place where the whole room welcomes you.” This bumps up hard against the strict two hour sitting windows and influencer-laden dining rooms of some of Australia’s hottest venues.

It’s also both a swing back from the demand for special experiences that drove much of post-Covid hospitality, and a clear demonstration that the desire for offline community among younger consumers is becoming stronger and more urgent.

Plus, it means we can all avoid that awkward moment at the end of every dish where we pretend we don’t want the last bite. Just eat the ravioli.

P.S. Share plates obviously have their place, especially at the likes of Cafe Paci, Baba’s Place, Cho Cho San, Ante, Firepop and probably also some in Melbourne.

Curiosities 

Morning people

A little peek behind the curtain - much of The Cave is written first thing in the morning (before being edited after lots more coffee, thankfully).

It appears we’re not alone. 

Former chief executive of the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation, Ivan Power, this week got everyone (a nebulous but fascinating sliver of LinkedIn) talking about the ‘morning economy’. 

It’s pretty self-explanatory (and explored further by Smart Company), but tl:dr - running clubs, cafe opening hours, and business breakfast meetings are among the signs Sydney is finally embracing its inherent ‘morning person’ persona.

While the emphasis of policymakers has been on the nighttime economy (fairly, given the acres of lost ground caused by the pandemic and lockout laws), maybe it’s time to simply accept Sydney as that bubbly individual who takes immense pride in yapping before you’ve had a chance to yawn. 

It just…fits, somehow.