Julian Hills and Michael Ryan have spent years cooking at opposite ends of Victoria. On Sunday 8 November, they will finally share a kitchen.
Hills, the chef behind Yarraville’s Navi and Bar Gabi, is heading up the Hume to join Ryan at Provenance in Beechworth for Chefs’ Trove, a collaborative dinner built around late spring produce and a shared respect for each other’s cooking.
Around 30 guests will take a seat inside the former Bank of Australasia on Ford Street. Arrivals will be staggered across sittings, giving the chefs time to spend with each table as well as at the pass.
The menu follows Provenance’s format of five courses, each made up of several smaller dishes. Navi’s cooking will lead the evening, with Ryan contributing dishes alongside. Produce grown and raised around Beechworth will shape what lands on the table.
Some preparations will begin before Hills leaves Melbourne, travelling with him to be finished over the Provenance grill. His work at Navi draws heavily on preservation, fermentation and seasonal ingredients, giving the collaboration a starting point well before the drive north.
“I have never cooked with Michael, and I have wanted to for a long time,” says Hills.
There is plenty of experience coming together here. Hills opened Navi in Melbourne’s inner west and was named Chef of the Year by the Good Food Guide in 2023. Ryan opened Provenance in 2009, developing a style of Japanese influenced cooking grounded in the produce of the surrounding region.
For this dinner, the smaller dishes give both chefs room to contribute, with five courses offering considerably more than five things to try.
Beechworth producers will also lead the wine selection, with a set pairing available for those happy to hand over that decision.
Throughout the evening, Hills and Ryan will each bring at least one course to every table themselves. There are no speeches planned, leaving guests to ask questions and chat with the chefs as the food arrives.
Two chefs, one kitchen and a small room in Beechworth. A fairly persuasive reason to head up the Hume.
Chefs’ Trove
Sunday 8 November 2026
Provenance, 86 Ford Street, Beechworth
Five courses, $195 per person
With matched wines, $290 per person