Romance on the Menu

New Australian romantic comedy, Romance on the Menu will make its debut in Australia and New Zealand on September 24 as a Netflix film.

"Romance on the Menu is a heart-swelling story to snuggle down with," says Australian director Rosie Lourde of her debut feature film.

Romance on the Menu follows New York restaurateur, Caroline Wilson (played by popular Canadian actress Cindy Busby) who inherits her aunt's cafe in Lemon Myrtle Cove, Australia. In her bid to renovate the business before selling, she begins to fall in love with the place, its people, and in particular, a charming local chef, Simon Cook (Wonderland's Tim Ross). Caroline is invigorated and inspired by her time in Australia and begins to re-evaluate her life. With her ex-fiancé begging for her to take him back, and pressing work commitments at her New York restaurant, Caroline is faced with a life-changing decision: should she give up her New York life and stay in Lemon Myrtle Cove, or return to the big city?

Shot in Brisbane, the film also stars Naomi Sequeira, Peter Bensley, Marita Wilcox, Barbara Bingham and Joey Vieira.

Fizzy, funny and heart-warming, Romance on the Menu is another bright, accessible flick from The Steve Jaggi Company, who have found great success with titles like Rip Tide and Back of the Net. "The Steve Jaggi Company strives to produce content that both entertains and inspires," say Producer Steve Jaggi.

"Both in Australia and internationally, the appetite for romance films is constantly increasing, yet this audience is relatively under catered for," adds Producer Spencer McLaren "Now more than ever, people are looking for heart-warming stories to counterbalance the unpredictable environment that we're living in, and Romance on the Menu delivers just that."

In a major coup for distributor Filmink Presents, Romance on the Menu has been licensed as a Netflix film, premiering in Australia and New Zealand on September 24.

In the space of just a year, Filmink Presents has released a richly diverse selection of quality local and international titles into the market, including Talking About Trees, The Swallows Of Kabul, The Legend of the Five and Use Me.

"We jumped on board Romance on the Menu at script stage, so we've backed this project right from the beginning," say Filmink Presents co-directors, Louise Balletti and Dov Kornits. "The reach and market presence of Netflix is obviously huge, and we're really happy for everyone involved with the film that it will get the chance to be seen by a big audience."

Romance on the Menu will stream on Netflix from September 24, 2020