Antipodean brother and sister duo Paul and Georgia Clarey are going to celebrate Australia Day with the pop and crackle of fireworks at the Rose and Crown, in Lawrence Street. But by the look of their gut-busting menu it may be the popping of buttons and snap of trouser elastic that deafens partygoers.

Crowds are expected to gather at the pub tomorrow to help celebrate the 215th anniversary of Captain Philip's arrival in New South Wales - or just to enjoy a few cold Aussie beers.

As for food, the Flower and Tiara is famed for its hefty foodstuffs but tomorrow the sibling team will unveil a one-off heavyweight menu to test the biggest gastronomes York can field.

Ladies and gentlemen, we give you the Aussie Grill - which costs £12.95 but means you probably won't need to eat for a week.

This artery-clogging feast includes a kangaroo rump steak, crocodile tail fillet, ostrich fillet, rib-eye steak, a lamb cutlet and all the trimmings including a baked potato with soured cream.

Other choices include outback bangers and mash, made with a selection of kangaroo, crocodile and ostrich sausages, pumpkin soup with bush damper (a traditional Australian bread made by colonial stockmen) and for the sportsman, footy pie, best eaten while watching Aussie rules football.

Finally, the Marmite versus Vegemite savoury spread debate is expected to erupt once again as guests set their sights on a cheese and Vegemite sandwich, apparently an "Aussie school kid's staple lunch."

All this can be washed down with a selection of Australian beers including Carlton Cold, Victoria Bitter, Tooheys and Carlton Crown, sold by the bottle.

Georgia, from Melbourne, Victoria, said the barbecue will be lit at 6pm and she hopes that, unlike two years ago, it doesn't snow.

She says: "There are quite a few Aussies in York and many of our regulars have promised to come down, so we are expecting a busy night!"

So say g'day to Paul and Georgia and head down to the Rose and Crown to help them celebrate Australia Day in true "down under" style.

u Meanwhile our friends at Harrogate's Daleside Brewery have provided a sneak preview of their latest "LagerAle" and an exclusive insight into how they are preparing the new product for mainstream success.

Brewery bosses have just begun supplying limited amounts of the unusual bottled Blonde LagerAle - which is based on their popular and easy-drinking cask Blonde, but brewed as a beer and conditioned like a lager in a process that Daleside claims is an industry first.

It has been carefully marketed in a sleek 500ml clear bottle with a neat metallic label that sales experts believe will encourage both men and women to pick it up off the shelves at shops and pubs.

So Bar Talk won't make any jokes about bottle blondes, Essex wives or fake tans...

Eric Lucas, of Daleside, said the unique brew was conceived two years ago, but a lengthy refining process has involved everyone at the Starbeck brewery. "We designed the bottles and labelling to appeal to women because more beer is bought by women than men, although they don't drink it all," he said.

He added that initial reports from employees and friends are largely positive, saying the drink is mellow with a lingering "hoppy taste" and with one drinker memorably labelling it as a "lager with attitude."

Here at Bar Talk we found the 4.3 per cent ABV pale ale to be very drinkable (of course) with a pleasant after-taste like a good quality lager or Pilsner.

But guest beer taster Jon Butler, who usually enjoys bitter or wine, said bottled Blonde lacked a bit of something "upstairs" (shucks, there's a gag) and did not have the substance of a proper ale.

Head brewer Craig Witty is continuing to tweak the recipe for taste and strength in anticipation of a third brew-run and hopes at the brewery are high that a supermarket chain may pick up the new product.

If you want to pick up a bottled Blonde off the shelf yourself and put it to the test, it's on sale in Beer Ritz, Goodramgate, York, Hunters of Helmsey, Wells Wine in Scarborough and Lewis and Cooper, Northallerton.

Updated: 09:14 Saturday, January 25, 2003