Issue Sixteen PUBS Tom McHugo’s,
The Royal Richmond,
AVC and more

Contents

Editor’s Letter

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Editor’s
Letter

 
 
 


 
 
 

Producing this entire issue from my living room was definitely not what I had in mind when planning our special PUB issue, but here we are!
 
The Aussie pub is a national pastime, a rite of passage, a place where the community congregates to share good food, good booze and good times. As the country slowly emerges from multiple lockdowns, it is set to be a red hot season of celebration and the local pub is primed to once again be the central meeting place for almost any occasion.
 
Pat Nourse takes it to Tassie to profile Tom Westcott from Tom McHugo’s in Hobart. This little corner pub punches well above its weight in all classes – the food, the booze and the people. It’s definitely one of my favourite pubs and I can’t wait to jump on a plane and visit Whitney, Tom and the team as soon as possible. In the meantime, sit back, relax and let Pat’s words wash over you as you imagine tucking into the haggis bao or hot house-made pastrami roll.
 
Fortunately we had the foresight to shoot an extra episode of What’s Good in the Hood way back in June before lockdown hit. This time it’s Newcastle that gets a dose of Myffy magic. Newcastle is booming and the food scene is an ‘edible adventure’ that you should be adding to your list. We’ve done the hard work for you – follow our lead and enjoy the ride.
 
Mark Best profiles the historic Royal Richmond in Sydney’s west – a hotel serving the local community for 173 years. After a complete refurbishment, the venue continues its local focus with a menu that showcases local produce including a unique relationship with Western Sydney University to provide beef and lamb produced on its Hawkesbury campus.
 
Our Young Gun is Michael Watson who has taken on his first bricks and mortar venue. If you have visited the Entertainment Quarter at Moore Park for a sporting match, concert or festival – it’s more than likely you’ve had a pre or post drink at the corner pub. Previously PJ O’Gallagher’s and before that The Fox and Lion, the old haunt was in need of some young blood. The sparkling new venue Watson’s is ready to roll when restrictions lift – the EQ has been waiting on a winner and Watson’s has arrived.
 
It’s Veal’s turn on the chopping block for Cut Two Ways and it is in the capable hands of two chefs at the helm of some of Sydney’s most well loved pubs. From a tricked up schnitzel to a glorious veal-chetta it’s the veal-deal by all accounts.
 
Finally, I am excited to introduce our new section BIG BUSINESS. Ever wondered how 5000+ hungry miners are fed at an isolated mine site in the Pilbara? Or what goes into catering some of the biggest events in the country? Big Business will tell the stories you don’t often get to hear. First up for our PUB issue we chat with Australian Venue Co – operating 170 venues Australia wide and using 40 tonnes of beef a month.
 
Here’s to pubs across the country – may your beers be frosty, your patrons thirsty and your menu enriched by Australian red meat.
 
 

Mary-Jane Morse
 
Meat & Livestock Australia
[email protected]
@_raremedium

 

Copyright: this publication is published by Meat & Livestock Australia Limited ABN 39 081 678 364 (MLA).

 
 
 
 

People Places Plates

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Words: Pat Nourse. Photography: Luke Burgess

 
 

At Tom McHugo’s, Tom Westcott and Whitney Ball are making the case that pub food can be bigger and bolder than you might think, without losing touch with the people.

 
 
Tom McHugo’s straddles the corner of Macquarie and Argyle streets in central Hobart, a solid two-storey brick building just a couple of blocks up from the docks. Its original name is still etched across the façade in capital letters a foot high: HOBART HOTEL. There’s not much that screams “fancied-up pub” when you push through the doors: carpet on the floors, stools at the bar, scars on the timber of the tabletops. But look a little closer.
 
There are no pokies here, and no TVs either. Hell, even the eight-ball table has gone, a quiet casualty of the pandemic. What on earth do people do here? Well, for one thing they like to come in, hang out and talk.

Tom Westcott outside Tom McHugo’s in Hobart.

Tom Westcott outside Tom McHugo’s in Hobart.

If you’re from Hobart, chances are pretty good that you’ll run into someone you know on any given evening. The booze is also undeniably outstanding. Check out the taps: it’s not just that you’ll find beers from local heroes like Two Metre Tall here – they’ve got hand pumps for them as well. There’s a banger wine list, too. The place has vibe. And, thanks to Tom Westcott and Whitney Ball, it has one of the most interesting pub menus in Australia.
 
Westcott braises arrow squid with merguez sausage and serves it with bomba rice, purplette onions and turnips. He presses mutton shanks and serves them with cavolo nero, rice polenta and lamb sauce. He takes blue mackerel, grills it whole and pairs it with pickled onion, mustard cream and toast.
 
Shoulders of lamb from Littlewood Farm in the Coal Valley are salted down, smoked cold and then air-cured, before being braised with bay and celery and plated up with endives and figs. Beetroots are dressed with a spicy green zhoug, grilled gem lettuces with a miso made with tomato and bread, while golden chicken “spare parts” from Rosella Roost get teamed with something Westcott likes to call crack sauce.

Whitney Ball pours a beer from the Two Metre Tall hand pump.

Whitney Ball pours a beer from the Two Metre Tall hand pump.

Better still, it’s not a two-menu situation with good food for the dining room and scraps for the punters cropping up the front bar. The same great produce goes into all the pub standards.
 
Want a snack after you’ve been bending the arm all afternoon? How about a roll stuffed with hot house-made pastrami and pepper gravy, on some nice fat chips? Or braised short-rib on a steamed bun with plum sauce? You want a steak? How about a hanger from an English Longhorn, with Cafe de Paris butter and savoy cabbage or aged rump cap, grilled and served with charred eggplant, radicchio and olive and red wine vinaigrette? You want a pie? How about a minced lamb and black pepper number riding a wave of mushy peas? And hey, even the Worcestershire sauce is made in-house. Not for nothing is Westcott’s Insta-handle @dementedfermenter.
 
Before he was into the ferments, demented or otherwise, Tom Westcott was a guy who grew up on farming and forestry country on the Tasman Peninsula about 90 minutes southeast of Hobart. For half of that time the family was on a sheep farm, which meant they ate a steady diet of mutton. Westcott reckons it wasn’t until he got into restaurants as a glassie and kitchen hand when he moved to Hobart to study media, that he first ate lamb.

Hot house-made pastrami roll with pepper gravy.

Hot house-made pastrami roll with pepper gravy.

Westcott’s mum was a community nurse who fed the family from books by the Nursing Mothers’ Association and the CWA. “It was all pretty simple,” Westcott says. “We always had chickens, so we had a lot of egg and bacon pie, and maybe vegetables from the garden with a roast once or twice a fortnight.” His least favourite of the dishes on high rotation with Mum was a version of chow mein. “Frozen peas and corn and mince and rice, all cooked in one not-hot-enough pot. No.”
 
So how did we get from there to here? From tepid chow mein to hand-pumped craft beers and rillettes with Tropea onions and house-made pickles? Where exactly did Westcott get led astray? He’d been kicking around in kitchens in Hobart for a few years, but as it turned out, one venue made all the difference.
 
Taking a punt and sticking his head through the door at a new place opening up on Murray Street in 2010 was a turning point. Garagistes was opened by Luke Burgess, a Tetsuya’s-trained chef with experience at Noma, and his partners, Katrina Birchmeier and Kirk Richardson, and drew national attention in a way that was unprecedented for a restaurant in Tasmania. Not that this was apparent to Westcott, who was still rocking a rat’s tail at the time and had never filleted a fish.
 
 
 

“It was still just a building site when I went in,” he says. “They hadn’t opened yet, and I’d been pushed to go by a friend of Kirk’s.” Despite the rat’s tail, Burgess saw something in Westcott, and he ended up staying for two years: “it was pretty formative for me.”

 
 

Working with Luke Burgess at Garagistes encouraged Tom to think bigger.

Working with Luke Burgess at Garagistes encouraged Tom to think bigger.

It was at Garagistes, he says, that he realised that cooking could take you places, and that you could think bigger. The kind of passion Burgess put into the work, Westcott says, was something new to him, something he’d never seen in or out of the kitchen.
 
“I’d never seen anyone talk to a room full of people about an idea and be able to take them all with him – all of a sudden you’d be in service and the food you’d been talking about was hitting a table in front of you. I really didn’t understand where I was, or what I’d gotten into. It was kind of baffling, but I went along for the ride.”
 
It was a steep learning curve. “Luke actually summed it up for me when he said I needed to learn to slow down.” For the years he’d been cooking prior to Garagistes, Westcott says he’d been focussed on doing volume, “but I’d end up in the shit because I didn’t have the skills to manage time”. He understood the cookery part of cooking and the science of what was happening at the stoves, but the management side of things, and bringing it all together on detailed plates in a serious service wasn’t in the skillset.

 
 

“I really had to grow up a little bit. I’d just treated it as a laugh before that rather than a profession.”

 
 
 
“Garagistes opened it up as a career path for me, and made it apparent it wasn’t just about slapping food on a plate and flirting with waitresses.. and being a ratbag. It was actually about having some credibility, learning about food and being a part of what now in Tassie is a movement.”
 
The menu at Tom McHugo’s is littered with the names of the seven different vegetable growers that Tom Westcott works with, Provenance, Fat Carrot Farm, Tony Scherer and Sulyn’s Garden among them. It’s the same with the meat. Littlewood, the lamb producer in Coal Valley, has been there since day one. “We’ve always used Sophie Nichols’ lamb. I can get it every week, I know where it comes from, I know who she is and what she believes in and how she farms. And it’s not static.”

Tom has used Littlewood Lamb in the Tom McHugo’s kitchen from day one.

Tom has used Littlewood Lamb in the Tom McHugo’s kitchen from day one.

Westcott says he enjoys the changes in size and flavour of the meat he buys in. “Sophie’s not selling stock to a market where it has to be exactly 22 kilos dressed-weight every week.” You get through winter and the lambs start to get fatter and have more interesting flavours, he says, or the fat-content changes, and the kitchen changes tack with it.
 
 
 

“Rather than it just being chops and roasts, we’ll still do a roast but it’ll be muscle-seaming a leg and offering different cuts from the leg as we go. We’re keeping our butchering skills sharp and other guys in the kitchen get to see a whole animal and learn how to butcher it, and people coming for a meal get to taste something different.”

 
 
 
A relationship with the Huon Valley Meat Company, and with Vincent Macdonald, one of the company’s sales and product development people who cooked at The Agrarian Kitchen and worked at Brae for a while, has proven significant. “Vinnie understands the challenges of getting a consistent supply of good-quality meat at a restaurant,” says Westcott. And he’s a very effective salesman. “He can call me and say, ‘I’m five minutes away, I’ve got 15 kilos of beef liver and 10 kilos of oxtail, I thought you could probably use it,’ and I’ll just say, yep, great.”

Tom takes whole animals and teaches his team how to butcher them.

Tom takes whole animals and teaches his team how to butcher them.

A surprise delivery of 25 kilos of beef offal isn’t every chef’s idea of fun. Especially when you’re gearing up for the 250-plus covers that Tom McHugo’s does on a good night. But it’s curve-balls like these – a box of crepinette or hearts or tongues showing up at the kitchen door – that Westcott says makes the job worthwhile for him. No guts no glory, if you will.
 
Offal isn’t something Westcott grew up with – it was something his Mum and Dad had only had bad experiences with in their own childhoods – but he has certainly made up for lost time at Tom McHugo’s.
 
 
 

“We’ve had it on the menu from day one, and people were onto it from day one,” he says. “It wasn’t like we had to educate anyone. They were just there for it.”

 
 
 
And Westcott is there for them. He puts beef heart into Colombian-style blood sausages, sauces lamb faggots with leek gravy, and complements the fat of lamb ribs with lemon, pepper and house-made fish sauce – an old favourite from the Garagistes days. Beef tripe gets braised with spring garlic and last year’s tomatoes and finished with hard cheese from the larder, while beef tongue is grilled and partnered with oca yams and bitter leaves, and shin and tail make their way into dumplings with daikon in broth.

Grilled beef tongue with radish and gastrique.

Grilled beef tongue with radish and gastrique.

Then there’s the haggis bao.
 
It started with a call from Macdonald when he was first at Huon Valley Meat, going over the full list of things he could source. “He said to me, ‘can you use whole plucks from sheep?’” (Plucks being all the organs from the chest cavity – the lungs, heart and the liver.) Westcott says he wasn’t really thinking ‘novel and interesting’ so much as ‘how can I preserve all this offal?’
 
He played around with a few dough formulations and different ways of cooking before settling on the bao that graces the menu today. A yeasted dough is proved overnight, rolled into discs, wrapped around the filling, and proved again and then deep fried. The exact make-up of the filling varies from week to week, but it revolves around a mix of beef and lamb trim, kidney and liver, and lungs if they’re available. A bit of onion and freshly ground barley in place of the pinhead oatmeal that’s traditional in a haggis. Mace, ginger, black pepper, fennel seed and just a little dried and smoked chilli, and a Sichuan-inspired chilli oil with loads of garlic, Sichuan pepper, coriander and last summer’s dried chillies. “It’s been a fixture for a year now,” Westcott says, “and what arose out of someone saying, ‘can you use this?’ is now a necessity.”

The Tom McHugo’s haggis bao.

The Tom McHugo’s haggis bao.

Consider the beauty of the haggis bao – a crunchy shell covered in beautiful, crisp little bubbles, giving way to the doughnut-like softness of the interior. “The filling is soft and luscious, and moderately spiced. Nothing about it says offal,” Wescott says. “You could just give it to someone and say, take this fried meat thing, and they would devour it happily.”
 
 
 

If Tom Westcott has a message for people cooking and eating in pubs in Australia today, it’s this – pub food is the hawker food of Australia. “It provides the locale for the working class and white-collar to be on an even footing, tradies and lawyers and nurses and teachers.”

 
 
 
Everyone comes through the doors at McHugo’s, and they all end up sitting next to each other, eating the same thing, drinking the same stuff. “And that’s the most important thing to me, making a space that’s accessible to everybody,” Westcott says. “You don’t have to be limited by the pub format. You don’t have to push the boundaries, but you can always be passionate about the food you’re producing.”

Pub grub - crepinette of goat shoulder, liver and heart with rice polenta and spigarello.

Pub grub – crepinette of goat shoulder, liver and heart with rice polenta and spigarello.

 

Spotlight On

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THE ROYAL RICHMOND HOTEL

 

Words: Mark Best. Photography: Supplied

 
 

The charm and value of a well-run pub is hard to beat. Its history often long outlives the patrons who have passed through its doors and its connection to the community is a bond that is hard to break. The Royal Hotel in Richmond is one such pub where community is at the heart of all they do – and the connection goes well beyond the exchange of beer over a bar.

 
 
Founded in 1848, in one of Governor Macquarie’s five original Hawkesbury towns, the Royal Richmond is one of the oldest pubs in New South Wales. Located 65km west of Sydney at the foot of the Blue Mountains, it has seen many transformations over the years and now, after a major renovation, is ready to serve the community again with a renewed vision focused on producers in the Hawkesbury area.

173 years at the foot of the Blue Mountains - the Royal Richmond’s latest look.

173 years at the foot of the Blue Mountains – the Royal Richmond’s latest look.

Chef and restauranteur Todd Garratt has headed up some of Sydney’s more memorable establishments like Woollahra’s Buzo, The Wine Library and Balcón by Tapavino. Previously engaged as a consultant to the Royal Richmond, Garratt made the move to Richmond in September 2020 to take on the role of executive chef and general manager.
 
After so many years at the stove, Garratt was ready for a change of pace and the challenges of running a tiered venue like the Royal Richmond. Here he saw an opportunity to use his decades of experience to elevate the food offering and finally have the economies of scale to explore his passion for nose to tail.
 
Conscious of the Royal’s broad and loyal customer base – Garratt recognised that the age-old pub traditions of good food and cold beer were the engine room of the Royal’s trade. However, with access to abundant produce from the region, he also saw an opportunity to break away from the standard bar offering.

A right royal team - designer Victoria Hampshire, owner Peter Wynne and executive chef Todd Garratt.

A right royal team – designer Victoria Hampshire, owner Peter Wynne and executive chef Todd Garratt.

“The farm to table concept is a huge part of the story we are trying to tell and allows us to contribute in some small way to the environment and the community. Being able to offer the blokes at the bar better food at an affordable price is incredibly important to me.”
 
 
 

“It is about introducing items to the menu that reflect what is coming out of the ground or from the river at that moment and making a feature of the product whilst it is available. We are very fortunate to be in an area that offers such a broad range of products,” Garratt said.

 
 
 
At the core of Garratt’s farm to table approach is his relationship with Western Sydney University – sourcing beef and lamb for the pub via the farm management program at its Hawkesbury Campus.
 
“We are very fortunate to have forged a strong relationship with Joe Kavacic who oversees the farm management program at Hawkesbury campus. We are able to feature local Western Sydney University beef and lamb that has been raised within a kilometre or two of the pub, processed at Wilberforce and delivered to our kitchen within a day or two.”

Farm Management students with a Limousin steer at Western Sydney University Hawkesbury Campus.

Farm Management students with a Limousin steer at Western Sydney University Hawkesbury Campus.

The Western Sydney University farm management program is driving the transformation of agricultural research and teaching to increase the production efficiencies of local farmers and agriculture in general. Through improved pasture management and herd genetics, WSU are implementing changes that address carbon capture, water use efficiency and the ability to withstand the rapid change of weather events.
 
Kovacek takes a holistic approach to livestock farming, managing the approximately 700-hectare university farming property to ensure the best foundation for future generations. The Richmond farm runs a mixed herd of 250 cattle including commercial crossbreds, a small Angus and Limousin stud and a new line of Japanese Akaushi (red wagyu).
 
 
 

“Joe has a strong focus on maintaining the quality of his soil and pastures to give the livestock every opportunity to prosper. We essentially benefit from the on-ground research of the WSU curriculum and it is a unique connection that benefits everyone involved from the students through to the customer,” Garratt said.
Western Sydney University beef in the Royal’s purpose-built dry age cabinet.

Western Sydney University beef in the Royal’s purpose-built dry age cabinet.

With the help of butcher Darren O’Rourke, Garratt established an in-house butchery and dry ageing program to take full advantage of the abundance of quality beef in the local area. The Royal has made it a point from day one to feature the purpose-built dry ageing section within the bistro dining room for guests to see and select cuts based on provenance.
 
 
 

“When we have a whole animal processed from WSU we receive the primal cuts for dry ageing and the remaining secondary cuts are incorporated into the menu by way of daily additions and specials. Every effort is made to repurpose any waste for use in other preparations including sausages, terrines, pates and cured products.”

 
 
 
“Being a pub means that the quality of our steak offering needs to be uncompromising. We go to great lengths to maintain the consistency of the core product and a quality dry ageing program is essential for us to achieve that,” Garratt said.

A Royal feast - celebrating local produce and nose-to-tail wherever possible.

A Royal feast – celebrating local produce and nose-to-tail wherever possible.

One of the biggest challenges for Garratt has been recruiting and nurturing his young workforce and providing opportunities for local chefs. He believes it is his responsibility to pass down knowledge to the young chefs in charge and sees the dry ageing and butchery programs as key to keeping the craft alive and upskilling his team for a better future.
 
“We are striving to be the employer of choice for chefs in the area. I believe that the lengths we are going to source quality produce and provide in-house skills like butchery and dry ageing will be the difference in attracting aspiring local chefs. We hire on attitude and train them for the future with crafts and skills that will serve them well.”
 
 
 

“Butchery is not about opening boxes. Teaching them these skills gives them respect for the animal and for themselves,” Garratt said.
The Royal’s in-house butchery program teaches chefs respect for the animal.

The Royal’s in-house butchery program teaches chefs respect for the animal.

To celebrate the unique work of the WSU livestock program and the relationship between the two – the Royal Richmond hosts dinners that connect the community through paddock to plate and celebrate the animal from nose to tail.
 
“The first dinner featured an 18-month Black Angus and most recently a lamb dinner that utilised two Black Faced Suffolk lambs that were awarded first and second place at the Hawkesbury Show. On both occasions we have incorporated as many parts of the animal as possible into the menu,” Garratt said.
 
The Royal Richmond has always held the local community at its heart from the third generation market gardeners and turf farmers to the horse trainers and local heroes of the SES, CWA and RFS. It is a two way street where locals support locals and in doing so forge lasting bonds and a sense of belonging.
 
“We have a diverse demographic of locals and it is refreshing to find such salt of the earth people at the gateway to the city. The venue speaks in turn to all our varied customers and we do our best to offer support and assistance wherever possible by working closely with our local network of producers and growers and supporting local community and sporting groups,” Garratt said.

The Royal Richmond - locally focused from paddock to plate.

The Royal Richmond – locally focused from paddock to plate.

As the venue pushes on with stage two renovations, the Royal Richmond continues to put community first with a locally focused supply chain, local produce events and community support. In its simplest sense, it offers a place for the wider community to gather and enjoy. The local community, tight knit and genuine, is made up of all walks of life, the majority of whom have spent their life in Richmond or the Hawkesbury region.
 
 
 

“We pay homage to the pub’s history and are not trying to redefine what it represents to the community. Our genuine and locally focused business model gives the locals a sense of belonging to the growth and future plans for the pub as a space that can cater to all sections of the community in a more refined atmosphere,” Garratt said.

 
 

What’s Good in the Hood

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NEWCASTLE

 

Words: Myffy Rigby. Photography: Jason Loucas

 
 

Freedom of experimentation is the order of the day. Whether it’s young blood escaping the clutches and purse strings of Sydney, or establishment breaking away from fine dining, there’s a certain vibration in Newcastle that’s hard to ignore.

 
No longer just ‘that place Silverchair comes from’ (though it is also that), Newie is developing a freestyle all of its own. New bars, rewazzed pubs, tacos, burgers, cold beers and natural wines borne of a population explosion over the past few years mean there’s no shortage of edible adventures, and Steel City is dishing it up.
 
Here’s What’s Good in the Newcastle Hood.

Admiring the magical Merewether Beach.

Admiring the magical Merewether Beach.

RASCAL

 
Taking cues from Sydney’s reigning kings of burgers and vibe, Mary’s, and America’s fast casual phenomenon Shake Shack, Rascal is the brainchild of chefs Tim Montgomery and Tom Robinson who decided to put down the tweezers and pick up the spatulas. The pair, who both cooked at the now-closed Bacchus, deliver the sort of burgers that require two steady hands and a lot of commitment to finish. Go large with double patties (their mix is brisket, chuck and Jack’s Creek wagyu trim), double cheese and all the trimmings. You can even add beetroot, if you swing that way.

Rascal has all your burger needs covered.

Rascal has all your burger needs covered.


 
 
 
The Rascal Burger - enough said.

The Rascal Burger – enough said.

CHIEFLY EAST

 
Sure, any sandwich monger worth their salt, vinegar and sugar makes their pickles in-house. But how many also house-cure their own pastrami and bake their own rye for their reubens? Not many, if any. Certainly not in Newy, anyway. This rare-breed sando-shack, owned and run by Ali and Gem Downer, does it all, in sweet raw brick surrounds. They’re big on an American deli sandwich here, whether it’s that reuben, stacked high and finished with a pickled jalapeno, or the Big Beefy on Brooklyn Bridge – rare roast beef slices, sauerkraut, pickles, blue cheese and American mustard. Hot damn.

House made pastrami, house made pickles, house made rye. Good times.

House made pastrami, house made pickles, house made rye. Good times.


 
 
 
The Big Beefy on Brooklyn Bridge. Banging.

The Big Beefy on Brooklyn Bridge. Banging.

MEET

 
Want big, brassy South American barbecue energy with a minimum of three types of barbecuing styles? Meet have you covered, from rotisserie and parija to a hefty smokebox where the likes of rich coffee and chilli marinated beef short rib are cooked low and slow till they’re fall-off-the-bone tender, served with creamy cassava puree. The open kitchen rocks all the Brazilian barbecue classics (hello, meat party) as well as churros with dulce de leche for dessert. Wander out the back of this brassy churrascaria and discover a massive bar replete with regular live music and free-flowing cachaca cocktails.

Rotisserie, parija or smoke box? Meet has you covered.

Rotisserie, parija or smoke box? Meet has you covered.


 
 
 
Coffee and chilli short rib. Absolute cracker.

Coffee and chilli short rib. Absolute cracker.

THE EDWARDS

 
This might be about the time you’ll be asking yourself “so just how long does it take to meet a member of 1994 teen breakout sensation, Silverchair if I’m hanging out in downtown Newcastle?” Longer than you might think. There is, however, a silver lining if Chris Johanu is the member you’re hoping to spot – in the form of dining in his cafe. Extra fun fact: the Edwards was once a laundromat owned by his family and much of the design is upcycled washing equipment. While there are no guarantees of a Johanu-sighting, there are guarantees of deliciousness in the form of pho gau for breakfast: grass-fed Gippsland brisket, a rich, anis-heavy broth, plenty of herbs and a tangle of rice noodles. Great coffee, too.

The Edwards - excellent for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

The Edwards – excellent for breakfast, lunch or dinner.


 
 
 
Breakfast brisket pho. More of this please.

Breakfast brisket pho. More of this please.

MEREWETHER SURF HOUSE

 
Call it Newcastle’s answer to Icebergs, only with more dolphins and less Sneaky Sound System. Comprising several levels – cafe, takeaway and functions with finer dining Italian on the top level – there’s something pretty magical about sitting above Merewether beach drinking a spritz and eating a bowl of pappardelle enriched with slow cooked lamb. Down below, local surfies glide through green glass tubes, competing with bottlenose dolphins for the best waves, and groups of ocean swimmers jump off the rocks. Peak Australia.

Beautifully bathed in blue.

Beautifully bathed in blue.


 
 
 
Ragu with a view.

Ragu with a view.

FLOTILLA

 
It’s fine dining, coastal style. That means breezy service headed up by restaurateur Eduardo Molina, gentle decor down to the blush-pink walls, buttery caramel leather banquettes and hand-thrown ceramics and a menu by chef Shayne Mansfield (ex-restaurant Botanica) that moves in the soft zone between bistro, bodega and izakaya. Check that wagyu tri-tip marinated in rock sugar and fish sauce, cooked over flames in the open kitchen and served with a kind of Japanese hollandaise, and thumb-sized beef fat dumplings. The cocktail and wine game is particularly strong here, so if you didn’t come in relaxed, you’ll certainly leave that way.

Fired by flames.

Fired by flames.


 
 
 
Wagyu tri-tip with beef fat dumplings. Yes, you read that right.

Wagyu tri-tip with beef fat dumplings. Yes, you read that right.

ANTOJITOS

 
What do you get when you mix a Californian women’s volleyball coach, an Aussie women’s basketball coach, brisket tacos, Mexican sodas and an old warehouse on Steel Street? You get this popular taqueria run by husband and wife team Eric and Kristy Flores, serving up Baja style cantina food. Inspired by the Californian-Mexican street scene, it’s all about colourful lo-fi surrounds and hi fi flavour here. Tortillas are made on-site, tacos and burritos are the order of the day and they move upwards of 75,000 of both each year. Bare feet and lowriders welcome.

Colour-me happy.

Colour-me happy.

Let’s taco-bout tacos.

Let’s taco-bout tacos.

TALULAH

 
What do you want when you don’t know what you want? You want a lamb souvlaki with a festival of ferments. This nourish bar brings the noise on the small-batch front, from the coffee (the beans are from one-time garage roastery, Ona) to the pickles (all the colours of the house-made rainbow). If it’s bright, nutritious, crunchy and delicious, you’ll find it here at a mismatched table setting, against walls hung with local artists. And that souvlaki? That’s a bed of charred flatbread, holding broccoli tabouli, hummus, turmeric pickles and a garden bed’s worth of herbs. Health on a plate.

Things are just cooler at Talulah.

Things are just cooler at Talulah.


 
 
 
Lamb souvlaki dressed to impress. Hashtag health.

Lamb souvlaki dressed to impress. Hashtag health.

LOST BOYS KEBAB

 
A pop up out the back of infamous gig venue the Cambridge Hotel (they’ve played host to the likes of Eagles of Death Metal, You Am I, Client Liaison, The Misfits and the Buzzcocks), if this kebab stand could talk, it’d have a few stories to tell. Today, though, the main story is their harissa lamb kebab with eggplant relish, red cabbage, mint, pickles, garlic yoghurt and za’atar. Run by ex-Bodega chef Joel Humphreys (he also oversees other Newcastle venues Scotties and Little Shack), it’s probably the hardest rocking kebab in Australia. Especially if it’s chased with a deep-fried banana dripping in caramel sauce.

Do you even souvlaki bro?

Do you even souvlaki bro?


 
 
 
That’s a wrap on Newcastle folks.

That’s a wrap on Newcastle folks.

Cut Two Ways

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VEAL TWO WAYS

 

Words: Mary-Jane Morse. Photography: Jason Loucas

 
 

In Australia, veal is classified as a bovine with no evidence of adult front teeth. Cattle generally start to grow their adult teeth from about 12 months – so veal is usually from cattle up to 12 months of age.

The veal carcase weight starts at 70kg and must not exceed 150kg. Because it is derived from young cattle, veal is very lean and tender with less fat cover and connective tissue than beef.
 
Veal has a sweet and delicate flavour and is a versatile protein in the kitchen. Here, two chefs take on the Veal Two Ways challenge – the classic veal schnitzel gets a glow up and an epic veal-chetta ups the roast game.
 
Keeping with our pub theme – our chefs hail from two Sydney stalwarts – Totti’s at The Royal Hotel in Bondi and the newly refurbished Norfolk House & Hotel in Redfern.

CHEF ONE

Mike Eggert

Totti’s at The Royal

 

Veal Katsu with shiso and blood orange

Mike is no stranger to an excellent veal schnitzel. The Totti’s executive chef says it is one of their most popular menu items – which is a big deal if you’ve ever eaten at Totti’s.
 
“Veal is such a cool product, it’s got a really clean flavour and is super tender. The veal industry in Australia has come a long way and they’re doing a really good job.”
 
For this dish, Mike puts a spin on an Italian classic – taking veal schnitzel to the next level with a thick cut sirloin in a flavourful crumb and served with simple seasonal accompaniments.

Flour, egg wash, flavoured panko crumbs.
Cooking katsu in a cast iron pan for maximum caramelisation.
Rest then slice.
Acid and herbs to contrast with the rich katsu.

The sirloin is crumbed with traditional Japanese panko which give a crispier crust than standard breadcrumbs. The panko crumbs are flavoured with sesame and nigella seeds for an added depth of flavour. Mike says you can also add hard green herbs such as rosemary, thyme or oregano to give it some fragrance.
 
The sirloin is cooked with a little bit of oil in a heavy based skillet on a medium heat. Just like cooking a steak, it is important to ensure the breadcrumbs are nicely caramelised to maximise flavour.
 
To contrast the rich deliciousness of the katsu, Mike recommends an accompaniment of herb and acid based flavours. Here he serves it with blood orange and Japanese shiso.
 
 
 

“Shiso is basically the basil of Japan and goes perfectly with this dish while the in season blood oranges give a balanced sweet and acidic finish.”

CHEF TWO

Sam Bull

The Norfolk House & Hotel

 

Veal-chetta with parsnip puree and jus

Group Chef of hospitality group The People – Sam Bull knows his way around a pub kitchen or two. Popular inner suburban pub, The Norfolk, has been eagerly waiting on Covid restrictions to lift to blow the lid off its brand new refurb. With a new name, The Norfolk House & Hotel, that nods to its boutique accommodation, and a brand new $25,000 16-spit roast barbecue in the outdoor courtyard, Redfern has a brand new backyard playground just in time for summer.
 
Bull’s menu takes inspiration from family backyard barbecues with quality meat, seafood and veggies all getting a lick of the flame. The Sunday Spit Roast is a key menu feature with classics like lamb leg and rump cap and specials like this rolled veal roast – a riff on porchetta and aptly named veal-chetta.
 
 
 

“Veal is a really nice lean, clean flavoured product that just melts in your mouth. It provides a lighter option of meat which I think a lot of people are looking for these days. One of my favourite dishes is veal liver, caramelised onion and fennel compote – it’s so simple but so good.”

 

Scoring the skin of the veal short loin.
Sautéing stuffing of breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, celery, sage, guanciale, currants, butter.
Stuffing spread across the inside of the veal.
The veal is rolled and tied.
Veal-chetta in all its glory.
Steamy slices.
Veal-chetta, parsnip puree and jus. That's how we do.

Sam wanted a cut that could ‘cut it’ on his Sunday Spit Roast menu and so worked with NCMC’s David Carew to create this veal-chetta masterpiece using the veal short cut loin with the belly attached.
 
 
 

“Pork is just too rich for me and lots of people can’t eat it for a variety of reasons. The idea for a veal-chetta stemmed from this and the fact that veal has similar characteristics of a lean, light meat that still gives you that crispy crackle.”

 
 
 
Sam made a stuffing of breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, celery, sage, pancetta and currants sauteed in butter then spread across the inner side of the veal. The skin was scored porchetta style then it was stuffed, rolled, tied, rubbed with lemon and salt for extra crispiness, roasted to perfection and served simply with parsnip puree and jus.
 
The veal-chetta passed the vibe check and will be joining the Sunday Spit Roast lineup where it will be cooked on the rotisserie over lava rocks for about two hours. Here, it was done in the oven at 140 for two hours then finished for an hour at 220 to crisp up and get the crackle effect.

Young Guns

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Michael Watson - waiting patiently to host his first customers at Watson’s.

Michael Watson – waiting patiently to host his first customers at Watson’s.

PUTTING MORE INTO MOORE PARK

Michael Watson

 

Words: Mary-Jane Morse. Photography: Jason Loucas

 
 

Seeing customers come into Watson’s and enjoy the blood, sweat and tears that have been poured into its development is something Michael Watson has waited a long time for. Securing his first pub and fully refurbishing it in the middle of a pandemic has had its challenges but it certainly has not slowed him down.

The young entrepreneur grew up in Sydney’s Hawkesbury region and studied Sports Business before finding his niche in hospitality. In 2009, Watson launched Wats On Tap – a mobile bar hire company bringing a new level of professionalism to at home entertainment and beverage catering. What began as a start up in his garage soon grew into an in-demand beverage catering service at large scale events, festivals and pop ups across the country and in 2015 the business rebranded as Wats On Events.
 
With well over a decade in the mobile hospitality space, Watson was always working towards a permanent venue – with aspirations to one day own a pub and perhaps a small bar as a stepping-stone on the way towards his dream. However, opportunity came knocking sooner than anticipated.
 
 
 

“We won the contract for all the food and beverage operations for Magic Mike Live nationally and as a result were based at The Entertainment Quarter for four months for the duration of the Sydney shows before touring the nation. Every day I walked past the former PJ Gallagher’s site and thought what a shame that it lay vacant with so much potential.”
Watson’s has taken over the old PJ O’Gallaghers site at Moore Park.

Watson’s has taken over the old PJ O’Gallaghers site at Moore Park.

“The untapped potential of such iconic venues is being recognised across the industry and many old-style pubs are being revitalised with exceptional food and beverage and quality service. Discussions about the desolate venue were soon taking place with EQ management and pros and cons were being thrown around with my partner Rachel and business partner Danny Stapleton.”
 
 
 

“Next thing I knew, my dream became a reality and within the space of a month Watson’s was born. It wasn’t exactly the stepping stone venue I had envisioned but I’m not one to shy away from a little risk and opportunity.”

 
 
 
Renovations began in July 2021 and the dark, dilapidated two story Irish pub is now barely recognisable after a bright, modern update. Almost every element of the venue has been refurbished including the two alfresco decks with the addition of a four-metre mega screen – but still home to the three giant Moreton Bay Figs now adorned with 2.5km of fairy lights.

The custom made tallow wood and Rivera stone bar - home to 32 beers on tap.

The custom made tallow wood and Rivera stone bar – home to 32 beers on tap.

The main bar and bistro area downstairs has undergone a spacious redesign with ample natural light and a custom made tallow wood and Rivera stone bar – home to 32 beer taps. Level one houses Danny’s Bar – a function and event space featuring large bi-fold windows looking out over the fairy-lit figs.
 
The large, multifaceted venue is designed to cater for a diverse range of occasions and is set to benefit from the highly anticipated re-opening of Sydney Football Stadium in 2022 – and the eventual return of concerts and events at The Horden Pavilion.
 
“Watson’s will tick all the boxes for locals and visitors. Above all, we want Watson’s to be a stand-alone venue, your new local – no longer just the venue you visit when attending the Entertainment Quarter. We are hoping it will quickly become the reason to visit the Entertainment Quarter.”

Watson’s grill will be home to four cuts of steak.

Watson’s grill will be home to four cuts of steak.

“We would love to see Watson’s used for both brand and personal events as well as create unique offerings of our own for key calendar events such as Melbourne Cup and Mardi Gras. Our beer garden is just screaming for long Sunday sessions with acoustic performances – something we will introduce as soon as possible along with traditional pub entertainment like trivia nights.”

 
 
 
When it comes to food, Watson’s will offer modern Australian pub food and classics with a few delicious twists. The kitchen will focus on using seasonal and local produce and making as much as possible in-house including pickles, preserves and sauces.
 
“The majority of pubs in Australia are not what they used to be and I would say this has a lot to do with people’s expectations. Pubs have lifted their game when it comes to quality food and beverage and you can now get a restaurant quality feed at your local pub as well as enjoy a cocktail and a beautiful bottle of wine.”

Watson’s will focus on making as much as possible in-house.

Watson’s will focus on making as much as possible in-house.

Head chef Uriel Kilala, formerly of Sydney’s iconic Martin Place Bar has designed a menu to cater for a diverse crowd of diners. From pub classics like burgers and schnittys to snacks and small plates for sharing and a Watson’s specialty paying homage to an Aussie favourite – the old school French Onion Cob Loaf.
 
 
 

“Is a pub even a pub without a perfectly cooked steak? Our grill menu will be home to four cuts including a 1kg Ranger’s Valley Black Onyx Rib Eye served on the bone with charred lemon, chimichurri and red wine jus. There’s also a whole braised Moroccan-spiced lamb shoulder with crispy polenta, fried brussels and honey glazed carrots.”

 
 
 
The beverage offering features a variety of mainly Australian wines and a vast selection of craft, international and Australian beers while the cocktail list features all the classics including a few spritz options perfect for long, lazy days in the courtyard and espresso martinis on tap.

1kg Ranger’s Valley Black Onyx Rib Eye, charred lemon, chimichurri and red wine jus.

1kg Ranger’s Valley Black Onyx Rib Eye, charred lemon, chimichurri and red wine jus.

Watson’s is ready and rearing to go – injecting some much needed vitality to the EQ precinct and primed to cater to sports and music fans, Sydneysiders and visitors alike. All it needs now is the patrons. What was it like to pour everything into his first pub – without knowing when he might be able to pour its first beer?
 
 
 

“We have had and will continue to have numerous setbacks because of COVID-19 and the continual changes to restrictions. The cease on construction delayed our renovations significantly; throw lockdowns in numerous LGA’s into the mix and it is a recipe for disaster.”

 
 
 
“If there is anything we have learnt over the past two years, it’s that you need to be nimble and roll with the punches. There is always a way to adapt to the climate we are in, it just takes a bit of planning, patience and an amazing team.”
 
“I have learnt that the most important thing is to keep your staff and core team happy, to look after the people that look after your business because when times are tough it is your team that will help you pull through. We have put a lot of time and money into recruiting our ideal team and have vowed to retain them through this time.”

Watson’s will cater to a diverse crowd and bring a boost to the EQ precinct.

Watson’s will cater to a diverse crowd and bring a boost to the EQ precinct.

When asked if he has any advice for other young professionals thinking of opening their own pub or venue Watson laughs and says “don’t do it” but adds, if you do, to make sure you are all in and have the patience and stamina to see it through.
 
 
 

“Put plans in place, cross all your t’s and dot all your i’s, this is not a fast game and it is so important to put in the effort and the attention to detail. Spend the money and the time upfront to get it right – just make sure you get three quotes because prices vary significantly and with construction in particular.”

 
 
 
“Most importantly, surround yourself with a talented, professional and driven team that share your vision. The end game is what keeps me positive and driven – I cannot wait to see our doors open and that first schooner poured from our taps.”

Braised Moroccan-spiced lamb shoulder, crispy polenta, fried brussels and honey glazed carrots.

Braised Moroccan-spiced lamb shoulder, crispy polenta, fried brussels and honey glazed carrots.

Big Business

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In this section, we explore some of the country’s biggest foodservice operators – plating up thousands of meals every day from the seas to the skies and everywhere in between.

AVC operates 170 venues across the country including the landmark Regatta Hotel in Brisbane.

AVC operates 170 venues across the country including the landmark Regatta Hotel in Brisbane.

AUSTRALIAN VENUE CO

Queensland

 

Words: Mary-Jane Morse. Photography: Supplied

 
 

Australian Venue Co is Australia’s second largest pub group – operating 170 pubs, bars and venues across the country and employing more than 5,000 people at its iconic landmarks and well-loved locals.

 
 
The company aims to deliver excellence at scale but is adamant about avoiding a ‘copy-and-paste’ approach with each individual venue given the freedom to customise their offering to suit the local community. This ‘local’ approach reflects the needs of each unique location with the advantage of the procurement savings and administrative efficiencies of a large scale operation. When it’s 40 tonnes of beef a month – it’s certainly large scale.

Executive chef Justin Wise prepares Macka’s beef on location near Gloucester NSW.

Executive chef Justin Wise prepares Macka’s beef on location near Gloucester NSW.

We caught up with Queensland Venue Co – a state based subsidiary of AVC serving approximately 16,500 meals a day at 87 venues spanning the sunshine state from Palm Cove in the Far North to Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast.
 
Executive Chef Justin Wise’s career includes accolades such as The Age Good Food Guide’s young chef of the year alongside roles like head chef at two-hatted The Press Club, senior-sous at Gordan Ramsay’s Maze and executive chef at The Point.
 
Moving on from the world of fine dining, Justin consulted with Open Door pub group which led to the position of executive chef when the group was purchased by Dixon Hospitality in 2015. Rebranded as Australian Venue Co in 2018, Wise has seen the group grow from 18 hotels to 170 and personally oversees the foodservice operations of the 87 Queensland venues.

All AVC Queensland venues have at least three cuts of steak on offer.

All AVC Queensland venues have at least three cuts of steak on offer.

“A local pub is a meeting place for everyone in the community, so it is really important to us that our pubs are places where everyone feels welcome. Each of our venues is tailored to the local community and while you will find similar essentials, each menu is designed with local produce and the local community in mind.”

“We are customer obsessed which is evident in the way we write our menus and design our pubs. Our team spends a lot of time listening to customer feedback and making sure we design for the local customer – we don’t copy and paste across our venues,” Wise said.
 
With a primarily pub populated portfolio, AVC Queensland delivers customised customer experiences through the gamut of pub hospitality – from accommodation to sports bars; events and live music; and quality food and beverage.
Queenslanders love their beef. In fact, the northern state produces almost half of the country’s beef and runs approximately 11.3 million head of cattle, by far the largest herd in Australia.
 
Accordingly, AVC’s stable of Queensland venues ensure beef takes pride and place on the menu. Each month the company goes through 1.4 tonnes of rump, 3.5 tonnes of primal beef like eye fillet, striploin, rib eye and T-bone, and 1 tonne combined of brisket, top side, diced, mince and burger patties.
 
Beef on menu includes a range of national and local brands including JBS, Macka’s Certified Black Angus, Jack’s Creek, Tey’s, Bass Strait Reserve, Flinders Natural, Stanbroke Beef and Signature Beef and is sourced primarily through Thomas Foods.
 

The Regatta Hotel’s open kitchen, two metre flame-grill and dry age cabinet.

The Regatta Hotel’s open kitchen, two metre flame-grill and dry age cabinet.

“All of our venues have at least three cuts of steak on offer but many have even more – the Regatta for example has more than 20 options. We also use beef in roasts, pulled beef dishes, burgers and briskets, especially at venues that have a strong barbecue offering,” Wise said.

One of AVC Queensland’s most iconic pubs, the Regatta, has been serving the community for more than 140 years. Located on the Brisbane River, it has one of the most diverse steak menus in Australia with an in-house dry ageing program with a holding value of over $40,000.
 
The Boatshed is the Regatta’s stylish gastro-pub restaurant with views out across the Brisbane River and an open central kitchen featuring a two-metre long flame grill. Steaks range from a 180g eye fillet to a 1.2kg tomahawk with provenance and production details specified on the menu.
 
“At the Regatta we age in the Boatshed meat cellar for up to 40 days. This time honoured process produces a rounder, sweeter flavour of remarkable intensity – much like a good red wine does over time in the cellar.”
 

Dry aged beef on show at the Regatta Hotel.

Dry aged beef on show at the Regatta Hotel.

“We try to work with producers directly and are also in the process of working with our butcher to move more towards whole carcase utilisation. This will be a huge project for us due to our high use of primal cuts and our ability to value-add to the product,” Wise said.

As a company, AVC values ownership and encourages everyone to be accountable for their roles and responsibilities. This sentiment rolls back through the supply chain and highlights the importance of connecting the customer with the role the producer has played in getting the steak to the plate.
 
In addition to clearly identifying the producers, locations and specifics of each cut on the menu, the Regatta also hosts regular producer events like winemaker dinners and steak showcases to close the gap and put a face to the farmer.
 
“Recently we had a Beef Off event at The Regatta – our annual steak showdown that featured five competing beef producers who fired up the grill to serve the perfect dry aged sirloin. Guests had a blind tasting and then the winner, Stanbroke, was named at the end of the night,” Wise said.
 
Despite its large-scale operational footprint – AVC takes a small-scale approach in each of its locations and values knowing the people that support its business from the producers through to the patrons.
 
“At all of our pubs we have a core group of passionate locals and everyone behind the bar knows their name. We are in constant conversation with our customers, and I think it shows in our venues.”

The packed out Beef Off event at the Regatta Hotel.

The packed out Beef Off event at the Regatta Hotel.

“Hospitality means making people feel welcome and bringing them together. It is the combination of food and beverage, atmosphere and service – but you can’t have it without the human connection bringing it all together,” Wise said.

Next Issue

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Next Issue

 
 

Issue 17 drops January and will share the love of LAMB from paddock to plate.

 
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