Image: Tourism New South Wales

FOOD | HUNTER VALLEY

72

A u s t r a l i a & N Z | F e b r u a r y 2 0 10

www.getmedownunder.com

FOOD | HUNTER VALLEY

Left Fine wine is best served with an equally fine meal in the Hunter Valley!

Foodie heaven Australia’s Hunter Valley is becoming as well known for its top food as its quality drops, as David Whitley discovers...

A

s the sun fights its way up over the dewlined vineyards, Gay Cooper trundles out with a lip-smackingly inviting plate of eggs Benedict. Her famous pancakes – they’re the stuff of legend to people from across New South Wales – are off the menu this morning, but no-one seems to be complaining. Gay, along with her husband Warren, runs the Hunter Valley Cooperage. It’s a small but classy joint that’s situated in amongst the vines of the Kelman Estate vineyard. In 2009, The Cooperage was awarded

The Hunter Valley has been long established as one of Australia’s finest wine regions the title of ‘Best Bed And Breakfast Accommodation in Australia’ by Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine. And it’s not difficult to see why. The Hunter Valley has become something of a foodie destination in recent years. Around three hours drive north-west of Sydney, the Hunter Valley has been long established as one of Australia’s finest wine regions, but it seems as though visitors want quality food to soak up the quality drops. It’s telling that everyone you speak to in the Hunter will recommend different restaurants – the quality and www.getmedownunder.com

A u s t r a l i a & N Z | F e b r u a r y 2 0 10

73

FOOD | HUNTER VALLEY

range is high. Some of these restaurants are attached to vineyards, but Gay picks out three that stand alone. “We send everyone to Mojo’s and Leaves & Fishes in Lovedale, or Cracked Pepper in Pokolbin,” she says. “All three are fantastic.” All have a story to tell as well. Julz van den Berg at Cracked Pepper is a self-taught chef and a qualified occupational therapist.

Julz van den Berg at Cracked Pepper is a fervent supporter of organic food and fresh produce

Clockwise from top left The Hunter Valley is one of Australia’s finest wine regions; Lush green vineyards stretching for miles; Fresh-picked apples are the choice of top chefs here; Locally sourced herbs; Well-heeled visitors help keep the standards high in the restaurants

74

She is a fervent supporter of using organic food and fresh produce, and this shines through in the restaurant. “The defining moment in terms of the ‘green thing’ for me, was winning a trip to Ireland’s Ballymalloe Cooking School after winning a culinary competition here in Australia,” she says. “It confirmed for me the value in sustainability in agricultural practices.” “Fresh-picked apples that tasted like they did when my granny used to pull them off the tree for me, wildcaught salmon, organically farmed poultry and eggs... to name just a few things. It all just confirmed a bunch of philosophies that had been in my head for ages.” Julz says she has seen too many instances of mass produced ingredients which look lovely when they first arrive, but they don’t last or have much flavour. She also insists on using local poultry, beef, cheeses, herbs and vegetables – and reckons that the region is blessed with some great agricultural produce.

A u s t r a l i a & N Z | F e b r u a r y 2 0 10

www.getmedownunder.com

FOOD | HUNTER VALLEY

For delicious food in a gorgeous setting, head for Bistro Molines

HUNTER VALLEY HOTSPOTS Here’s our pick of the region’s best restaurants... BISTRO MOLINES:

Molines Bistro at Tallavera Grove, 749 Mount View Rd, Mount View ☎ 00 61 2 4990 9553; www.bistromolines.com.au

MOJO’S:

82 Wilderness Road, Lovedale ☎ 00 61 2 4930 7244; www.mojos.com.au

LEAVES AND FISHES:

737 Lovedale Road, Lovedale ☎ 00 61 2 4930 7400; www.leavesandfishes.com

ROCK:

576 Debeyers Road, Pokolbin ☎ 00 61 2 4998 6968; www.rockrestaurant.com.au

MUSE:

1 Broke Road, Pokolbin ☎ 00 61 2 4998 6777; www.musedining.com.au

CRACKED PEPPER:

1616 Broke Road, Pokolbin ☎ 00 61 2 4998 7076; www.cracked-pepper.com.au

TONIC:

Image left & top left: Tourism Australia Image top right: Tourism New South Wales Images right: Shutterstock

Corner Pym and Victoria Streets, Millthorpe ☎ 0061 2 6366 3811; www.tonicmillthorpe.com.au

www.getmedownunder.com

OLD GEORGE AND DRAGON:

48 Melbourne Street, East Maitland ☎ 00 61 2 4933 7272; www.oldgeorgeanddragon.com.au

SHAKEY TABLES:

1476 Wine Country Drive, North Rothbury ☎ 00 61 2 4938 1744; www.shakeytables.com.au

BELPOSTO:

Next to cellar door of Wandin Valley Estate, Wilderness Road, Lovedale ☎ 00 61 2 4930 9199; www.belposto.com.au

AMANDA’S ON THE EDGE:

Windsor’s Edge Vineyard, McDonalds Road, Pokolbin ☎ 00 61 2 4998 7900; www.amandas.com.au

BREAKFAST, ACCOMMODATION AND THE FINEST WINES... THE HUNTER VALLEY COOPERAGE

41 Kelman Vineyards, Oakey Creek Road, Pokolbin ☎ 00 61 2 4990 1232; www.huntervalleycooperage.com didn’t win the Australian Gourmet Traveller award by accident – it’s genuinely superb; offering five star accommodation in an amazing setting.

WINE COUNTRY HIRE CARS

☎ 00 61 402 90 90 90 www.winecountryhirecars.com.au offers luxury personalised wine tours for up to four people for A$350 (£170).

A u s t r a l i a & N Z | F e b r u a r y 2 0 10

75

Image below: Shutterstock Image right & far right: Tourism New South Wales

FOOD | HUNTER VALLEY

Microbrewing in the Hunter Valley The Hunter Valley is best known as a wine region, but the beer lovers are fighting back. It may come as a surprise to many, but the Hunter Valley has built up quite a reputation for brewing as well. The story begins in 2003, with a group of four local entrepreneurs who decided to set up a brewery. They wanted to create beers that suited the Australian palate, but had an original, crisp flavour and would be of a higher standard than ordinary tap lagers. They stuck to traditional brewing methods, and used only water, yeast, hops and barley. No preservatives were allowed (apart from the innovative addition of ginger in their alcoholic ginger beer). The result was Bluetongue, and although it started as a small operation, it has taken the country by storm. The

76

success has meant they’ve been bought out by multi-national giant SAB Miller and have had to move out of the Hunter Valley to a purpose-built facility on the New South Wales Central Coast. There is still, however, an outlet in the Hunter – the Bluetongue Brewery Café in the Hunter Valley Resort. The micro-brewing baton now remains in the hands of another 2003 upstart. Keith Grice is the head brewer of the Hunter Beer Company, which can be found at the Potters Hotel Brewery Resort in Nulkaba. He says: “We like to say we are an oasis of beer in a desert of wine. It was a conscious decision to set up shop in wine country, says Keith. “Microbreweries are doing something very different from the big boys – we are making a craft product aimed at people who are looking for flavour and taste

A u s t r a l i a & N Z | F e b r u a r y 2 0 10

and tourism provides a great way to share that with the public.” “It might seem counter-intuitive, but when you take a closer look it makes sense. The visitors who come to enjoy the many temptations the Hunter has to offer are more than willing to add a beer experience to the list, especially when they can see the brewery and talk to the brewers who make the beer.” Keith says that the key is that they are making a craft product, aimed at people who are looking for flavour and taste. “And tourism provides a great way to share that with the public.” The Potters Hotel Brewery Resort (www.pottersbrewery.com.au) has seven beers available year round, and regularly conjures up special limited editions such as an oyster stout for St Patrick’s Day or German-style efforts to coincide with Oktoberfest.

www.getmedownunder.com

FOOD | HUNTER VALLEY

Left Many of the region’s vineyards have restaurants attached to them Right Peter Kane runs chauffeurdriven wine tours in the Hunter Valley Below Competition has helped to boost the dining scene in the region

It’s certainly a view that is shared by Peter Kane, a man who should know a fair bit about where to eat. His company, Wine Country Hire Cars, specialises in private chauffeur-driven wine tours that are tailored to guests’ preferences. These are often adapted to include restaurants for lunch or dinner, as well as local cheese and chocolate specialists.

WINE ‘N DINE Peter believes that the Hunter Valley’s proximity to Sydney and wine focus ensures that the region gets demanding, well heeled guests, and that restaurants have to be good to compete here. There are over 40 restaurants in the area, and Peter says he rates most of them. When pushed, he plumps for three favourites: The Bel Posto Restaurant, Amanda’s on the Edge and Shakey Tables.

The region gets demanding guests, and restaurants have to be good to compete here The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide picks out three different options again for its prestigious chef’s hat awards – Australia’s answer to the Michelin Star. In the most recent edition, the Old George and Dragon in Maitland, Tonic in Millthorpe and Bistro Molines at Mount View were singled out as being above the crowd. The latter is run by Robert Molines, who originally comes from Beausoleil, the small French town which sits above Monaco on the Cote D’Azur. His birthplace, in France but close to Italy, influences his cuisine – which is largely Provencal French with a Mediterranean slant. But Robert has lived in the Hunter since 1973, and has been in the local restaurant industry since then. He has seen how things have changed over the years, and intimates that it’s competition and cosmopolitan influences that have led to the Hunter developing a strong dining scene. “The Valley started as a viticultural area, then progressed to introducing www.getmedownunder.com

A u s t r a l i a & N Z | F e b r u a r y 2 0 10

77

FOOD | HUNTER VALLEY

food and accommodation and becoming popular with the public as a leisure escape,” he says. “Being close to Sydney attracts the sort of visitors that like good food, wine and comfort – this makes restaurants offer interesting dishes and fare.” And international visitors – attracted by the reputation of the wines – complete the mix. “To keep up with the demand and reputation, operators have to rise to the challenge,” says Robert. “They have to perform, and deliver the pride of the Hunter - quality.”

Owner-chefs have put it all out on the line for their business and have the passion to pull it off combination to be a foodie heaven – excellent local produce, a healthy tourism industry bringing in knowledgeable customers from Sydney and overseas, plus chefs who really love what they do. Certainly, when food tastes this good, you would be missing out if you didn’t take that wine with a meal...

Above The region is a popular leisure escape for visitors from Sydney Below Many tasty dishes in the region are made using organic ingredients

Images: Tourism New South Wales

Robert reels off a list of great places that he likes to eat in when not behind the stoves – these include Rock and Muse as well as Cracked Pepper. And the common factor on his list is that they’re all operated by owner-chefs; people who have put it all on the line for their business and have the passion to pull it off. In many respects, the Hunter has got the perfect

78

A u s t r a l i a & N Z | F e b r u a r y 2 0 10

www.getmedownunder.com