All change for Sydney fish stars as they enter the pub business

Seafood restaurateurs and butchers Josh and Julie Niland are going into the pub business.

Their all-new Saint Peter Restaurant will open in July at The Grand National Hotel, Paddington, Sydney.

 
Saint Peter's new home is just down the road from its original location and the restaurant's opening in July will be the first phase for the refurbished 14-bedroom boutique hotel, with the rooms opening later this year.

Saint Peter at The Grand National will have a menu that reflects the ongoing journey of the owners.

From opening as a small fish eatery in 2016 on Oxford St, Paddington, the Nilands’ Saint Peter restaurant has provoked conversation around whole fish cooking, butchery, storing, and processing fish.

Saint Peter's new home will more than double the size of the original restaurant.

The new Saint Peter restaurant, bar, and private dining room are all located on the ground floor of the hotel.

The main dining room is flooded with natural light from an expansive skylight that frames the open kitchen and offers booth and banquette seating, along with a custom-made chef's table for six guests with front-row seats at the kitchen pass.

In addition to the capacity for 40 guests in the dining room and 30 in the bar, Saint Peter will have a private dining room offering bespoke dining for up to 15 guests.

This room will feature a restored heritage fireplace and have its own private entrance on Elizabeth St.

The Grand National Hotel has a rich history as one of Paddington’s favourite pubs.

The bar’s location at the front of the venue has been preserved to ensure that locals still have a welcoming place to meet.

The backbone of the bar menu will be Australian Rock Oysters with a list curated by Josh and the Fish Butchery team.



Lunch will be à la carte and change day-to-day, offering in-room guests, along with the local Paddington community, the opportunity to enjoy the restaurant more frequently.

“I don't want to lose what makes Saint Peter a special place, not only to eat and enjoy as a guest but also for me and our team to work,” says Josh Niland.

“We are excited about the challenge ahead of not just moving into a beautiful home for Saint Peter but also expanding our expression of hospitality to a wonderful bar and boutique hotel."

Julie Niland says: "We are working with some incredibly talented people to develop a world-class wine and cocktail offering. The luxury accommodation has been so beautifully designed that you will think you are in Paris - until you see the quintessentially Paddington rooftops and beautiful gum trees out your window.

"At the heart of Saint Peter remains a commitment to whole fish cooking, where the entirety of the fish is celebrated with Josh’s trademark respect and technique.

"With both a charcoal grill and rotisserie, fish will continue to be viewed and cooked in the same way as meat."

The Fish Butchery at nearby Waterloo will continue to be the processing kitchen for all fish for Saint Peter, while the beverage programme will be crafted by sommelier Houston Barakat.

Reservations for Saint Peter at the Grand National Hotel are now open for August and September. Reservations for July will be released closer to opening once dates are confirmed.

Opening times: Lunch Thursday-Sunday, dinner Tuesday-Saturday.

For reservations hit https://www.saintpeter.com.au/

Images: Christopher Pearce

New rule ensures children flying must be seated next to parents

We've all heard stories about children being allocated seats apart from their parents on long haul flights.

Booking systems are not flawless and parents are not always good at booking online.

Which can create stressful situations airports and on board flights.

In India, however, issues concerning child seats should be thing of the past.

India’s air regulator this week issued a directive to airlines to ensure young children are seated beside at least one parent free of charge.

They should not be required to pay for seat selection if travelling on the same booking, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said.

It follows consumer complaints that families were unable to book seats together, or had to pay for the privilege.

“Airlines shall ensure that children up to 12 years are allocated seats with at least one of their parents/guardians,” a new DGCA rule said.

Exactly how this will all work remains to be seen.

Image: Hanny Hsian, Scop.io

Bright future envisaged for historic Melbourne hotel site

Major changes are afoot for the historic InterContnental Hotel site on Collins Street, Melbourne.

With part of the building dating back to 1891, the hotel was originally know as the Menzies at Railto when it opened in 1984. 

It became part of the InterContinental group in 2008, and was extensively refurbished,[whilst not changing the heritage structures.

It is sometimes known as the InterContinental Melbourne The Rialto and is part of IHG Hotels group.

The Rialto Building is architecturally significant as one of the finest ‘boom style’ buildings in Melbourne and is an integral part of an exceptional group of late Victorian commercial buildings in Collins Street

Now owners Salter Brothers have announced the achievement of Heritage Victoria Permits with conditions and City of Melbourne support with recommended conditions for the department to consider, to revitalise the hotel.

The site renewal secures the long-term retention and conservation of the well-known Winfield and Rialto heritage buildings, and a new mixed-use development on the site comprising of retail, office, a luxury hotel and a club with meeting and conference spaces, the company said.

"Salter Brothers has worked collaboratively with Heritage Victoria to achieve a design that respects, conserves and evolves these beautiful heritage buildings into future Melbourne."

Commenting on the approval, Paul Salter said “I am incredibly proud of our team in achieving these approvals. I would like to thank Patrick Ness who led the Cox Architecture team and Nick Touzeau from Planning & Property Partners who advised on Heritage Victoria and planning permits.

“We are honoured to move forward with the preservation of the heritage Winfield and Rialto buildings and excited about the dynamic this project will bring to central Collins Street.

"Subject to consideration we look forward to receiving planning approval from the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning”

Major changes to the Briar Ridge wine experience

 

Hunter Valley wine producer Briar Ridge Vineyard has announced a trifecta of new developments for winter 2024.

They include the introduction of a Mystery Vineyard Tour, the enhancement of their family and dog-friendly amenities, and the opening of a new restaurant offering at the cellar door in Mount View. 

The Mystery Vineyard Tour is billed as "a blend of adventure and sophistication" that reveals secrets behind the 50-year-old Mount View vineyard.

Guests can sip on vintage as they explore the vineyards with a dedicated host and then savour some of the Hunter's best with a curated wine tasting in a mystery location within the winery grounds. This is complemented by a cheese and charcuterie plater featuring local and imported delicacies. 

Meanwhile, Estancia Osteria, the new restaurant offering, opened last month, inspired by the rustic charm of estancias in Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. 

The blub says it will "offer diners a culinary voyage through the heart of Italy, the Mediterranean Sea and South America", led by executive chefs Gabriel Rodrigues and James Orlowski. 

Fire to Table cuisine will showcase fresh and seasonal ingredients sourced from local producers, including succulent cuts of meat cooked over embers. 

Both the Briar Ridge cellar door and adjacent wine garden are family- and pet-friendly with complimentary colouring kits to entertain the little ones, children's snacks and a supervised grassed garden with toys and yard games. 

Furry friends can enjoy Pooch Platters featuring dog treats, a A Pooch Hydration Station for a quick hydration and the possibility for well-behaved woofers to join their humans at their tasting table.

 Briar Ridge recently welcomed new winemaker  Andrew Duff (above), who succeeded long-serving winemaker Alex Beckett. 

“I have some big shoes to fill and I’m honestly revelling in the opportunity to make wine off such a significantly important vineyard for the Hunter,” he says. 

“I’m especially eager to be playing with some interesting grape varietals, such as the fiano and albariño."

For more info see www.briarridge.com.au/

Australian winemakers are coming up rosé

 

It is not that long ago that rosé wines were something of a distraction for many Australian winemakers.

A batch of leftover grenache, or shiraz: "fine, let's make a simple, sweet pink wine for the ladies to enjoy at cellar door".

In the wake of the continued success of pale savoury rosés from Provence, however, Australia is now producing rosé wines in a variety of styles; most of them dry, some of them very stylish indeed.

Sydney PR company Blend PR recently week put on a Zoom tasting of four new wave rosés, one each from Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia, all made from different grape blends, but all super food friendly.

The wines featured were the 2023 Marchand & Burch, Oliver's Taranga and De Iullis Wines releases and the 2022 Yarra Valley rosé from Handpicked Wines.

It is an indication of just how seriously rosé is being taken nowadays that winemakers Nic Bowen, Corrina Wright, Mike De Iulliis and Peter Dillon all joined for the tasting.



All four wines sit at between $28-30 on retail shelves and all are certainly worth a look. The two wines that saw oak, the Marchand & Burch and Handpicked, are candidates for short-term cellaring, while the other pair were ready to be enjoyed the day they were bottled.

The Marchand and Burch 2023 Villages Rosé is a pale and crisp blend of grenache, pinot noir and shiraz from the Swan Valley, Great Southern and Margaret River.

The Handpicked Regional Selection 2022 Yarra Valley Rosé is 100% sangiovese from the Yarra and is aromatic with mineral notes.

Oliver's Taranga 2023 Chica Rosé is a savoury blend of McLaren Vale shiraz and mencia (with fiano lees in the ferment to add texture and complexity).

The crisp, zippy De Iuliis 2023 Estate Rosé is 60% shiraz, 40% merlot, all from the Hunter Valley.

"Rosé really was an afterthought for a very long time," says winemaker Mike de Iuliis. "Now it is given serious consideration. We used to make rosé from crap shiraz; now we make 3,000 cases and take it very seriously."

Marchand & Burch winemaker Nic Bowen agrees, saying. "There is a real push now to make rosés of complexity and interest. That said, all rosés should be easy to drink. You don't want anything that is too challenging as rosé is a lifestyle wine."

Peter Dillon from Handpicked tried pinot noir for his rosés but found it too "tutti frutti". "What we want is to make a wine that is savoury and interesting, and sangiovese is perfect for that," he says.

Corinna Wright from Oliver's Taranga says her wine showcases "florals and freshness" despite being from a warmer region. .

All four wines are thoroughly modern in style. Paleish, dryish and savouryish.

Get some Lebanese takeaway in, and you have an instant feast with any one of the four.           .   

Top image: Agi Gob, Scop.io 

From bombers and bad guys to a new distillery

What was once one of the most notorious addresses in Belfast has been re-born as a whisky distillery.

The A-wing of Crumlin Road jail, which housed key figures during "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland, has been re-launched as a tourism attraction by its American owners.

Earlier this month, the new distilling operation was officially launched following $50 million investment by US-owned Belfast Distillery Company.

The A-wing will soon produce McConnell’s Irish Whisky, with the first bottles made in the facility expected to be available for purchase in 2029.

The launch has seen the revival of the McConnell’s Irish Whisky brand, which had a 150-year history but shut up shop due to the introduction of prohibition in the US in the 1930s.

The McConnell family had an involvement in the Belfast spirits trade dating back to the 18th century.

Joe Babiec, managing director of Belfast Distillery Company, said the final result had “exceeded expectations”.

It is hoped the venture will give tourism a boost in Belfast, with 100,000 visitors expected each year for tastings and tours.

Also known as HM Prison Belfast, and dubbed Europe's Alcatraz, prisoners held at Crumlin Road included future Irish head of state Eamon de Valera, Martin McGuinness, Michael Stone and Bobby Sands.