“Alderley”, Booth Street, Balmain, NSW, now part of Balmain Hospital
The house which is the genesis of Balmain Hospital, in the inner Sydney suburb of Balmain, was designed by the well-known ecclesiastical architect, Edmund Thomas Blacket (1817-83).
For years researchers have believed that the Blacket family had lived at the Booth Street house but this is incorrect. It was constructed as the home of Henry Earnshaw Tidswell (1820-1882) and his wife, Elizabeth, and family in the early 1860s. It comprised a single-storey building constructed of massive stone blocks with a slate room and eleven rooms.
Edmund Blacket was born in Surrey, England, and after leaving school entered the family drapery business. After three years he rejected this occupation and joined the Stockton & Darlington Railway Co., training as an engineer. At the same time, he became a skilled draughtsman and surveyor and as a reward for his success, Edmund’s father provided funds enabling him to spend a year sketching and recording English medieval architecture. This became pivotal in his later career as an architect.
In 1842 Edmund married the love of his life, Sarah Mease, the daughter of his father’s former business partner. Apparently, the couple wed against both sets of parents’ wishes and shortly afterwards emigrated aboard the “Eden”, reaching Sydney on 3 November 1842.
When Edmund and Sarah arrived in New South Wales it was in the midst of a depression but Edmund was fortunate to quickly get work from Bishop Broughton. Edmund’s role was to design Anglican schools, churches and rectories. The design of All Saints’, Patricks Plains (Singleton), was his first commission from the Bishop. Edmund’s private practice grew and in 1847 he was officially appointed Diocesan Architect for the Church of England.
In 1849 Edmund became Colonial Architect, a position he held until he resigned to take up the Senate’s invitation to design the first buildings of the University of Sydney. This architectural commission generated many more commissions for schools, colleges, banks, hospitals, commercial buildings and houses, as well as numerous Anglican churches for which he became so renowned.
In 1853 Sarah and Edmund moved from the city to Glebe, then described as something of a wild place! Initially the Blackets lived in rented accommodation but then built on land Edmund had purchased in Glebe and onwhich he designed their home they called “Bidura”.
In 1869 Sarah Blacket passed away at the age of 51 and was buried in Balmain Cemetery (now Pioneers Park, Leichhardt). Edmund could not continue to live at Bidura and moved in 1870 to a smaller house he had designed in Darling Street, Balmain, which survives today as the Manor House Restaurant. Edmund passed away at “Roland Villa” in Croydon Street, Petersham, in 1883. He was buried with his wife, Sarah, in Balmain Cemetery, but after the cemetery became Pioneer Park in 1941, their remains were cremated and the ashes moved to St Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney and placed behind the choir stall with the memorial to Edmund’s patron, Bishop Broughton.
The house in Booth Street, Balmain, designed by Edmund in about 1861 and built for Henry Tidswell in about 1862 and was called “Alderley”. Henry had been born in Manchester in about 1820 and in 1850 married Elizabeth Roby before sailing out to Sydney the following year. At first living in Surry Hills, the Tidswell family moved to Balmain and initially rented “Shannon Grove” at 10 Eweton Street. Henry then purchased several parcels of land at Balmain and “Alderley” was built on his Booth Street block. This house became the nucleus of Balmain Cottage Hospital. Henry and Elizabeth’s son, Walter Tidswell, was recorded as being born at Alderley in 1862, followed by Emily in 1864 and Frederic in 1866.
Henry Tidswell was involved in the Balmain community, being churchwarden at St Mary’s Anglican Church in Balmain East and the Balmain Masonic Lodge where he held the position of treasurer. In 1867 he was elected an alderman on Balmain Council. Henry passed away at Alderley in 1882 at the age of 82. Like Edmund Blacket, Henry Tidswell was buried at Balmain Cemetery and joined by his widow, Elizabeth, a year later. The Blacket and Tidswell families were intertwined, Edmunds’ sons (Cyril and Arthur) followed their father as architects, forming Blacket Bros, and they designed houses for two of Henry Tidswell’s sons.
Following the death of Henry Tidswell, Alderley was described in an auction notice in August 1883 as being on the heights of Balmain at “Booth Street at Darvall Street” located opposite the Pidgeon Ground Reserve (now Gladstone Park) “containing every convenience requisite in a comfortable home, together with the adjoining improved grounds”.
On 10 June 1884, at a meeting at the Balmain Temperance Hall, it was resolved to build a cottage hospital in the suburb. The need for such a facility in the district was not only due to the rapid increase in population, but the high incidence of industrial accidents at the large manufacturing plants in the area, and the great distance involved in rowing injured workmen to Sydney Hospital. Initially, a four-room cottage in Darling Street was obtained from the government rent-free near the town hall and the first patient, Dick Hall, was received there on 26 June 1885.
Balmain Cottage Hospital was formally opened on 10 August 1885 by the Premier of New South Wales, Sir Alexander Stuart, K.C.M.G. However, from the start, the building was inadequate for the demands made of it by the frequent accidents and a more suitable and permanent accommodation was sought. Of the ten sites offered too them, the hospital sub-committee appointed to decide on a new site recommend Alderley because of its land size and relative cost. The area of Alderley’s grounds comprised a 208-foot frontage and a depth of 300 feet. Two of its eleven rooms were divided with a folding door which would make an ideal principal ward of 40 feet by 18 feet capable of accommodating 12 patients. Other rooms in the house were for the matron, a female ward and medical officers.
So, in 1886, Henry Tidswell’s executor, his son, Henry Parker Tidswell, sold Alderley House and three parcels of land to the Trustees of the Balmain Cottage Hospital, for about 3,000 pounds. Extensions to the hospital were begun in 1891 and in 1897 a single-storey brick wing, the Evans Ward, was erected on one side of the original home, featuring a Victorian Tudor parapeted gable overlooking Booth Street. This wing was duplicated on the other side of the house in 1901 and called the Victoria Ward. Edward Joseph Bowen (1866-1926) was the architect responsible for the additions, and the builder was John A. Oag of King Street, Balmain. Bowen had been educated locally and at Fort Street School. He had his own architectural practice from 1889 and designed many of Balmain’s public buildings.
In 1907 nurses' accommodation was added when an additional brick storey was put on top of Alderley House together with a brick arched verandah. These additions have virtually obscured the old 1860s house. At this time, the name of the hospital changed to the Balmain District Hospital.
References
Advertising (1883, August 18). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 13. Retrieved August 11, 2022, from nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13542341
Balmain Association Newsletter, June/July 1994
balmainassociation.org.au/newsletters/contents/229%201994...
Simpson, Margaret “Old Sydney Buildings : A Social History”, Kangaroo Press, Kenthurst, NSW, pp. 97-8
2014-2022-bakeries-newspapers
Column 1:
a. 201127F-Melbourne'HeraldSun'-SovereignHill. This is a replica historical town, bringing the 1850s gold-rush way of life to a modern audience. It is in the top-league of attractions for visitation numbers in Victoria.
b. 140708-Melbourne'HeraldSun'-Spotswood-CandiedBakery
cd. 210602-aboutregional-Goulburn-TrappersBakery
Column 2:
a. 210902Th-Fairfax-GoodFood-bakery
b. 210910F-Fairfax-GoodFood-SouthYarra-Pretzel
c. 211106Sa-Sydney'SundayTelegraph'-MalikaBakehouse
d. 220108Sa-Launceston'Examiner'-Wynyard-FrenchSticksBakery
Where to find Melbourne’s best pies July 8, 2014
WINTER is in full swing and the only thing guaranteed to brighten a grey day is a heartwarming meat pie. Dan Stock trawled the suburbs to find Melbourne’s best.
Zumbo's beef and mushroom pie. Picture: Nicole Cleary
WINTER is in full swing and the only thing guaranteed to brighten a grey day, to warm a long night or to coax a smile after your team goes down at the ‘G, is a hearty,heartwarming meat pie.
Here in our great city the pie takes on many forms — from the traditional, say a Four’N’Twenty, from the servo, through to the exotic, say a lentil ratatouille number from a hip foodtruck, and many versions of beef in between.
But where will you find the best savoury pastries going around?
Where will you find those with firm yet flaky buttery pastry?
Those with fillings that are all killer, no filler, all flavour to savour?
Dan Stock trawled the suburbs to find Melbourne’s 10 best to eat this winter.
CHICKEN, LEEK, BACON, CORN PIE ($8.90) at Pure Pie
We’ve done it to the brothers Finn, Phar Lap - heck, we even claim Russell Crowe as one of our own - so there’s very good case for officially adopting Kiwi expats Holly and Michael Carthew as Aussie pie makers extraordinaire.
From the first humble batches made in their St Kilda apartment in 2011 and sold at farmers’ markets, to the thriving online and retail business of today, Pure Pie pies have rightfully won many fans around town.
“Our pies come from a Kiwi base of flavours,” Holly says. “And that’s what we wanted to achieve with our chicken and corn pie.”
In an all-butter sour cream pie base, chunks of free-range chicken are cooked with smoky, streaky bacon, and teamed with a creamy corn and leek sauce.
The pie is then topped with hand-crimped golden puff pastry. It’s a gloriously comforting pie of great beauty.
“We just want to make people happy,” Holly says. And with this winter winner they are doing their bit to make us smile broadly (even if a bit begrudgingly).
383 Bay St, Port Melbourne, 9041 5004
Pure Pie owner and baker Mike Carthew with tray of chicken, leek, bacon and corn pies. Picture: Nathan Dyer
TRADITIONAL BEEF ($8.50) at Bendigo St Milk Bar
Di and Mario di Stefano have transformed a traditional backstreet milk bar into a locals’ cafe where the conversation is easy, the coffee is good – but the pies are out of this world.
“We were shown how to make our pies by our friend Gina, who translated a traditional spanakopita recipe into an Australian pie when she emigrated to Australia,” Di says.
“She perfected the art over 20 years and we’ve followed her ‘secret’ recipe for the past eight years.”
That recipe makes a pie that’s generously filled with hunks of beef, stewed tender and covered in a sticky gravy with a lovely onion sweetness.
The good pastry, not overly flaky, and crisped top and bottom before serving.
“We don’t use pie warmers as it dries out the contents quickly,” Di says.
“The most difficult part of producing our pies in-house is being able to keep up with the demand.”
It’s with very good reason they are coveted so.
37 Bendigo St, Richmond, 9428 4196
The beef pie at Bendigo St Milk Bar. Picture: Nicole Cleary
GOURMET PIE TRUCK ($5) at Gourmet Pie Truck
A classically trained French chef with a Greek heritage making an Aussie icon – George Vagianakis might have such luminaries as Jacques Reymond, France Soir and Paris Go on his CV that stretches back 25 years, but it’s with his six-month-old pie food truck that he’s now making his mark.
“I thought to myself, what would make good street food? And our national dish wasn’t represented,” he says.
It is now. With 11 flavours on offer, from Thai chicken to chunky steak to a red lentil ratatouille all baked daily, there’s something for all tastes.
“I do everything by hand, I hand-chop, hand-marinate, make the pasty – I do it all,” he says.
For his curry pie, that means dry roasting spices including nutmeg, garam marsala, fenugreek and cinnamon, then adding them to oil and marinating chuck steak for 24 hours.
The meat pieces are then cooked with onion, garlic and more spice paste, before making their way into the short crust pie base.
With its beautiful aroma and a deft touch of creeping heat, this is one curry you’ll want to get in a hurry.
1A Stewart St, Brunswick, and various locations
George Vagianakis with his Gourmet Pie Truck. Picture: Nicole Cleary
BEEF AND MUSHROOM PIE ($5) at Zumbo
He’s known for marvellous macarons and fantastical desserts, but cake king Adriano Zumbo is no slouch when it comes to the savoury side of the ledger.
The pies baked daily at his South Yarra store include rich roast chicken, chicken and smashed potato, and a beef and cheese option, along with the traditional beef.
Adriano reckons the key to a great pie is simple.
“We use good quality ingredients in all our pies, including premium butter in the pastry and use Vic’s Meats in the filling,” he says.
For his beef and mushroom version, this results in an excellent firm-yet-flaky buttery pastry that holds generous chunks of meat that come in dense mushroom-packed gravy that has a sweet earthiness.
Unlike his sugary creations, this pie doesn’t have any tricks up its sleeve but it is no less magical for it.
14 Claremont St, South Yarra, 1800 858 611
Zumbo's beef and mushroom pie. Picture: Nicole Cleary
CHICKEN AND PUMPKIN ($7.50) at Tivoli Rd Bakery
The classic beef and mushroom pie might be the one that flies out of Michael James’s oven at Tivoli Rd, but it’s his chicken and pumpkin number that will have us lining up this winter.
The first thing that hits you about the deeply tanned sesame seed-topped pie is its glorious buttery aroma.
The second, once you bite in, is how generous the filling is.
Pumpkin, cooked with parmesan and basil, is added to a béchamel into which pieces of chicken thigh have been roasted off at high temp, ensuring they are as moist as they are flavoursome.
It’s this unique combination of flavours in the hands of a master baker that brings us back time and again.
3 Tivoli Rd, South Yarra, 9663 3038
SLICE OF HEAVEN: Melbourne’s 10 best PIZZAS
BEST BUNS: Melbourne’s 10 best BURGERS
The delicious chicken and pumpkin pie at Tivoli Rd Bakery in South Yarra. Picture: Nicole Cleary
STEAK AND MUSHROOM ($6.50) at EuroLounge
For the past six years, Todd Millar has been keeping High St (very) happy with his excellent riffs on the classic steak pie, whether the steak and bacon, steak and potato, steak and pepper or the original.
The steak and mushroom is a deeply satisfying option; the, dark, thick gravy is rich with earthy mushrooms and dense with chunks of perfectly tender meat.
“I don’t use any veg fats in the pastry, and nothing artificial in the pie mix,” Todd says.
This makes for pies that are golden oblongs of sturdy stuff sure to sate the heartiest hungers.
974 High St, Armadale, 9509 5166
A full pie warmer at EuroLounge in Armadale. Picture: Nathan Dyer
TRADITIONAL BEEF ($5.60) at Candied Bakery
Five layers of flaky pastry that top the pies at Candied Bakery herald the fact they are something special indeed.
“We make the pastry on-site, made with butter, of course,” owner Orlando Artavilla says.
“It takes two days to make; we rest it overnight and use it on the third day.”
That patience pays off with a tasty, structured base that is their take on a Four’N Twenty pie.
A touch of Vegemite in the slow-cooked gravy adds depth and character, while the organic beef (from Cherry Tree butchers) is a mix of chunky mince and hefty pieces for texture.
“We played around with the recipe for months before we got it right. We just wanted to make a really good meat pie.”
Well, they most certainly have done that.
81A Hudsons Rd, Spotswood, 9391 1335
Owner Orlando Artavilla of Candied Bakery in Spotswood admires a stack of traditional beef pies. Photo: Janine eastgate
CANADIAN MAPLE BEEF PIE ($5.20) at Rolf’s Pies
For more than 20 years Damien Portwine has been getting up well before dawn to make an award-winning array of pies for which Rolf’s is famed.
And he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I love it. I prefer it to an office job,” he says. “I get to be a chef, a cake decorator, and a pastry chef, all in the one.”
As popular today as they were when the doors opened 35 years ago, there’s an extensive range of pies of all flavours, quiches and flavoured sausage rolls, but it’s the Canadian Maple pie that we love best.
Coarse mince steak (“we’ve used the same retail butcher for 15 years”) is marinated in maple syrup before being cooked with onions, giving the filling an alluring sweet savouriness.
“We make everything from scratch; the recipes we use are the same as they were 35 years ago. And people have been coming back to us for their favourites for all that time.”
181 Middleborough Rd, Box Hill South, 9898 3403
Rolf’s Pies baker Damon Portwine taste-tests one of his pies. Picture: Janine Eastgate
STEAK AND BACON ($5) at Tony’s Pies
Another stalwart who has been serving all the pies for 30 years, Tony Gavaghan learned the trade from his brother-in-law, Rolf Lie, of Rolf’s Pies fame.
And over in Essendon, Tony has been plying his craft ever since.
“The menu hasn’t changed that much over that time. People love the standards.”
And those standards come out of the oven at the rate of up to 200 at a time.
It’s hearty, honest fare; pies that are as easy to eat as they are tasty. Nicely meaty with a great smokiness, Tony’s steak and bacon is a beauty.
309 Buckley St, Essendon, 9937 1034
Tony's Pies owner and baker Tony Gavaghan shows off his wares. Photo: Janine Eastgate
CHUNKY ANGUS ($5.20) at Richmond Pie Shop
On a cold winter’s day before heading off to the ’G, footy fans have been stopping by the Richmond Pie Store and filling their bellies for more than 16 years.
Owner Quy Tran keeps the oven stocked full of pies, including the popular beef and curry, chilli beef and cheese, and beef burgundy versions, which are just three of almost 20 flavours offered.
The chunky Angus has diced beef in a flavourful gravy encased in hearty, hefty pastry.
It’s untricked up and workmanlike, but it’s a pie that will do the job of seeing you through four rainy quarters with ease.
200 Swan St, Richmond, 9421 2711
SLICE OF HEAVEN: Melbourne’s 10 best PIZZAS
BEST BUNS: Melbourne’s 10 best BURGERS
Trieu Tran tucks into a pie at Richmond Pie Shop. Picture: Nicole Cleary
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Goulburn COVID-19 exposure venue will reopen tomorrow after deep clean HANNAH SPARKS 2 JUNE 2021
Trappers Bakery in Goulburn has been declared a COVID-19 exposure site. Photo: File.
The owner of Trappers Bakery in Goulburn says he’s concerned the business will take a financial hit after it was declared a coronavirus exposure venue on Tuesday (1 June).
Keith Woodman said he was “shocked” after being told by NSW Health a positive case had visited the bakery for a short time on Monday, 24 May.
“Financially, it’s not good. The Woodman family has done it pretty tough in the past 18 months with the bushfires first and now COVID-19,” Mr Woodman said.
The family-owned business closed on Wednesday (2 June), for a comprehensive clean and to allow staff to get tested.
However, Mr Woodman said he was worried it was too late for the deep clean to work, given it had been more than a week since the person from Melbourne, who has since returned a positive COVID-19 test, visited the bakery.
“We’re doing the right thing, nevertheless,” he said.
Mr Woodman said the consolation was that staff from the Goulburn business hadn’t gone to work at the family’s Braidwood Bakery since the exposure.
Even Mr Woodman, who is in his 70s and usually at the bakery every day, was in Cowra on 24 May.
“That was probably a good thing, so I don’t have to worry about it,” he said.
Keith Woodman
Owner Keith Woodman said it was lucky he wasn’t at the bakery on the day of the exposure. Photo: File.
Staff at Trappers Bakery were also able to fill bread orders for local businesses and make the pies for the Braidwood Bakery on Wednesday, which meant the business didn’t lose all of its income.
Mr Woodman said Trappers Bakery would reopen on Thursday.
“It’s been full-on, but hopefully, we’re back to normal tomorrow. Yes, we will lose financially, but otherwise, it will all be good,” he said.
The critical locations are:
Trapper’s Bakery, Sowerby Street, Goulburn – 10:30 am to 11:.30 am, Monday, 24 May.
Crooked Goose Cafe (formerly Hyams Beach Cafe), 76 Cyrus Street, Hyams Beach – 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, Sunday, 23 May.
READ ALSO: South Coast cafe dealt blow after thieves steal coffee and food
aboutregional.com.au/goulburn-covid-19-exposure-venue-wil...
'We are going to have a massive problem': restaurant industry calls for public health order on staff vaccination DANI VALENT September 10 2021
Taj Clayton and Emily Gilmour from Pretzel food store on Chapel St in South Yarra. Restaurant workers are getting vaccinated so they can come back to work and feel safe. Photo: Scott McNaughton
Hospitality business owners in Melbourne and Sydney know that reopening is tied to vaccination rates, but many are unsure how this applies to their staff.
"We work in an industry that can't socially distance but we are in the dark," says Rebecca Lines, owner of Sydney bar Tequila Daisy, which will launch when the city reopens.
"We hear a lot about vaccinated customers but not about staff. We are going to have a massive problem on our hands if we open without clear rules."
"We don't have lawyers at our disposal," says Tequila Daisy co-owner Rebecca Lines. Photo: Rhett Wyman
Restaurant and Catering Industry Association chief executive Wes Lambert is also seeking clarity.
"Hospitality needs guidelines and direction, including public health orders, that will define the requirements around vaccination," he says. "Vaccination of both customers and staff is the fastest, safest way to get hospitality opened in a Delta environment."
There are no public health orders in Victoria or NSW mandating COVID-19 vaccination for hospitality workers.
"The vast consensus is that it's all positive." Kingsleys venue manager, Ryan Adams with co-worker Teddy Hepworth at the Woolloomooloo restaurant. Photo: Louise Kennerley
The only rule that comes close is the requirement from September 20 that authorised workers in Sydney's local government areas of concern have at least one dose or a medical exemption to leave their area to work.
The FairWork Ombudsman steers employers away from mandating vaccination among their employees. "Employers should exercise caution if they're considering making COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory in their workplace and get their own legal advice," it says.
"The government is pushing it onto business," says Rebecca Lines. "Most restaurants aren't equipped to make those decisions. We are not like Telstra [which has announced it is mandating vaccines for frontline staff]. We don't have lawyers at our disposal."
FairWork encourages a "collaborative approach in the workplace that includes discussing, planning and facilitating COVID-19 vaccinations" and many workplaces are doing just that.
Pretzel owner Brittany Garbutt is aiming for a 98 per cent vaccination rate among her Victorian workforce of 87 staff, all aged under 28, in five quick-service outlets.
"I weigh in quite heavily," says Garbutt. "I've shown them my vaccination, I share my feelings, my thoughts." She will reallocate shifts and even close a store to fit in with vaccination appointments. "I will bend the moon to get it done."
Restaurant and Catering Association chief executive Wes Lambert says the hospitality industry needs government guidelines and direction around staff vaccinaton. Photo: Dominic Lorrimer
Garbutt is tracking vaccination uptake with a software tool. "If we have outbreaks, we can quickly allocate shifts to vaccinated people and put unvaccinated people in more protected tasks so they are not so customer facing," she says.
Garbutt's legal advice is that she can't make vaccination compulsory but she does see a time when being jabbed will be a boon on a CV.
"I would prefer to employ people who are vaccinated," she says. "It should be valuable, like if someone has a great chef certificate. It shows me that you have others in mind and you're going to be safe at work."
Pretzel employee Emily Gilmour, 18, wouldn't have made the effort to get vaccinated without her boss's encouragement. "I didn't really think about it until she mentioned it to all the Pretzel staff," she says. "It really cut through. Now I'm vaccinated and it feels really good."
Australian Venue Company (AVC) owns pubs and restaurants around the country. A staff survey showed just two per cent of Melbourne staff (from a sample of 531) and one per cent of Sydney staff (from a sample of 77) intend to remain unvaccinated, even if mandated by the government.
"We are pro-vax," says the group's NSW manager Evan Gargaro. "We definitely need a solution and we believe this is it."
As well as a constant flow of pro-vaccination information, last week the company ran a $5000 raffle for double-vaccinated Sydney staff and will soon do the same in Melbourne.
"It's great that they are doing so much and promoting it to the staff," says Ryan Adams, venue manager at AVC's Kingsleys steak and seafood restaurant in Woolloomooloo. "It makes the staff feel a lot safer coming to work. The vast consensus is that it's all positive."
Not every business is on board. "I see it as none of my business what my staff do with their medical choices and their bodies," says Haley Aldred, owner of Bendigo bar El Gordo.
"I don't like people's freedoms being restricted based on their personal choices."
Aldred would be uncomfortable enforcing any government direction to require either staff or customers be vaccinated.
"I have concerns about the way it's being pushed. I think the government has gone about it the wrong way. It's threatening and scary."
James Sinclair is chief executive of Signature Hospitality Group, which owns TGI Fridays and Sporting Globe pubs in Victoria and NSW. He has no doubt that vaccination is the path forward for hospitality staff but is frustrated by flip-flopping messaging on the AstraZeneca vaccine and a lack of access to Pfizer.
"The narrative about AZ was really damaging early on," he says. "We've provided our employees with the current information on both vaccines but younger people still have a strong preference to get Pfizer."
The group is doing all it can to facilitate uptake. "We provide three hours paid leave to get vaccinated, two days extra sick leave if they are unwell afterwards and our human resources department helps them find bookings," he says.
"We have a huge duty of care to provide a safe workplace and will do everything in our power to achieve that."
www.goodfood.com.au/eat-out/news/we-are-going-to-have-a-m...
Sydney Eat Street: New restaurants open after lockdown delays. Jenifer Jagielski November 6, 2021 Sydney 'Sunday Telegraph'
With lockdown foiling plans for a timely opening, these places having been waiting for months to introduce their menus to eager diners.
video: Sydney hospitality sector ‘desperate’ for workers as venues fight over...
Adoni Media’s Leisa Goddard says hospitality venues are “desperate” for staff as they try to get back on their feet after months of Covid lockdowns. Daily Telegraph is reporting hospitality venues in Sydney are in a war for staff with some people picking up dozens of offers in a matter of hours. “I was shaking my head a few weeks back because there was a story where … a pizza restaurant in Bondi was offering $2,000 as an incentive for signing on and taking on the job in the cafe or the kitchen,” she said. “So that's a sign of how desperate our hospitality sector is. “This is their chance to try and get back on their feet if they’ve managed to survive all the lockdowns and actually still have a business to open the doors. “And now they have to try and find staff to get that business running.”
Take a tour of Sydney’s best eateries right here with Sunday Telegraph’s Eat Street. Are you hungry for more inspiration? Follow us on Instagram or Twitter #SydneyEatStreet
* Il Pontile. The enviable harbour view and elegant alfresco seating are certainly alluring, but for Il Pontile’s head chef and owner Mario Percuoco, it’s what goes on behind the scenes that truly sets the restaurant’s tone.
“The kitchen is the engine room of a restaurant, and if it’s not working, nothing works,” Mario says.
Il Pontile is the latest addition to Woolloomooloo Wharf, the Rodeo Drive of waterfront dining, swapping out the previous tenant’s (The Amalfi Way) cheery decor of navy blue and sunny yellow for a more sophisticated neutral palette.
It’s an evolution that called for a significant amount of manpower, but because of lockdown, the crew couldn’t even get in to paint, and when they could, most of the workers were from Western Sydney, so they weren’t able to travel to work anyway.
That left Mario with quite a bit of downtime, but instead of wallowing, he spent much of that time fine-tuning the menu, not just the dishes themselves but what he could expect from suppliers and kitchen staff.
Il Pontile translates to jetty/pier, appropriately named with all the superyachts that literally pull up for lunch which assuredly will include entrees of mussels, kingfish, and house-cured ocean trout followed by Mario’s signature dish, Linguine al Cartoccio, linguine with mixed seafood, baked in a parcel, brought to the table where the server deftly unfolds the paper to reveal a generous serving of pasta, prawns, calamari and more.
While the menu is rather seafood-centric, meat and vegetarian dishes have equal footing. Tuscan-style Black Angus T-bone to share, rigatoni with meat ragu and what has already become a house-favourite, Mozzarella in Carrozza, smoked mozzarella coated in breadcrumbs and served with confit cherry tomatoes. Definitely, hold out for dessert, one masterful Sfogliatelle Torta di Crema, layers of whisper-thin pastry filled with cream and topped with berries. It probably took all of lockdown to perfect, so there’s that.
— S2/6 Cowper Wharf Roadway, Woolloomooloo; ilpontile.com.au
Il Pontile’s linguine with seafood. Picture: Jenifer Jagielski
The fresh kingfish. Picture: Jenifer Jagielski
Mozzarella in Carrozza. Picture: Jenifer Jagielski
Il Pontile’s Sfogliatella. Picture: Jenifer Jagielski
* Malika Bakehouse. When the best-laid plans of a grand Turkish restaurant were derailed by lockdown, rather than lose momentum, Efe Topuzlu and Ozgur Sefkatli, the team behind renowned CBD Middle Eastern eatery Above Par, changed tracks and moved their efforts from the city to open an authentic Turkish bakery, Malika Bakehouse in Botany.
Every day, a team of Turkish bakers (as well as relatives who have been recruited to help get things going) prepare a large selection of freshly-baked pastries, many of which are family recipes that have been handed down through generations.
Once occupied by Deluca’s coffee roastery before it moved to a larger premise and passed the keys over to Efe and Ozgur, the cafe has been given a snazzy makeover with ochre orange walls and dark green accents.
In the cases, you’ll find a tantalising array of savoury and sweet pastries, including a range of borek – flaky filo pastry with a variety of savoury fillings, baklava – a sweet treat of filo pastry, filled with chopped pistachios, and honey, and acma, the Turkish version of a bagel.
Malika Bakehouse co-owners Efe Topuzlu and Ozgur Sefkatli. Picture: Jenifer Jagielski
You can get it all to take away, but while you’re there, you might as well grab a seat and hang out for breakfast which starts with a strong Turkish coffee or an espresso, adorned with skilful latte art (using Deluca coffee, of course) followed by such offerings as menemen - one-pan chilli-scrambled eggs, Simit Sandwiches, hand made gozleme or a Kofte Plate - Turkish style meatballs, muhammara, bulghur rice, and lavash.
All and all that should keep Efe and Ozgur busy till their next project comes along.
— 1631 Botany Rd, Botany; malikabakehouse.com.au
Malika Bakehouse’s pastries and coffee. Picture: Jenifer Jagielski
One of the savoury pastries. Picture: Jenifer Jagielski
Pastries with Turkish eggs. Picture: Jenifer Jagielski
Feta and olive Pogaca. Picture: Jenifer Jagielski
Pistachio baklava. Picture: Jenifer Jagielski
* Keel. It’s “a bar with purpose” … to be fair, most bars have a purpose for all those in attendance, but The Keel’s ethos runs a little deeper than most. For co-owner Dylan Flood it’s “a way to give back to the broader community and operate with a sustainable ecological, social and economic footprint”.
That means profits from the bar and event space go to local and environmental charities.
Enjoy a cocktail at Keel. Picture: Jenifer Jagielski
Even the nautically-themed bar was made with environmental practices in mind as the team behind The Keel are also builders who happen to be quite adept at working with reclaimed timber as well as renovating in accordance with heritage codes, which is particularly important given the location dates back to the mid-1800s as a former “Sailor’s Home”.
Befitting the trade of the time, the bar features rum in all its glory, including cocktails such as Horace (Ginger Buck) concocted with Surry Hills-based distillery Brix’s Spiced Rum, housemade ginger syrup, and lemon Juice or a vegan-friendly Rum Sour that utilises the aqua fibre from the housemade hummus as a replacement for egg whites.
Order your drinks, then find a spot out on the balcony which boasts a view of the Harbour Bridge and Circular Quay or head downstairs for the alfresco garden seating. Feel free to linger a little longer.
With 20 per cent of profits going back to the community, you can work your way down the cocktail list guilt-free with charitable causes such as ‘buy one, plant one tree’.
Keel has garnered some serious support from local and national businesses, so keep an eye out for a slew of creative initiatives … and more rum.
— 106 George St, The Rocks; thekeel.bar
The Keel dips. Picture: Jenifer Jagielski
* Frank Mac’s. Some light a candle, others compose a poem, but for Ciara Doran, co-owner of nearby hotspot, The Doss House, opening a bar and naming it after her great uncle, Frank Mac, well, that takes homage to a whole new level.
For Ciara, the bar’s co-owner, it seemed rather appropriate given he was known around the Irish village he called home as quite a colourful character who was quick with a story and all things newsworthy, much of which was relayed from his designated stool at the local watering hole.
But, as with many villages, the pub wasn’t just for a pint, says Ciara, it also served as general store, post, and an overall community centre.
“We used that concept as inspiration for Frank Mac’s, so it has the playful spirit of my uncle Frank and the warmth of hospitality you’d expect from somewhere you’ve been frequenting for years,” says Ciara, noting that each area of the bar reflects the many aspects of Frank’s former hangout — from the white and bright gin and cocktail bar upstairs to the deep leather lounges and dark woods you’d expect from a luxe and moody home “library, and even a number of tables and chairs in the lower garden courtyard or out along George St.
Individual cheesecakes. Picture: Steven Woodburn
With a comprehensive gin menu, upscale bar snack such as Guinness meat pies and generous charcuteries boards, as well as a decor that defines “details”, you’d think that lockdown would have been a catastrophe for Frank Mac’s opening, however, Ciara explains that they were quite fortunate that much of “build” was able to have been offsite.
A tick more difficult was the development of more than 100 juniper blends made with ingredients and distillers around the globe. So, if there is one good thing to come out of lockdown, it’s that they were able to refine the cocktail list with housemade syrups, cordials, and bitter, even developing a clear Worcester sauce to use in the summertime version of Bloody Mary, the Mary Magdalene cocktail. Frank would be proud.
— 83 George St, The Rocks; frankmacs.com.au
Frank Mac's toasties. Picture: Steven Woodburn
Frank Mac's offers a selection of foods. Picture: Steven Woodburn
* Cash Only Diner
They have run a successful speak-easy-style bar in Sydney’s CBD for many years but Burrow Bar owners Chau Tran and Bryce McDonough decided to branch out into the restaurant business.
After moving their award-winning cocktail and spirits bar from Clarence St to a basement on Barrack St, Sydney, earlier this year the pair were told the street level space was also available so they decided to follow their dream of opening a Vietnamese restaurant.
So the Cash Only Diner was created but its opening had to be put on hold due to lockdown.
Chau, whose family hails from the Hue region, helped create a menu which highlights authentic regional dishes, inspired by her mum’s recipes.
Now, with a team of chefs from Rockpool, Spice Temple and Quay, Cash Only offers dishes using fresh ingredients to create a blend of sweet and savoury dishes, focusing on taste and texture.
Diners can pick from a share menu with entrees — like their delicious spring rolls which include chunks of prawn and minced pork with a crunchy exterior — as well as chicken wings, pork terrine, pickled salads or the Hue baby clam rice.
Some of the mains include a fish in a clay hot pot, served in a caramelised sauce, and traditional crispy savoury pancakes, with crunchy prawns inside.
Their enterprise now incorporates the restaurant and bar, where bar patrons can order some dishes from the upstairs menu or diners can order cocktails and other alcoholic beverages to pair with their meals.
— 1 Barrack St, Sydney; instagram.com/cash.only.diner
A selection of share dishes at Cash Only Diner. Picture: Supplied
The Hue baby clam rice and spring rolls. Picture: Supplied
* Lady Banks Rooftop. Take your quest for outdoor drinks to the next at Lady Banks, Sydney’s largest rooftop bar.
Relax amidst romantic floral installations inspired by The Lady Banks rose, so named for Lady Dorthea Banks, the wife of botanist Sir Joseph Banks.
While you take in the expansive view over the city towards the Blue Mountains, enjoy a broad selection of wines, beers, and cocktails - including ones made with their own blend of rum or with an Archie Rose gin made specifically for Lady Banks Rooftop - alongside dishes from the new Middle Eastern inspired menu.
Graze on a “Mezze Board” and a selection of share plates or tuck into a 1.3kg “Pinnacle Tomahawk Steak”. Day or night, this stands to be Greater Sydney’s next oasis.
— Bankstown Sports, 8 Greenfield Pde, Bankstown; bankstownsports.com.au
* Lola’s Level 1. Any table with a view of Bondi Beach is always a hot ticket, few more so than Campbell Parade’s new Mediterranean bar, dining and terrace venue, Lola’s.
Whether it’s an afternoon drink and oysters; dinner with the family, or a long lunch with friends, guests are sure to enjoy a menu filled with a wide range of share plates - from smaller sized portions with dishes such as burrata with citrus and basil, or Catabric anchovies with piquillo peppers and larger plates of steak with chimichurri sauce; and lamb skewers.
There’s a strong cocktail focus as well as 20 wines by the glass. And all just in time for a Bondi summer.
— Level 1, 180-186 Campbell Parade, Bondi; lolaslevel1.com.au
Lady Banks Rooftop meal. Picture: Facebook
Lola's lasagnette. Picture: Nikki To
* Tiny’s. Good things come in small packages, but really good things come in tiny bottles. Judging by the proliferation of pre-mixed drinks during lockdown many a cocktail-lover will concur.
Rather than revert back to old-school ways, Tiny’s has embraced what started off as a practicality and run with the single-serve solution - a fun, funky and high-style bar stocked with Tiny’s own “tiny cocktail bottles” including the classic Manhattan, Espresso Martini and
Old Fashioned and revamped versions of a Rum Negroni and G & Tea plus their signature concoction vodka-based Molotov Cocktail.
Tiny's Dry Martin. Picture: ifandwhen.co
By day it’s breakfast and lunch with Single O coffees and premium sandwiches, but when the sun goes down, the party starts, first with one of the Tiny bottles and garnished glass brought to your table and later share plates of tuna sashimi, steak tartare, kingfish Crudo, charcuterie and cheese boards.
Beer and wine are available, but where’s the fun in that?
— 1/55 Clarence Street, Sydney; tinyssandwichbar.com.au
* Casa Merida and Santa Catarina After four long months, the team behind Mexican eateries across Sydney (Calita, Carbon, Taqiza and Sonora) can finally introduce two new endeavours.
* Casa Mérida. With a nod to Mayan history, specifically around the city of Merida, this 70-seat venue hones the look of imposing stone with opulent gold so often associated with the ancient culture.
True to the region, the menu is also a reflection of Mayan cuisine with dishes such as market fish ceviche, a range of tacos including Mayan octopus, chicken, and jackfruit, and Cochinita
Pibil (signature pork cochinita cooked al pib with frijol colado and fermented onions).
Enjoy some Mexican food at Casa Merida. Picture: Trent van der Jagt
Rare Mezcals and tequilas will be highlights of the drinks list, including a literal “top-shelf” bottle that goes for $300-$400 a shot while cocktails draw heavily on the tropical products found in the Merida Region.
And in line with The Milpa Collective’s other venues, there is also an extensive list of Margaritas, Latin American classic cocktails, and Australian wines.
— 5 Kellett St, Potts Point; casamerida.com.au
* Santa Catarina. You have to be pretty committed to put authentic Mexican Mole Madre on your menu, considering it requires over 50 ingredients and a comprehensive understanding of Oaxacan cooking techniques, but that very dish is one of the highlights of this 100-seat mezcal bar’s
share-menu selection along with charred octopus on a fresh guacamole bed with queso fresco; Memelitas De Chapulin (Gold crickets on a thin, dry roasted masa bed, with queso salado and pork rind spread); and Tlayuda Con Tasajo (Handmade 30cm crispy toasted tortilla with pork rind spread, Oaxaca cheese, beans puree and wagyu flank steak).
What’s on the menu at Santa Catarina. Picture: Trent van der Jagt
And seeing as Oaxaca provides the majority of the world’s Mezcal, you’ll find a lengthy list of popular, rare and exclusive varieties … as well as heaps of margaritas.
— Shop 1/152-156 Clarence St, Sydney; santacatarina.com.au
* Burger Room. Remember a time when we could actually travel beyond Australian borders? If so, then that
gives you an indication of how long this American-style burger joint has been in the works, as it was a trip to New York City with all its food trucks and diners that the idea for Burger Room was born.
Finally, nearly two years on, Western Sydney gets a taste of The Big Apple with quality hamburgers, fried chicken, French Fries, and milkshakes.
Shop 2/32 Flushcombe Rd, Blacktown; burgerroom.com.au
Burger Room’s menu includes burgers and friend chicken. Picture: Supplied
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Sweet-Ness Cafe customer allegedly smashes window after being asked to wear mask Claudia Williams January 8 2022
Cafe owner calls for respect after customer allegedly smashes window
A Wynyard business has made the decision to close its doors for a day after a customer allegedly smashed a window after being asked to wear a mask.
The cafe is among a growing number of Coastal businesses closing their doors for COVID related reasons.
In a social media post Sweet-Ness Cafe owner Vanessa Bassett said her staff had been shaken by the "traumatic event" on Friday.
"A man decided to abuse the staff and then smash our front window today, because he was asked to follow the mandatory rule of putting his mask on," she said in the post.
"I want to thank my staff ... they are doing an outstanding job, with all the constant changes, the vigilant cleaning to protect every customer, putting up with disgruntled customers over mask wearing, and I am sorry that you had to [be] put in this position."
A Tasmania Police spokesman said police attended a report of a damaged window on Goldie Street about noon on Friday and were following a line of inquiry
Ms Bassett thanked the customers that appreciated the measures they were taking to protect the community.
"All of us local businesses are just doing what we are told to do, under mandatory rules," she said in the post.
"Local business owners and their staff are really doing their absolute best, in the circumstances that we are in at the moment, please respect that."
Several business across the Coast have closed their doors on account of COVID.
Tourist attraction Hellyers Road Distillery has closed its restaurant and visitor centre temporarily due to a COVID instance.
Devonport restaurant Mr.Wok N Roll announced on social media it would close from Friday to Tuesday.
"After the Tasmania border opened, COVID-19 is spreading fast in our community. Not only for our staff and customers safety but also, we are very short-staffed," they said on social media."
Business Northwest's Justin McErlain said a variety of businesses were finding it very difficult in the current climate with staffing a "major issue" and gaps being difficult to fill.
www.examiner.com.au/story/7574185/cafe-owner-calls-for-re...
