Boydell's head chef Paula Rengger has been busy. Last month the Morpeth restaurant and cellar door launched a new "dining direction" featuring share plates and an all-day dining menu.
"We felt it was the right time to expand our offering and the new menu embraces a more relaxed and approachable dining experience," Boydell's vigneron and owner Daniel Maroulis says.
Menu highlights include the beef tartare with vegetable crisps and horseradish; crisp octopus with salt cod brandade and sherry glazed chorizo; and rainbow trout with kipfler potato, green beans and blood orange butter almonds.
Dessert? Think goats' cheese parfait with pistachio, green tea and strawberry; tipsy blood orange with campari bavarois and raspberry crush; and Bay of Fires cheddar with bacon jam, pickled walnuts and crisp bread.
In addition, Boydell's has debuted its The Gathering menu, where guests can select their choice of up to four dishes. This menu is priced at $65 per person or $100 per person with paired wines.
"We're serving similar food but with a different strategy, and making things more approachable. We have new price points, and the food offering is not as structured or as formal as before," Rengger says.
"People want choices, so we have some inexpensive menu items and some top-end items. The Gathering has been very popular as it allows people to taste more things and, at the end of the day, it's good value for money."
The Scottish-born chef's menu is contemporary and seasonally focused. Having started her working life in jewellery design, she enjoys adding a modern, creative edge to more traditional dishes and flavour combinations.
"I tend to use my traditional Scottish background more during the winter months. In summer the ingredients speak for themselves, they've got to be fresh and vibrant," she says.
"Last week I put a kingfish ceviche with yuzu gel, sweet potato puree, a little bit of coconut, a little bit of chilli, chilli threads and finger lime caviar on the specials board to test the waters and it was popular.
"The new all-day dining focus means if people want to come in and share one plate with a glass of wine, that's no problem."
The restaurant is also hosting more collaborations with wineries, including Boydell's x Angullong: The Ultimate Wine Off on November 28. The dinner will feature stories and expertise from Maroulis and Ben Crossing, of Angullong Wines, 10 wines and a four-course (plus canapes) menu which includes snapper ceviche, lobster medallion, spiced duck and truffled Manchego.
"I'm fond of the spiced duck, which will be served with blackberries and nettles," Rengger says. "It's going to be a fairly traditional dish but it will bring in the new season blackberries, with a nice spiced rub on top."
Tickets are $180 per person and on sale now at boydells.com.
