The wow and yum factors have just gone up another notch at Grünthal Brew with the announcement that two of Adelaide’s most exciting young chefs, Jon Kimber and Ricky Mahajan, will create their culinary magic in the venue’s Verdun restaurant.
The news follows last month’s exciting revelation that family-owned South Australian boutique winery, Hesketh Wines, will operate its signature cellar door at Grünthal Brew when it opens next month.
Grünthal Brew’s Sheree Sullivan also announced that respected restaurateur Michael Johns – formerly of noted establishments such as Melbourne’s Richmond Oyster Bar and Adelaide’s Bread Bone and Grill and Jolleys Boathouse – will bring his legendary customer service to the venue as Restaurant Manager.
She has hailed Michael’s appointment, along with those of Jon and Ricky as head chef and sous chef respectively, as “further key steps towards delivering on our promise of being one of South Australia’s most exciting new food and drink tourism destinations.”
“With just weeks to go before we open to the public, we’re thrilled at becoming part of an emerging cluster of high-quality venues that showcase some of the Adelaide Hills’ finest produce,” she said.
“We’re confident our presence will strengthen the region’s reputation as a premier hospitality tourism area, and the appointment of Jon, Ricky and Michael is a great step in taking us closer to that goal.”
Grünthal Brew is the brainchild of Sheree and her husband Saul, whose names are synonymous with the multi-award-winning Udder Delights Cheese Cellar in Hahndorf, which will now also be accommodated on the Verdun site that was once home to Grumpy’s Brewhouse.
Chefs Jon and Ricky have previously worked together and not only enjoy great culinary synergy but a shared passion for bringing creativity into their cooking and calling on fresh local produce to impart a delicious cocktail of flavours.
Jon, whose love affair with food blossomed when he first experienced the workings of a kitchen on a high school outing to the Hilton Brisbane, was so instantly smitten that he left within weeks to accept an apprenticeship at the hotel and has not looked back.
That was some 15 years ago, his more recent journey having taken him through head chef positions in Melbourne and at Adelaide restaurants such as Georges on Waymouth and, most recently, Fred Eatery in Aldgate.
Local chef Ricky was head chef at Il Camino in Walkerville immediately prior to joining the Grünthal team and has had previous stints at both Nido and The Currant Shed.
The duo’s inaugural menu promises to be one that delights all palates but has a bias towards Casual Modern Australian that pairs well with beer and wine.
“We’re looking to bring our adventurous spirit into the menu while paying homage to the many fantastic fresh ingredients the Adelaide Hills region is renowned for,” Jon said.
Among the tasty dishes on the menu are the Crunchy Olives stuffed with Heysen Blue, Japanese Karaage Chicken, a slow roasted Steak sando using local bacon and chutney, a fall apart lamb shoulder, Lobster Mini Brioche Rolls, Smoked Butternut Pumpkin, the infamous Truffle Cheddar Toastie, a grazing board using regional pates and terrines and of course a pizza menu showcasing Udder Delights’ award-winning cheeses and much more.
When it opens in March, Grünthal Brew will be headlined by the Grünthal Brewery and Bar and the Udder Delights Cheese Cellar and complemented by the casual, family-friendly eatery and Hesketh Wines cellar door. The latter has a signature selection of Adelaide Hills varieties such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Nebbiolo Bianco and a vintage and non-vintage sparkling offering; and limited releases of Penola Cabernet, a Lobethal Chardonnay, an Ebenezer Barossa Shiraz and Jimi’s Ferment Fumé Blanc. Two wine flights have been curated, with many of the wines available by the glass, and all by the bottle.
Grünthal Brew also features the Grünthal Green House that can be booked for private functions and tourism experiences, including cheesemaking and future beer making classes; and half an acre of landscaped backyard overlooking the Onkaparinga River, where children can roam while adults soak up the sun in a relaxed and casual setting.
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