8 minute read
MENU DESIGN: SINCLAIR'S AT THE LOG CABIN
Where a dish comes from
Sinclair’s at The Log Cabin celebrates local farmers and growers – showcasing produce and protein from within 50km of the venue in Sydney’s greater west.
WHEN THE Log Cabin in Penrith was reopened by Laundy Hotels and their local partners in 2022 –the pub had been razed by a fire in 2012 – a more premium restaurant offer was always a part of the plan.
Group executive chef Jamie Gannon was tasked with coming up with the concept of the menu. He wanted to bring something with inner-city panache to western Sydney, that also stayed true to the local area. Thus the concept for Sinclair’s was born – a restaurant that, in each dish, would hero produce of all kinds grown within 50km of the pub.
“It was important to me because I’m all about the local growers,” explains Gannon.
“I don’t come from Sydney originally, but understanding the industry I knew that there was lots of growers in this area that have really disappeared. It’s taken me 12 months to get someone that believes in what we as a business believe in, which is that we’re always keeping the integrity of the produce as well. So it’s important as an educational piece for the area, and for our growth.”
When he came up with the idea, Gannon reached out to Luke Kohler, the managing director of Sydney Fresh Direct, one of the leading fruit and vegetable providers in New South Wales. Kohler, who is passionate about championing good produce and the agricultural work behind it, was right on board with the idea.
“I love it, because it’s exactly what I’m always trying to get people to do. Because I’ve learnt over the last 15 years what it takes just to grow something,” states Kohler.
“Use apples, for example. The passion that goes into that apple to get the premium quality or the flavour is huge. And I found a newfound respect for that apple, where I used to just see it as a commodity to be bought and sold. Not anymore. No way. There’s blood, sweat and tears going into getting that apple to the market. And I feel that that we’ve now taken Jamie and his chefs, and the front of house staff, on that process.”
When working on the menu, Gannon and Kohler visited 20 producers, whittling it down to a list of 10 producers that Sinclair’s buys off seasonally, that have bought in to the restaurant’s concept.
“They’re keen to work with us. They’re proud to come here. It’s that connection between likeminded people. And I think it’s just important for the industry,” states Gannon.
Proteins have also been sourced within the 50kms, including suckling pig and other cuts of pork from Taluca Park in the Southern Highlands. Farmers Frank and Annemarie Vigliante took Gannon on a tour of Taluca Park, where they found they were on the same page with the executive chef.
“I just think that the chefs that we work with have that nose-to-tail approach. And we don’t like any wastage of the animals there. We like the whole animal used and a lot of these chefs really do that, they use nose to tail and that’s great. We love to see their finished product,” explains Annemarie.
Location, location, location
Put into action, the Sinclair’s menu is a sophisticated take on modern Australian fare – very much the kind of restaurant you would visit in the city. Gannon said he drew inspiration from places like Bistecca in Sydney’s CBD – but bringing that higher end of dining to Penrith took some adjustment.
“Thankfully some of the owners really believed in what we were trying to do. From day one we said this is going to be a hard slog because of where we are, bringing something from Sydney over to Penrith. It’s not the norm. We’ve adjusted our pricing to try and get as far as we can, without being silly.”
The menu at Sinclair’s is peppered with items where the provenance of the produce is highlighted. Dishes include items like a 36-hour pork Scotch with Bugeja purple kale and local verde; a Windsor dry-aged duck breast with white radish and burnt orange; Arcadia free range chicken with romesco, rainbow chard and smoked almonds; or a Hawkesbury pumpkin Basque cheesecake. The backs of the menus also include an illustrated map of where the produce comes from.
For Sam Grima, of Grima’s Farm Fresh Produce – located only 15km away at Horsley Park, having that acknowledgement on the menu comes with a sense of pride.
“It’s good to know where your produce goes, and that local people eat your produce – that we’re feeding people in Sydney’s greater west. For us, it’s a bit more than just being a grower then. You actually enjoy looking for new things and looking outside the box for the chefs.”
James Vassallo of Gourmet Herbs in Freemans Ridge agrees, stating it’s a nod of appreciation for all the hard work farmers put in to create good produce.
“It brings great pride – there’s not a lot of publicity of agriculture other than when there are shortages. Growers tend to get left out, like my mother, Jane Vassallo. My mother wakes up at 3am in the summer to beat the heat, to pick and pack. So to see our name on something makes you feel good and feel humble, knowing that everything we’re doing, someone is appreciating it.”
Diner buy-in
But do diners care? From a cynical standpoint, at the very least it’s another point of difference, another hook, to get people in the door – and in fact when the restaurant was first launched it was a hook that helped get people into Sinclair’s from all over Sydney. But Gannon feels that even if people show only a passing interest, that it makes them think a little more about where their food comes from.
“There’s people that come in now and have no idea where their food comes from. That say the cucumber salad they’re having is grown by Mary in Horsley Park, and that she’s a fourth-generation cucumber farmer. I think it makes it a little bit special,” he says.
“We’ve tried to educate as much as we can, and I think we’ve done a really good job for the area in doing that. I just think it’s important that people here appreciate what they’ve got around them.”
That being said, it’s still a night out and the front-of-house staff know not to overload guests with information.
“They’re not going to repeat the whole story, but the front-ofhouse staff have been taught about the producers we work with. And if a customer shows interest, they’ll engage with them a little on one of the producers we’re working with.”
For farmers like the Vigliantes at Taluca Park, that little bit of engagement can make all the difference.
“I think it’s great. I think people are becoming more aware of what they’re eating and where it’s coming from,” states Annemarie.
“And if people can have that access into, okay, this comes from Taluca Park and look it up and say, ‘Oh, well, you know, we might be paying a little bit more, but the quality of the products is really nice’. And they can looking us up on Instagram, or wherever, and see how the animals were raised. I think that makes a difference.”
Constructive feedback
Working with chefs all over Sydney and making weekly deliveries, the Vigliantes said that getting feedback from the chefs they partner with was critical in ensuring that their products were top quality every time.
“We really love the feedback. Frank’s out there talking to all the chefs and making sure that everything’s fine and if there’s something we can do to improve it. Is there too much fat on the pork? Is the pork too dry? We’re constantly working with the chef’s just to make sure that we’re still producing amazing produce. And those close relationships we have with them makes a difference.”
Chef’s table launch
With the popularity of Sinclair’s on the rise, and with the right staff in place, Gannon and head chef Scott Mills will be launching a Chef’s Table menu in July.
With bench seating for six people in front of the Mibrasa Parrilla open grill that the Sinclair’s menu is based on, the multiple-course, share plate Chef’s Table menu will be served up for $120 per person Friday and Saturday nights.
One chef will head up the Chef’s Table session, and will cook whatever they like with the produce on hand.
On the day Australian Hotelier visited, Gannon cooked up a test Chef’s Table menu for his producer partners, which included the 36-hour pork Scotch, suckling pig, roasted carrots and a radish salad. The meal was topped off with Sinclair’s famed Wagon Wheel.
“I want it to change every night. Basically the chef will come in and, with whatever’s in the fridge, their creativity will be unleashed. The shackles are off, you just need to honour the ingredients.”
The Chef’s Table menu is expected to be a hit with some of the restaurant’s regulars, and would well suit couples wanting a special experience.
