MENU DESIGN: ORRONG HOTEL

Orrong Hotel goes back to the future

The new menu of Armadale favourite, the Orrong Hotel, takes inspiration from 70s classics, the local area and the venue itself.

-By Seamus May.

BANGERS AND mash, mini pies, and a cornichon and Kabana platter – you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a house party in the 70s, not Melbourne in 2022.

Operating partner of the Orrong Hotel, Scott Connolly, explains that the new menu responds to a perceived local need. “It really comes down to the pub and the neighbourhood. We identified when we went into the pub that, first and foremost, our area was lacking a traditional retro sort of pub. There’s some great offers in the area, but we thought there was a little bit of a gap in the market there,” Connolly says. The menu also speaks to a sense of traditionalism within both the hotel, and the operators –Connolly and his business partner Matt Vero.

“Secondly, the pub itself is just a beautiful old Art Deco hotel, and when we renovated it (it was really more of a restoration than a renovation) we brought it back to where it was traditionally. Thirdly, it just suits us as who are – we all came up in pubs in the previous generation and we love it.”

Connolly also owns Moore Street Tavern in the Latrobe Valley, while Vero operates the Marquis of Lorne, Union House and the Mount Erica Hotel.

The new menu at the Orrong Hotel has been overseen by chef Phillip Latta (formerly of Wolfe & Molone). “He’s taken to it like a duck to water,” Connolly says.

“We like to mix some of the older style things and the retro stuff with some newer items. With each new menu, we tweak it as we go, and in some cases we’ve leaned a little bit further into the retro, and in other cases we’ve got something a bit newer.”

The retro fit-out of the Orrong Hotel

The Orrong Hotel changes its menu every season, with the spring rendition looking ahead to sharing meals with loved ones as the warmer weather kicks in. Indeed, two of Connolly’s favourite dishes can be shared.

“I’m a sucker for lamb, and we’ve got a beautiful shared lamb dish,” the operator says.

“And some of our bar snacky stuff – like we’ve got this great 70s-inspired platter, that’s cornichons, pickled onions and Kabana – exactly what you’d expect to be served if you went to your nana’s house. Honestly it’s great for people having a casual drink after work, it’s a great little snack,” Connolly continues.

“So much of what we do is about community and sharing, so we absolutely could be looking more towards that direction.”

The seasonal menu has been a veritable hit with guests too, as Connolly illustrates, saying: “From Wednesday through to Sunday, [the venue] is normally totally booked.”

While Connolly says there has been some difficulty securing front of house staff, the kitchen team is settled.

The 70s inspired platter is a big hit

“Our head chef, Phillip Latta, runs a great team and they seem to be at the moment very stable.”

And in general, Connolly feels a sense of optimism about the future of Melbourne’s hospitality scene.

“It’s a great time to be a publican in Melbourne. People are back and raring to go, and everyone’s missed that sense of community – we’re excited for what’s coming next year, and beyond.”