IN FOCUS // Lode Pies
Another piece of the pie Lumi Dining’s Federico Zanellato has opened a pie shop that celebrates the chef’s cult pastry — the pithivier. WORDS Aristine Dobson
MAKING PASTRY IS an intricate and laborious task. The trick is to
take it layer by layer, folding then rolling to build a delicate stack of butter and dough. It is a crucial component of a pithivier, a classic
French pie that can be sweet or savoury. The complex creation has
been career-altering for Lumi Dining’s Head Chef Federico Zanellato. The item first featured on Lumi’s degustation menu and is the
centerpiece for Zanellato’s new venture Lode Pies, which is slated to open in Sydney’s Surry Hills this year.
When Zanellato first began making pithivier, there were many
trial and error sessions in the kitchen. He went on to master the
technique and create a sought-after menu item. “When we went into the first lockdown, we put it on the online menu at Lumi,” says Zanellato. “It was so popular we just couldn’t keep up the production because everything was made by hand.”
The crowd response was overwhelming, and requests were soon
made to buy the item outside of dining at the restaurant. The chef listened and is in the midst of launching Lode Pies, which will
focus on classic French pastries and comfort food that reference his early career. “When I was working at The Ritz London, there were a lot of these kinds of pastries, but I was never allowed to touch
any of those unfortunately,” says Zanellato. “I was very young back then and there were always very skilled and talented chefs looking after the pithiviers and all that stuff.”
Unlike traditional bakeries, Lode will hit pause on bread and instead revolve around Zanellato’s signature puff pastry and
croissant dough in varying forms. “Some people use shortcrust
pastry to do the pie, but I’ve always loved the flakiness and the flavour of puff pastry,” says the chef. 8 | Hospitality
