Cooking over fire at Iron Gate Kitchen 'speaks to the soul'
It wasn't an easy decision for Joey Ingram and Lara Hagan to leave Pokolbin restaurant Circa 1876 to bring Iron Gate Kitchen to life.
Similarly, restaurant manager Harrison Plant left the hatted EXP. restaurant to take on a general manager role at Iron Gate Estate at Pokolbin's first restaurant.
"For me, it was opportunity and potential that drew me across," executive chef Ingram explained.
"While Circa is one of the most, if not the most, significant restaurants in the Valley, having launched the great Robert Molines, this was an opportunity to not just be a part of Hunter Valley dining history, but to create part of its history.
"It was an emotional decision to move on from Circa after only 12 months, yes, but it's an institution of a restaurant, and it will be fine and continue to thrive.
"This was an opportunity to create something that's a little bit more aligned with my own personal beliefs in dining, that's what really attracted me."
Cooking over fire is a passion of Ingram's, and it's what brings Iron Gate Kitchen's Mediterranean-inspired menu to life. He says it's a "really beautiful, intuitive way to cook" that "shows a lot of honesty ... there's nowhere to hide".
He is also in favour of offering diners a broad and flexible menu that caters for walk-ins and differing budgets.
"That spontaneous market is what we want to tap into, in terms of our approachability," he said.
"We are doing a refined offering but we want to position ourselves in a more premium-casual part of the market.
"We've done away with a mandatory set menu and that spend-per-head direction that I think was a bit of a hanger-on from COVID, when there were capacity restrictions. I don't necessarily think that's aligned with pure hospitality.
"We want people to be able to come in, have a glass of wine and a plate of octopus, and be in and out for under $40 in under 40 minutes.
"If they want to settle in for longer, they are welcome to. We want people to be able to use the restaurant in a way that works for them."
Lara, who is head chef at Iron Gate Kitchen, said she could not pass up an opportunity to "make a mark on where I see the hospitality industry is going".
"Having creative freedom so early on in my career, and the opportunity to lead a team, I had to do it. Also, I quite like intuitive cooking ... there's something that speaks to the soul when you cook over fire," she said.
The menu at Iron Gate Kitchen is inspired by Mediterranean cooking and complements the varietals produced by Iron Gate Estate, however, there are "little twists on things" in terms of presentation and approach.
"We're seeing the Hunter winegrowing region really lean into those Mediterranean varietals. It's very Mediterranean in climate anyway, so for us it makes sense," Ingram said.
"We make no statement that we are traditionally Spanish - we are cooking from that region, but we are trying to tap into the emotions of Spanish dining without necessarily having to be locked into traditional rules.
"Our food is lightly perfumed by smoke, rather than being low and slow, and while there are some large cuts of meat, our menu is quite soft and refined.
"We don't skimp on flavour or texture, but in its composition, our food has a real finesse and quality about it."
It wasn't an easy decision for Joey Ingram and Lara Hagan to leave Pokolbin restaurant Circa 1876 to bring Iron Gate Kitchen to life.
Similarly, restaurant manager Harrison Plant left the hatted EXP. restaurant to take on a general manager role at Iron Gate Estate at Pokolbin's first restaurant.
"For me, it was opportunity and potential that drew me across," executive chef Ingram explained.
"While Circa is one of the most, if not the most, significant restaurants in the Valley, having launched the great Robert Molines, this was an opportunity to not just be a part of Hunter Valley dining history, but to create part of its history.
"It was an emotional decision to move on from Circa after only 12 months, yes, but it's an institution of a restaurant, and it will be fine and continue to thrive.
"This was an opportunity to create something that's a little bit more aligned with my own personal beliefs in dining, that's what really attracted me."
Cooking over fire is a passion of Ingram's, and it's what brings Iron Gate Kitchen's Mediterranean-inspired menu to life. He says it's a "really beautiful, intuitive way to cook" that "shows a lot of honesty ... there's nowhere to hide".
He is also in favour of offering diners a broad and flexible menu that caters for walk-ins and differing budgets.
"That spontaneous market is what we want to tap into, in terms of our approachability," he said.
"We are doing a refined offering but we want to position ourselves in a more premium-casual part of the market.
"We've done away with a mandatory set menu and that spend-per-head direction that I think was a bit of a hanger-on from COVID, when there were capacity restrictions. I don't necessarily think that's aligned with pure hospitality.
"We want people to be able to come in, have a glass of wine and a plate of octopus, and be in and out for under $40 in under 40 minutes.
"If they want to settle in for longer, they are welcome to. We want people to be able to use the restaurant in a way that works for them."
Lara, who is head chef at Iron Gate Kitchen, said she could not pass up an opportunity to "make a mark on where I see the hospitality industry is going".
"Having creative freedom so early on in my career, and the opportunity to lead a team, I had to do it. Also, I quite like intuitive cooking ... there's something that speaks to the soul when you cook over fire," she said.
The menu at Iron Gate Kitchen is inspired by Mediterranean cooking and complements the varietals produced by Iron Gate Estate, however, there are "little twists on things" in terms of presentation and approach.
"We're seeing the Hunter winegrowing region really lean into those Mediterranean varietals. It's very Mediterranean in climate anyway, so for us it makes sense," Ingram said.
"We make no statement that we are traditionally Spanish - we are cooking from that region, but we are trying to tap into the emotions of Spanish dining without necessarily having to be locked into traditional rules.
"Our food is lightly perfumed by smoke, rather than being low and slow, and while there are some large cuts of meat, our menu is quite soft and refined.
"We don't skimp on flavour or texture, but in its composition, our food has a real finesse and quality about it."
It wasn't an easy decision for Joey Ingram and Lara Hagan to leave Pokolbin restaurant Circa 1876 to bring Iron Gate Kitchen to life.
Similarly, restaurant manager Harrison Plant left the hatted EXP. restaurant to take on a general manager role at Iron Gate Estate at Pokolbin's first restaurant.
"For me, it was opportunity and potential that drew me across," executive chef Ingram explained.
"While Circa is one of the most, if not the most, significant restaurants in the Valley, having launched the great Robert Molines, this was an opportunity to not just be a part of Hunter Valley dining history, but to create part of its history.
"It was an emotional decision to move on from Circa after only 12 months, yes, but it's an institution of a restaurant, and it will be fine and continue to thrive.
"This was an opportunity to create something that's a little bit more aligned with my own personal beliefs in dining, that's what really attracted me."
Cooking over fire is a passion of Ingram's, and it's what brings Iron Gate Kitchen's Mediterranean-inspired menu to life. He says it's a "really beautiful, intuitive way to cook" that "shows a lot of honesty ... there's nowhere to hide".
He is also in favour of offering diners a broad and flexible menu that caters for walk-ins and differing budgets.
"That spontaneous market is what we want to tap into, in terms of our approachability," he said.
"We are doing a refined offering but we want to position ourselves in a more premium-casual part of the market.
"We've done away with a mandatory set menu and that spend-per-head direction that I think was a bit of a hanger-on from COVID, when there were capacity restrictions. I don't necessarily think that's aligned with pure hospitality.
"We want people to be able to come in, have a glass of wine and a plate of octopus, and be in and out for under $40 in under 40 minutes.
"If they want to settle in for longer, they are welcome to. We want people to be able to use the restaurant in a way that works for them."
Lara, who is head chef at Iron Gate Kitchen, said she could not pass up an opportunity to "make a mark on where I see the hospitality industry is going".
"Having creative freedom so early on in my career, and the opportunity to lead a team, I had to do it. Also, I quite like intuitive cooking ... there's something that speaks to the soul when you cook over fire," she said.
The menu at Iron Gate Kitchen is inspired by Mediterranean cooking and complements the varietals produced by Iron Gate Estate, however, there are "little twists on things" in terms of presentation and approach.
"We're seeing the Hunter winegrowing region really lean into those Mediterranean varietals. It's very Mediterranean in climate anyway, so for us it makes sense," Ingram said.
"We make no statement that we are traditionally Spanish - we are cooking from that region, but we are trying to tap into the emotions of Spanish dining without necessarily having to be locked into traditional rules.
"Our food is lightly perfumed by smoke, rather than being low and slow, and while there are some large cuts of meat, our menu is quite soft and refined.
"We don't skimp on flavour or texture, but in its composition, our food has a real finesse and quality about it."
It wasn't an easy decision for Joey Ingram and Lara Hagan to leave Pokolbin restaurant Circa 1876 to bring Iron Gate Kitchen to life.
Similarly, restaurant manager Harrison Plant left the hatted EXP. restaurant to take on a general manager role at Iron Gate Estate at Pokolbin's first restaurant.
"For me, it was opportunity and potential that drew me across," executive chef Ingram explained.
"While Circa is one of the most, if not the most, significant restaurants in the Valley, having launched the great Robert Molines, this was an opportunity to not just be a part of Hunter Valley dining history, but to create part of its history.
"It was an emotional decision to move on from Circa after only 12 months, yes, but it's an institution of a restaurant, and it will be fine and continue to thrive.
"This was an opportunity to create something that's a little bit more aligned with my own personal beliefs in dining, that's what really attracted me."
Cooking over fire is a passion of Ingram's, and it's what brings Iron Gate Kitchen's Mediterranean-inspired menu to life. He says it's a "really beautiful, intuitive way to cook" that "shows a lot of honesty ... there's nowhere to hide".
He is also in favour of offering diners a broad and flexible menu that caters for walk-ins and differing budgets.
"That spontaneous market is what we want to tap into, in terms of our approachability," he said.
"We are doing a refined offering but we want to position ourselves in a more premium-casual part of the market.
"We've done away with a mandatory set menu and that spend-per-head direction that I think was a bit of a hanger-on from COVID, when there were capacity restrictions. I don't necessarily think that's aligned with pure hospitality.
"We want people to be able to come in, have a glass of wine and a plate of octopus, and be in and out for under $40 in under 40 minutes.
"If they want to settle in for longer, they are welcome to. We want people to be able to use the restaurant in a way that works for them."
Lara, who is head chef at Iron Gate Kitchen, said she could not pass up an opportunity to "make a mark on where I see the hospitality industry is going".
"Having creative freedom so early on in my career, and the opportunity to lead a team, I had to do it. Also, I quite like intuitive cooking ... there's something that speaks to the soul when you cook over fire," she said.
The menu at Iron Gate Kitchen is inspired by Mediterranean cooking and complements the varietals produced by Iron Gate Estate, however, there are "little twists on things" in terms of presentation and approach.
"We're seeing the Hunter winegrowing region really lean into those Mediterranean varietals. It's very Mediterranean in climate anyway, so for us it makes sense," Ingram said.
"We make no statement that we are traditionally Spanish - we are cooking from that region, but we are trying to tap into the emotions of Spanish dining without necessarily having to be locked into traditional rules.
"Our food is lightly perfumed by smoke, rather than being low and slow, and while there are some large cuts of meat, our menu is quite soft and refined.
"We don't skimp on flavour or texture, but in its composition, our food has a real finesse and quality about it."
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The Age
2 days ago
- The Age
Beneath Sydney, a mini-city is being dug for machines bigger than an aircraft fuselage
Deep under an inner-city Sydney suburb, two giant caverns each large enough to house an A380 superjumbo's fuselage and tail are being carved out of sandstone. About 120 metres long, 26 metres high and 18 metres wide, the caverns illustrate the monumental scale of the task confronting engineers and other workers as they prepare to dig two motorway tunnels under Sydney Harbour between Birchgrove and Waverton. For the last decade, Sydney has become accustomed to tunnelling for metro train lines. Yet, two giant tunnelling machines to be shipped in parts from China later this year will dwarf those that completed Sydney's first under-harbour rail crossing early this decade and are now worming their way under the city for the Metro West rail line between the central city and Parramatta. At about 16 metres in diameter, the tunnel boring machines for the $7 billion Western Harbour Tunnel will be the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. The twin three-lane wide motorway tunnels will each be large enough to fit four metro rail tunnels. While the project is the envy of tunnellers around the world, Transport for NSW project director Simon Cooper said the planned under-harbour crossing was 'very, very complicated technically'. 'We're building little cities underground that nobody is ever going to see that will enable our project. And when all the work's done, we will pack it away,' he said. 'When you are abroad, you hear about Sydney Harbour; you hear about the bridge. An opportunity to go under a harbour as a tunneller is ... something any tunneller around the world wants to do.' Like mobile factories, each of the boring machines will house up to 20 workers at any one time. Spanish contractor Acciona will operate the machines around the clock, slicing through about 55 metres of rock and sediment a week. Making the project more challenging, the machines will be assembled in the tight confines of the so-called launch chambers beneath Birchgrove before starting their 1.5-kilometre journey early next year under the harbour towards Waverton. Excavation equipment known as road-headers with large rotating cutting heads began chiselling away at sandstone deep beneath an oval and several houses in February to create the launch chambers, which are due to be completed by the end of the year. Cooper said it was hard enough assembling boring machines above ground where cranes could move freely, let alone in a tight space underground. In fact, the team decided to add extra height to the chambers to avoid regrets lifting parts when the assembly begins. 'It is a factory down there because not only are we having to assemble and have these big cranes in there, we then also have piping that goes backwards and forwards to our slurry treatment plants,' he explained. After a practice assembly in a Chinese warehouse, the parts that will make up the boring machines will arrive by ship at Glebe Island in coming months. Once offloaded, they will cover most of the waterfront area seen by motorists as they cross Anzac Bridge. When the assembly starts early next year, two 400-tonne bearings – equivalent to 200 cars – will have to be lifted into the caverns by gantry cranes. The bearings will hold the cutter heads to each of the machines, allowing them to spin. Highlighting the task ahead, the boring machines will have to tunnel through a portion of alluvial fill – a mixture of clay, silt and sand – under the harbour. Before they reach one of the riskiest parts of the tunnelling, up to 47 metres below the harbour surface, the giant machines will temporarily stop for a 'freshen up', which will include changing teeth on the cutter heads. Once they resume churning through the alluvial fill, the priority will be to ensure the machines do not stop. Engineers want to avoid them getting stuck like a boring machine did under the Snowy Mountains for the federal government's multibillion-dollar pumped-hydro project. 'That's something that causes me worry, which is getting stuck under the harbour because there's only one way to then get to it, which is then sinking something down,' Cooper explained. 'If something gets stuck or wears out, then you don't want to be going and trying to fix things in that bad ground because it's dangerous for people, and it's usually under pressure.' During tunnelling for the M1 metro rail line under the harbour in 2019, bubbles rose to the water surface directly above a giant tunnelling machine, alarming senior transport officials who feared that one of the tunnels had been damaged, and possibly breached. However, it quickly turned out to be vibrations from the boring machine that had disturbed air pockets within sediment on the harbour floor. Heralding from Hong Kong, Cooper is no stranger to mega projects having worked in the UK on schemes such as the second stage of the Channel Tunnel rail link before moving in 2008 to Australia where he has been involved with Sydney's rail projects and the WestConnex motorway. 'Going under the harbour is a big risk for us, especially in such a large machine. The ground conditions are not ideal. We're doing everything possible to make sure that [from the tunnel boring] selection through to how we're working ... that we can do it safely,' he said. The use of boring machines represents a major U-turn on earlier plans. The previous NSW Coalition government decided to dig deeper tunnels for the main section of the motorway between Birchgrove and Waverton, ditching plans to lay large tubes in a trench on the harbour floor. At the peak of construction, about 500 people will be working underground at any one time. Apart from underground offices, about five support centres complete with kitchen facilities provide respite for workers during their breaks. 'Tunnel environments are noisy. They have got somewhere comfortable to sit and have a real break,' said delivery director Dean McAllister, who worked on the $2.6 billion Sydney Gateway motorway and the NorthConnex tunnel. Two other chambers each about 42 metres long and 25 metres high have already been excavated for the under-harbour crossing. One of them will house a slurry treatment plant, and the other filter pressers and centrifuges to remove water in the soil. As the boring machines burrow their way under the harbour, slurry will be pumped into their cutter heads to counteract pressure. The circulating slurry will be mixed with the excavated material and pumped back to the treatment plant. After the borers complete their job, the two giant chambers will be used to house ventilation fans to circulate air through the motorway tunnels. Loading Inside the tunnels and caverns already carved out for the project's first stage, it is noisy and humid as workers, diggers and other excavation equipment navigate the underground world. Cross passages are situated at regular intervals along the twin tunnels, which extend to a spaghetti junction at Rozelle for WestConnex. Trucks queue in the tunnels to collect spoil before emerging above ground to take their loads to development sites across the city. 'It's busier than Trafalgar Square. There are so many different things going on down there,' Cooper said. On the north side of the harbour, road headers are churning through rock as they race south towards the Waverton peninsula. Once they reach it, two giant chambers each 38 metres long and 23 metres high will be dug out over a six-month period next year. The so-called receival chambers represent the finish line for the boring machines where they will connect the tunnels from the north to the south. After they break through under Waverton, they will be pulled apart, and most pieces lifted to the surface to be used again. However, their cutter heads will be entombed in concrete in what will literally form burial chambers about 48 metres beneath the peninsula. Loading Spanning 6.5 kilometres, the Western Harbour Tunnel is due to be completed in 2028, four years before the centenary of the Harbour Bridge's opening. The new harbour crossing will provide motorists with a bypass to the western side of the Sydney CBD, linking the Warringah Freeway on the north shore to WestConnex in the south. 'It's amazing engineering, but actually this project is all about connecting Sydney,' Cooper said.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Beneath Sydney, a mini-city is being dug for machines bigger than an aircraft fuselage
Deep under an inner-city Sydney suburb, two giant caverns each large enough to house an A380 superjumbo's fuselage and tail are being carved out of sandstone. About 120 metres long, 26 metres high and 18 metres wide, the caverns illustrate the monumental scale of the task confronting engineers and other workers as they prepare to dig two motorway tunnels under Sydney Harbour between Birchgrove and Waverton. For the last decade, Sydney has become accustomed to tunnelling for metro train lines. Yet, two giant tunnelling machines to be shipped in parts from China later this year will dwarf those that completed Sydney's first under-harbour rail crossing early this decade and are now worming their way under the city for the Metro West rail line between the central city and Parramatta. At about 16 metres in diameter, the tunnel boring machines for the $7 billion Western Harbour Tunnel will be the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. The twin three-lane wide motorway tunnels will each be large enough to fit four metro rail tunnels. While the project is the envy of tunnellers around the world, Transport for NSW project director Simon Cooper said the planned under-harbour crossing was 'very, very complicated technically'. 'We're building little cities underground that nobody is ever going to see that will enable our project. And when all the work's done, we will pack it away,' he said. 'When you are abroad, you hear about Sydney Harbour; you hear about the bridge. An opportunity to go under a harbour as a tunneller is ... something any tunneller around the world wants to do.' Like mobile factories, each of the boring machines will house up to 20 workers at any one time. Spanish contractor Acciona will operate the machines around the clock, slicing through about 55 metres of rock and sediment a week. Making the project more challenging, the machines will be assembled in the tight confines of the so-called launch chambers beneath Birchgrove before starting their 1.5-kilometre journey early next year under the harbour towards Waverton. Excavation equipment known as road-headers with large rotating cutting heads began chiselling away at sandstone deep beneath an oval and several houses in February to create the launch chambers, which are due to be completed by the end of the year. Cooper said it was hard enough assembling boring machines above ground where cranes could move freely, let alone in a tight space underground. In fact, the team decided to add extra height to the chambers to avoid regrets lifting parts when the assembly begins. 'It is a factory down there because not only are we having to assemble and have these big cranes in there, we then also have piping that goes backwards and forwards to our slurry treatment plants,' he explained. After a practice assembly in a Chinese warehouse, the parts that will make up the boring machines will arrive by ship at Glebe Island in coming months. Once offloaded, they will cover most of the waterfront area seen by motorists as they cross Anzac Bridge. When the assembly starts early next year, two 400-tonne bearings – equivalent to 200 cars – will have to be lifted into the caverns by gantry cranes. The bearings will hold the cutter heads to each of the machines, allowing them to spin. Highlighting the task ahead, the boring machines will have to tunnel through a portion of alluvial fill – a mixture of clay, silt and sand – under the harbour. Before they reach one of the riskiest parts of the tunnelling, up to 47 metres below the harbour surface, the giant machines will temporarily stop for a 'freshen up', which will include changing teeth on the cutter heads. Once they resume churning through the alluvial fill, the priority will be to ensure the machines do not stop. Engineers want to avoid them getting stuck like a boring machine did under the Snowy Mountains for the federal government's multibillion-dollar pumped-hydro project. 'That's something that causes me worry, which is getting stuck under the harbour because there's only one way to then get to it, which is then sinking something down,' Cooper explained. 'If something gets stuck or wears out, then you don't want to be going and trying to fix things in that bad ground because it's dangerous for people, and it's usually under pressure.' During tunnelling for the M1 metro rail line under the harbour in 2019, bubbles rose to the water surface directly above a giant tunnelling machine, alarming senior transport officials who feared that one of the tunnels had been damaged, and possibly breached. However, it quickly turned out to be vibrations from the boring machine that had disturbed air pockets within sediment on the harbour floor. Heralding from Hong Kong, Cooper is no stranger to mega projects having worked in the UK on schemes such as the second stage of the Channel Tunnel rail link before moving in 2008 to Australia where he has been involved with Sydney's rail projects and the WestConnex motorway. 'Going under the harbour is a big risk for us, especially in such a large machine. The ground conditions are not ideal. We're doing everything possible to make sure that [from the tunnel boring] selection through to how we're working ... that we can do it safely,' he said. The use of boring machines represents a major U-turn on earlier plans. The previous NSW Coalition government decided to dig deeper tunnels for the main section of the motorway between Birchgrove and Waverton, ditching plans to lay large tubes in a trench on the harbour floor. At the peak of construction, about 500 people will be working underground at any one time. Apart from underground offices, about five support centres complete with kitchen facilities provide respite for workers during their breaks. 'Tunnel environments are noisy. They have got somewhere comfortable to sit and have a real break,' said delivery director Dean McAllister, who worked on the $2.6 billion Sydney Gateway motorway and the NorthConnex tunnel. Two other chambers each about 42 metres long and 25 metres high have already been excavated for the under-harbour crossing. One of them will house a slurry treatment plant, and the other filter pressers and centrifuges to remove water in the soil. As the boring machines burrow their way under the harbour, slurry will be pumped into their cutter heads to counteract pressure. The circulating slurry will be mixed with the excavated material and pumped back to the treatment plant. After the borers complete their job, the two giant chambers will be used to house ventilation fans to circulate air through the motorway tunnels. Loading Inside the tunnels and caverns already carved out for the project's first stage, it is noisy and humid as workers, diggers and other excavation equipment navigate the underground world. Cross passages are situated at regular intervals along the twin tunnels, which extend to a spaghetti junction at Rozelle for WestConnex. Trucks queue in the tunnels to collect spoil before emerging above ground to take their loads to development sites across the city. 'It's busier than Trafalgar Square. There are so many different things going on down there,' Cooper said. On the north side of the harbour, road headers are churning through rock as they race south towards the Waverton peninsula. Once they reach it, two giant chambers each 38 metres long and 23 metres high will be dug out over a six-month period next year. The so-called receival chambers represent the finish line for the boring machines where they will connect the tunnels from the north to the south. After they break through under Waverton, they will be pulled apart, and most pieces lifted to the surface to be used again. However, their cutter heads will be entombed in concrete in what will literally form burial chambers about 48 metres beneath the peninsula. Loading Spanning 6.5 kilometres, the Western Harbour Tunnel is due to be completed in 2028, four years before the centenary of the Harbour Bridge's opening. The new harbour crossing will provide motorists with a bypass to the western side of the Sydney CBD, linking the Warringah Freeway on the north shore to WestConnex in the south. 'It's amazing engineering, but actually this project is all about connecting Sydney,' Cooper said.
The Advertiser
28-05-2025
- The Advertiser
Cooking over fire at Iron Gate Kitchen 'speaks to the soul'
It wasn't an easy decision for Joey Ingram and Lara Hagan to leave Pokolbin restaurant Circa 1876 to bring Iron Gate Kitchen to life. Similarly, restaurant manager Harrison Plant left the hatted EXP. restaurant to take on a general manager role at Iron Gate Estate at Pokolbin's first restaurant. "For me, it was opportunity and potential that drew me across," executive chef Ingram explained. "While Circa is one of the most, if not the most, significant restaurants in the Valley, having launched the great Robert Molines, this was an opportunity to not just be a part of Hunter Valley dining history, but to create part of its history. "It was an emotional decision to move on from Circa after only 12 months, yes, but it's an institution of a restaurant, and it will be fine and continue to thrive. "This was an opportunity to create something that's a little bit more aligned with my own personal beliefs in dining, that's what really attracted me." Cooking over fire is a passion of Ingram's, and it's what brings Iron Gate Kitchen's Mediterranean-inspired menu to life. He says it's a "really beautiful, intuitive way to cook" that "shows a lot of honesty ... there's nowhere to hide". He is also in favour of offering diners a broad and flexible menu that caters for walk-ins and differing budgets. "That spontaneous market is what we want to tap into, in terms of our approachability," he said. "We are doing a refined offering but we want to position ourselves in a more premium-casual part of the market. "We've done away with a mandatory set menu and that spend-per-head direction that I think was a bit of a hanger-on from COVID, when there were capacity restrictions. I don't necessarily think that's aligned with pure hospitality. "We want people to be able to come in, have a glass of wine and a plate of octopus, and be in and out for under $40 in under 40 minutes. "If they want to settle in for longer, they are welcome to. We want people to be able to use the restaurant in a way that works for them." Lara, who is head chef at Iron Gate Kitchen, said she could not pass up an opportunity to "make a mark on where I see the hospitality industry is going". "Having creative freedom so early on in my career, and the opportunity to lead a team, I had to do it. Also, I quite like intuitive cooking ... there's something that speaks to the soul when you cook over fire," she said. The menu at Iron Gate Kitchen is inspired by Mediterranean cooking and complements the varietals produced by Iron Gate Estate, however, there are "little twists on things" in terms of presentation and approach. "We're seeing the Hunter winegrowing region really lean into those Mediterranean varietals. It's very Mediterranean in climate anyway, so for us it makes sense," Ingram said. "We make no statement that we are traditionally Spanish - we are cooking from that region, but we are trying to tap into the emotions of Spanish dining without necessarily having to be locked into traditional rules. "Our food is lightly perfumed by smoke, rather than being low and slow, and while there are some large cuts of meat, our menu is quite soft and refined. "We don't skimp on flavour or texture, but in its composition, our food has a real finesse and quality about it." It wasn't an easy decision for Joey Ingram and Lara Hagan to leave Pokolbin restaurant Circa 1876 to bring Iron Gate Kitchen to life. Similarly, restaurant manager Harrison Plant left the hatted EXP. restaurant to take on a general manager role at Iron Gate Estate at Pokolbin's first restaurant. "For me, it was opportunity and potential that drew me across," executive chef Ingram explained. "While Circa is one of the most, if not the most, significant restaurants in the Valley, having launched the great Robert Molines, this was an opportunity to not just be a part of Hunter Valley dining history, but to create part of its history. "It was an emotional decision to move on from Circa after only 12 months, yes, but it's an institution of a restaurant, and it will be fine and continue to thrive. "This was an opportunity to create something that's a little bit more aligned with my own personal beliefs in dining, that's what really attracted me." Cooking over fire is a passion of Ingram's, and it's what brings Iron Gate Kitchen's Mediterranean-inspired menu to life. He says it's a "really beautiful, intuitive way to cook" that "shows a lot of honesty ... there's nowhere to hide". He is also in favour of offering diners a broad and flexible menu that caters for walk-ins and differing budgets. "That spontaneous market is what we want to tap into, in terms of our approachability," he said. "We are doing a refined offering but we want to position ourselves in a more premium-casual part of the market. "We've done away with a mandatory set menu and that spend-per-head direction that I think was a bit of a hanger-on from COVID, when there were capacity restrictions. I don't necessarily think that's aligned with pure hospitality. "We want people to be able to come in, have a glass of wine and a plate of octopus, and be in and out for under $40 in under 40 minutes. "If they want to settle in for longer, they are welcome to. We want people to be able to use the restaurant in a way that works for them." Lara, who is head chef at Iron Gate Kitchen, said she could not pass up an opportunity to "make a mark on where I see the hospitality industry is going". "Having creative freedom so early on in my career, and the opportunity to lead a team, I had to do it. Also, I quite like intuitive cooking ... there's something that speaks to the soul when you cook over fire," she said. The menu at Iron Gate Kitchen is inspired by Mediterranean cooking and complements the varietals produced by Iron Gate Estate, however, there are "little twists on things" in terms of presentation and approach. "We're seeing the Hunter winegrowing region really lean into those Mediterranean varietals. It's very Mediterranean in climate anyway, so for us it makes sense," Ingram said. "We make no statement that we are traditionally Spanish - we are cooking from that region, but we are trying to tap into the emotions of Spanish dining without necessarily having to be locked into traditional rules. "Our food is lightly perfumed by smoke, rather than being low and slow, and while there are some large cuts of meat, our menu is quite soft and refined. "We don't skimp on flavour or texture, but in its composition, our food has a real finesse and quality about it." It wasn't an easy decision for Joey Ingram and Lara Hagan to leave Pokolbin restaurant Circa 1876 to bring Iron Gate Kitchen to life. Similarly, restaurant manager Harrison Plant left the hatted EXP. restaurant to take on a general manager role at Iron Gate Estate at Pokolbin's first restaurant. "For me, it was opportunity and potential that drew me across," executive chef Ingram explained. "While Circa is one of the most, if not the most, significant restaurants in the Valley, having launched the great Robert Molines, this was an opportunity to not just be a part of Hunter Valley dining history, but to create part of its history. "It was an emotional decision to move on from Circa after only 12 months, yes, but it's an institution of a restaurant, and it will be fine and continue to thrive. "This was an opportunity to create something that's a little bit more aligned with my own personal beliefs in dining, that's what really attracted me." Cooking over fire is a passion of Ingram's, and it's what brings Iron Gate Kitchen's Mediterranean-inspired menu to life. He says it's a "really beautiful, intuitive way to cook" that "shows a lot of honesty ... there's nowhere to hide". He is also in favour of offering diners a broad and flexible menu that caters for walk-ins and differing budgets. "That spontaneous market is what we want to tap into, in terms of our approachability," he said. "We are doing a refined offering but we want to position ourselves in a more premium-casual part of the market. "We've done away with a mandatory set menu and that spend-per-head direction that I think was a bit of a hanger-on from COVID, when there were capacity restrictions. I don't necessarily think that's aligned with pure hospitality. "We want people to be able to come in, have a glass of wine and a plate of octopus, and be in and out for under $40 in under 40 minutes. "If they want to settle in for longer, they are welcome to. We want people to be able to use the restaurant in a way that works for them." Lara, who is head chef at Iron Gate Kitchen, said she could not pass up an opportunity to "make a mark on where I see the hospitality industry is going". "Having creative freedom so early on in my career, and the opportunity to lead a team, I had to do it. Also, I quite like intuitive cooking ... there's something that speaks to the soul when you cook over fire," she said. The menu at Iron Gate Kitchen is inspired by Mediterranean cooking and complements the varietals produced by Iron Gate Estate, however, there are "little twists on things" in terms of presentation and approach. "We're seeing the Hunter winegrowing region really lean into those Mediterranean varietals. It's very Mediterranean in climate anyway, so for us it makes sense," Ingram said. "We make no statement that we are traditionally Spanish - we are cooking from that region, but we are trying to tap into the emotions of Spanish dining without necessarily having to be locked into traditional rules. "Our food is lightly perfumed by smoke, rather than being low and slow, and while there are some large cuts of meat, our menu is quite soft and refined. "We don't skimp on flavour or texture, but in its composition, our food has a real finesse and quality about it." It wasn't an easy decision for Joey Ingram and Lara Hagan to leave Pokolbin restaurant Circa 1876 to bring Iron Gate Kitchen to life. Similarly, restaurant manager Harrison Plant left the hatted EXP. restaurant to take on a general manager role at Iron Gate Estate at Pokolbin's first restaurant. "For me, it was opportunity and potential that drew me across," executive chef Ingram explained. "While Circa is one of the most, if not the most, significant restaurants in the Valley, having launched the great Robert Molines, this was an opportunity to not just be a part of Hunter Valley dining history, but to create part of its history. "It was an emotional decision to move on from Circa after only 12 months, yes, but it's an institution of a restaurant, and it will be fine and continue to thrive. "This was an opportunity to create something that's a little bit more aligned with my own personal beliefs in dining, that's what really attracted me." Cooking over fire is a passion of Ingram's, and it's what brings Iron Gate Kitchen's Mediterranean-inspired menu to life. He says it's a "really beautiful, intuitive way to cook" that "shows a lot of honesty ... there's nowhere to hide". He is also in favour of offering diners a broad and flexible menu that caters for walk-ins and differing budgets. "That spontaneous market is what we want to tap into, in terms of our approachability," he said. "We are doing a refined offering but we want to position ourselves in a more premium-casual part of the market. "We've done away with a mandatory set menu and that spend-per-head direction that I think was a bit of a hanger-on from COVID, when there were capacity restrictions. I don't necessarily think that's aligned with pure hospitality. "We want people to be able to come in, have a glass of wine and a plate of octopus, and be in and out for under $40 in under 40 minutes. "If they want to settle in for longer, they are welcome to. We want people to be able to use the restaurant in a way that works for them." Lara, who is head chef at Iron Gate Kitchen, said she could not pass up an opportunity to "make a mark on where I see the hospitality industry is going". "Having creative freedom so early on in my career, and the opportunity to lead a team, I had to do it. Also, I quite like intuitive cooking ... there's something that speaks to the soul when you cook over fire," she said. The menu at Iron Gate Kitchen is inspired by Mediterranean cooking and complements the varietals produced by Iron Gate Estate, however, there are "little twists on things" in terms of presentation and approach. "We're seeing the Hunter winegrowing region really lean into those Mediterranean varietals. It's very Mediterranean in climate anyway, so for us it makes sense," Ingram said. "We make no statement that we are traditionally Spanish - we are cooking from that region, but we are trying to tap into the emotions of Spanish dining without necessarily having to be locked into traditional rules. "Our food is lightly perfumed by smoke, rather than being low and slow, and while there are some large cuts of meat, our menu is quite soft and refined. "We don't skimp on flavour or texture, but in its composition, our food has a real finesse and quality about it."
