Hobson’s Bay Hotel x Melbourne Food & Wine Festival.
Melbourne Food & Wine Festival Article on The Hobson’s Bay Hotel for Pubs, Dining in the Restaurant, Cocktails, Rooftop Bars & Functions in Williamstown, Melbourne.
Melbourne Food & Wine Festival Writes:
“The inside word on the menu at Hobsons Bay Hotel from chef Ben Pigott.
Williamstown has been blessed with a new pub just in time for summer – with a rooftop and wrap-around balcony to boot. We say new, but the Hobsons Bay Hotel has been around for more than a century, only now it’s returning to its roots as a pub. Steering the ship is Rustica Sourdough’s Brenton Lang as co-owner while Ben Pigott oversees the food, using his extensive experience at Cumulus Inc, Supernormal, Stokehouse and Fatto to take the pub brief in new directions.
Ben tells us what’s taking his fancy on the menu right now.
How about a drink?
The Hobsons Breeze, our take on a classic Margarita, is the perfect way to start a meal. Enjoy one in the sun on the rooftop before heading to the dining room for dinner.
I’m here for a good time not a long time.
The fish-finger sandwich is always a winner. We crumb and fry fish caught in Victorian waters (usually from Lakes Entrance or the bay) and serve it between soft white bread with butter lettuce and tartare sauce. It’s perfect when you’re in a hurry, along with a cold beer or a Hobsons Breeze.
Got anything light and fresh?
Our snacks are where it's at for a light, tasty meal. There’s plenty of fresh local seafood, served simply to complement a drink on the roof (although you can enjoy the snacks wherever you sit in the hotel). Think kingfish tartare or our clams and mussels with pickled fennel and ’nduja dressing. And for summer, we’re doing a salad of heirloom tomato and peach with fresh cheese and vincotto.
I like tasty food but I don’t eat animals.
I love vegetables and knew I wanted to include a vegetable section on my first pub menu. We source so many beautiful ingredients from small growers such as Ramarro Farm out near Monbulk or Somerset Heritage in Seymour, so it’s not hard to come up with great dishes. On top of the five dishes in the vegetable section, we also have a cauliflower steak as a main course, roasted in dukkah and served with a pomegranate dressing and smoked hummus. We also do vegan versions of all of our vegetable dishes on request, too.
Name the dish that is quintessentially the Hobsons Bay.
It has to be the rotisserie chicken. It’s only possible thanks to our French-style rotisserie, which helps keeps the meat really succulent while achieving delicious caramelised skin all the way around. We serve it with a roast chicken sauce and a zingy salsa verde made with lots of basil, lemon zest and green chilli.
Let’s go big. Let’s go crazy. What have you got for me?
The one-kilo T-bone is an absolute showstopper, which we cook over the fire to get that incredible smoky crust that only a wood-fired grill can achieve. It really has that wow factor when it hits the table. Pair it with a luxe bottle of shiraz or a Burgundy, and you're away.
And to close?
You can't go past our doughnuts, served with a caramelised pineapple jam and drunken rum custard. These are a great way to finish on a sweet note, but if you’re after something in liquid form, my favourite way to top off a night is with a neat whisky. My pick of the bunch would be the Starward Single Malt which is just delicious and made right here in Melbourne.”
Hobsons Bay Hotel - Pub, Restaurant & Rooftop Bar
28 Ferguson St, Williamstown, hobsonsbayhotel.com.au, @hobsonsbayhotel