History in food is always a good influence according to Executive Chef Nik Tucker from South Australian restaurant St Hugo.
Nestled on Barossa Valley Way in Rowland Flat, expect an immersive sensory experience at this Chef-hatted dining destination in a captivating setting overlooking the vineyard and stunning surrounds of exposed brick, arched windows and recycled timber.
On warm, sunny days head to the courtyard, built in 1850 and while away a lazy afternoon tasting estate wine and Nik’s relaxed and flavoursome menu, celebrating the best the Barossa has to offer.
Starting off in the industry as many Chefs do, Nik was a kitchen hand at local Café Lanzerac, before moving to Adelaide to start his apprenticeship. Heading overseas once qualified, he ran three gastro pubs in London before returning home and eventually taking the kitchen reins at St Hugo.
"I have always enjoyed cooking – even as a child I would make biscuits with my Mum and sister – I have always been drawn to good,” he says. "I don’t stick to the norms of a style, my food philosophy is around freshness and seasonality, being true to the product and the flavours they possess.”
If garden was a flavour, Nik says it would be the current feature on the menu; with an onsite garden, the restaurant’s flavours are determined by the season – there is nothing more flavoursome than straight from the plant to the plate.
Once told by a Chef to ‘explore the past, there is nothing new in food only a different way to do it’, Nik believes old world and peasant styles of cooking have come back into style, with smoke, fire, generosity and freshness to the fore.
"A lot of these old methods of cooking have influenced where I sit today. At St Hugo we also have a focus on being wine-centric with our food; we look for matches that complement each other throughout the menu development process, rather than the other way round.
"On our menu we have paired white anchovies, bread and butter pickles with our Private Collection Grenache, which for most is an unconventional match, but a great pairing anyway.”
Nik shares his show-stopping recipe for slow-roasted lamb shoulder and hummus with AGFG as an easy and delicious Winter meal the whole family will enjoy. Make sure to serve this with a glass of St Hugo Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon; full-depth red in colour, this wine is lifted and intense on the nose, with vibrant cassis and black fruits layered over notes of cedar, cinnamon and roasted hazelnut.
"What I love about this business is the fact we get to create things that make people feel emotions – people can eat and be happy, eat when they are sad, food can evoke memories of another time and place.
"We get to be part of that with an expression of ourselves for them to carry with them.”
