News Hogget Kitchen: Hatted Dining at its Best

Meat lovers rejoice. This ambient and relaxed restaurant puts local West Gippsland produce, and especially meat, in the spotlight.

Stunning views across rows of vines sets the scene for sharing good food and good wine with friends.

The menu allows the chef and owner, Trevor Perkins, to show off his enviable butchering and meat preparation skills, which are all done in-house and by hand.

You’ve heard of bacon, but have you heard of rabbit bacon or lamb bacon? These, alongside smoked lamb shoulder, aged beef, pickled pork and roasted quail, feature regularly on the menu.

The charcuterie is a highlight, with cured meats and terrine. The grass-fed Gippsland Angus steaks are among the most tender and flavoursome you will find, thanks to two little words: dry aging. There is a smoker constantly on the go, imparting its robust, smokey flavour on cuts of lamb, pork, beef and trout.

What isn’t grown in the small kitchen garden - or plucked fresh from Trev’s mother’s veggie patch - is supplied locally. Trev honours the produce by using the freshest ingredients when they are at the peak of their season. The vegetables and herbs are delivered to the restaurant at the growers’ discretion, and the menu is designed around this “mystery box” of ingredients.

There is an à la carte menu through the week or a fixed menu on weekends. The selection won’t be easy with the mouthwatering list of roasted and smoked meats, but it is a decision only you can make. No wait, the chef can make it for you. Put your order into the trusty, skilled hands of Trev, and enjoy a selection of plates to share and meats with all the trimmings. Just make sure you leave space for the sumptuous desserts.