Lucia Roche Estate: A New Table at the Heart of Pokolbin
There's a new place to pull up a chair in Pokolbin. Lucia Roche Estate opened its doors on 17 September, bringing stone-fired pizza, Mediterranean-inspired share plates, estate wines and cocktails to Roche Estate on Broke Road.
The idea is simple: food that lands in the middle of the table and gets passed around. Leading the kitchen is Head Chef Jack Zideluns, whose career has taken him through Merivale, Society, Hamilton Island, the Boathouse Group and London's Savoy Grill by Gordon Ramsay, where he rose to Junior Sous Chef. It's his Italian family, and his Nonna's recipes, that shape the menu here.
"Some of my best memories of food are sitting around a table with family, with plenty of dishes in the middle and everyone helping themselves," says Jack.
"The food is considered, but it isn't precious. We have access to great produce here in the Hunter, a stone-fired oven at the heart of the kitchen and some incredible wine on our doorstep, so there's plenty to work with."
Expect a stone-fired oven at the heart of the kitchen and seasonal Hunter produce on the plate. Think burrata with romesco sauce and freshly baked pizza bread, a Prosciutto Rucola pizza with fig, rocket, parmesan and San Marzano tomato, or Pesto Mafalde Corte with basil, pistachio and stracciatella.
The drinks list runs from local estate wines to the venue's own Lucia Lager and cocktails like the Amalfi Sour. Overseeing it all is Venue Manager and Licensee John Samway, a WSET Level 3-qualified wine professional with plenty of Hunter cellar door experience.
"We want Lucia to be somewhere people can gather and settle in; there's no rush to order or to leave. It should feel special enough that you want to make a plan to come here, but relaxed enough that you can spend a few hours over good food and wine," he says.
Operations Manager Sam Harman, a qualified chef with more than 20 years in hospitality, keeps the whole show running smoothly.
Whether it's a quick bite, a long lunch or a relaxed dinner, Lucia is made for locals and visitors alike.
LUCIA ROCHE ESTATE
WHERE: Pavilion E, Roche Estate, Broke Rd & McDonalds Rd, Pokolbin NSW 2320
OPEN: Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday 11.30am to 9.30pm; Friday and Saturday 11.30am to late. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
BOOK: luciarocheestate.com.au
INSTAGRAM: @luciaroche.estate
