Located on the bank of the Hawkesbury River in a Glenn Murcutt-designed sandstone building that is accessible only by water, the Berowra Waters Inn is an inherently iconic venue. Led by head chef and owner Brian Geraghty since he took it over in 2012, the venue has come to be seen as an exemplar of Australian fine dining.
This week, the the Inn has announced another superstar addition to its kitchen line-up. Former Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year Award winner Lauren Eldridge will join the team as pastry chef from 20 May.
Eldridge brings with her an impressive CV of postings. The pastry chef’s former appointments have included pastry chef at Mark Best’s Marque and Pei Modern, group pastry chef at Van Haandel Group (Stokehouse St Kilda, Fatto Bar & Cantina and Pontoon) and head of pastry at Woodcut.
Her overseas experience includes stints at three-Michelin-Star restaurants Le Cinq and Guy Savoy in Paris and Osteria Francescana in Italy, where she worked with Massimo Bottura.
In the past 18 months, the team at Berowra Waters Inn has moved its focus to using all-Australian ingredients and beverages that befit its setting. This will continue when Eldridge commences her pastry chef role, with plans for Eldridge and Geraghty to jointly deliver an Australian degustation menu incorporating sweet and savoury dishes.
“Berowra Waters Inn’s mission is to deliver a dining experience which exemplifies Australia, from the food and wine to location and architecture. Adding one of the country’s best pastry chefs into the mix, who celebrates Australian produce at the core of her approach, is a very exciting way to enhance the restaurant experience as a celebration of the best this country has to offer,” said Geraghty
Eldridge’s signature style of creative and beautifully plated dishes will be available on the menu from 28 May.