The St . Hugo difference
A grand avenue of cork-trees welcomes those seeking the casual yet refined dining experience that is St . Hugo .
It is here where wine is the star and food is its stage in a tantalising show of harmony .
Elegant , marble top dining tables and classic Barossa vineyard views set the scene at the Rowland Flat restaurant which was officially opened in September , 2016 .
Executive Chef , Mark McNamara moved to the Barossa 25 years ago , lured by its reputation as a fine food and wine destination .
Today he leads a team who work alongside wine makers to create menus that both surprise and delight .
“ Collaboration is the cornerstone of the food experience at St Hugo ,” Mark says .
“ It ’ s always about the wine selection , we don ’ t set out to tell a particular food story , rather dishes evolve around individual wines , with seasonality and regionality always at the heart of every dish .”
After forty years honing his skills as a chef and gathering knowledge , Mark now finds himself as a mentor ; not in a formal , structured way , but rather as someone who inspires the next generation .
“ I love to share my learning with the people I interact with , customers and colleagues alike ,” he says .
A chef ’ s table looking into the St . Hugo kitchen allows diners to witness that knowledge in action an opportunity to speak with the chefs to gain an insight into the personalities behind the plate .
Characters like Sunny Chawla , of Tanunda , who recently stepped into the role of sous chef .
A former civil engineer in his home country of India , the 32 year old father of two moved to the Barossa back in 2008 to study commercial cookery at Nuriootpa TAFE .
Sunny has fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming a chef and says he loves the way St Hugo challenges him to be creative with its focus on wine .
“ It ’ s what makes us unique . The making of a dish for us is a totally different concept , we bring the wine out first .”