The newly-opened The Goods Shed Craft Beer Cafe head chef has rubbed shoulders with some of the best in the restaurant game.
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Alex Dawkins trained in Sydney at Rockpool, Quay, Establishment and The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay among others.
His experience at innovative seafood restaurant The Boathouse led to his appointment at internationally-renowned Mollymook restaurant, Rick Stein’s at Bannisters.
“The Boathouse was one of the only restaurants of its kind; all seafood came directly from the Sydney Fish Market overnight for the next morning’s menu,” Dawkins said.
“That translated into my time at Rick Stein’s because of my seafood knowledge.”
Dawkins ran his own restaurant, Ceto, at Ulladulla before moving to the Border early this year with his wife Robbie and their children Olive, 7, and Oscar, 6.
He said the casual dining style suited him professionally and personally.
“It’s a standard brewery format but we do things with top quality produce,” he said.
“Our pizza is made from fresh dough, we use Yalandra charcuterie, which translates well for pizza.
“It’s satisfying rustic cuisine, not molecular cuisine.”
What's your favourite dish?
Margarita Pizza on The Goods Shed menu. It’s minimal Italian cookery paired with top local ingredients. We use local cherry tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella with a quality passata.
What are the staples in your pantry?
Chilli sauce and Murray River Salt Flakes.
What's the biggest product discovery you have made in cooking?
Sous-vide, it’s so versatile. We were just experimenting with it at Rick Stein’s but at Ceto we used it on 50 per cent of the menu.
What's your secret vice?
Craft beer, though it’s not really a secret!
What is your recipe standby?
Barbecue chicken. I butterfly the chicken, use a piri-piri sauce and cook it on the barbecue.
What is your most unforgettable meal and where?
Quay in Sydney. Their prune and armagnac tart made me want to work there.
What's your favourite cooking utensil?
Food tweezers because they’re silly.
What's in your kitchen toolkit?
My Shun chef’s knife.
What did you have for dinner last night?
Barbecue chicken.
What are you drinking?
Two Birds Taco Beer.
Details:
The Goods Shed Craft
Beer Cafe,
1/71 Church Street,
Wodonga
Phone: (02) 6056 8828