Byron’s Beach Hotel welcomes Monty Koludrovic
Byron’s iconic beachside destination has just announced the hire of renowned Australian chef Monty Koludrovic, of Masterchef: The Professionals and Ready Steady Cook for the summer season. The hotel’s newly appointed head chef Shane Morritt will work alongside Koludrovic to shake up the hotel’s food offering.
The revamp of the Beach Hotel in the early 1990s is credited by some as starting the tourist wave to Byron, and the financial generosity of former owner John Cornell (Strop from The Paul Hogan Show) and his partner Delvene Delaney toward green and cultural groups made a significant contribution to its cultural identity. The pub (known locally as the Top Pub) remains an iconic Byron destination, with uninterrupted ocean views from its sprawling outdoor area, live music and a relaxed vibe.
It’s a great place to enjoy a summer meal, and the menu has just undergone a revamp with well-known Australian chef, Monty Koludrovic, joining recently appointed head chef, Shane Morritt, to shake up the Hotel’s cuisine offering.
‘I still consider Byron Bay and its surrounds as home,’ says Koludrovic, a former Lismore High student who has appeared on TV’s Ready Steady Cook. ‘The food we’ve created together stays true to itself in the sense that this is a pub, and a busy one at that. Patrons can expect a beautiful salad of buffalo-milk haloumi from across the border in Queensland, or a delicious local snapper pie from my days cooking at The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay, made with the blessing of the pie’s creator, Michael Klausen.
‘Top quality beef from the northern rivers will be used in the new-look Beachy Burger, and for something to share, there’s a locally created simple plate of bread and cured meats from Salami Australia and a selection of Bangalow Cheese Co’s finest for good measure.
‘Guests can expect staples such as beer-battered fish made with locally brewed Stone and Wood lager, salt and Sichuan pepper squid, a chicken parma with Shane’s fresh and crunchy coleslaw and the Beachy Hot Dog – which incorporates pork crackling, mustard mayo and pickles,’ explains Koludrovic.
Following stints at Jacksons on George, Café Sydney and The Boathouse at Blackwattle Bay, Monty spent years working in London and France with good friend Soren Lascelles refining their skills, and gaining a love of authentic French food. This then led to Monty, alongside Olivier Couillaud, relaunching the Grill Room in the prestigious Dorchester Hotel in London. Monty believes that the food itself should have integrity. ‘Food should appeal to all the senses and at no time should a chef’s artistic intentions shroud the flavours and textures of a dish,’ he said.
The new focus on food and quality cuisine at the Beach Hotel follows on from extensive renovations throughout both the venue’s kitchen and interior. The Lunch and Dinner plates are available from 12 till 3pm and from 5.30 till 9pm, in addition to the All Day plates that are available from 11.30am till 9pm.
