MELBOURNE | Across his 25-year career, chef Andy Beswick has cooked in kitchens across the UK, Southern France, and Australia. You might have encountered his food over the past few years as head chef at The Lincoln Hotel. Andy’s new Sydney Road neighbourhood bistro, The Forager’s Fork, which he runs with his wife, Michelle, brings all of this together. Andy invited me in to check it out.
Many venues make claims about wanting to create a neighbourhood spot, somewhere humble for locals, then open a place that, while perhaps good, is very much a trend-driven spot with the requisite branding and swish architecture and design to match. The Forager’s Fork actually walks the walk. Andy is a Brunswick local, and spent three months transforming what was a Korean restaurant with Michelle and their daughter (and architecture student), Gabby. Step inside, and you’re greeted with a warmly lit, humble space with exposed dark brick walls, timber, and simple furnishings.
If you’ve eaten at The Lincoln over the past few years, or at a proper pub in the UK, you’ll have a sense of the sort of food that Andy’s cooking up. Honest food, made with the best quality, seasonally driven, locally sourced produce. It’s backed up with a drinks menu featuring a 100% Aussie wine list, tap beer from Brunswick’s Inner North and Co-conspirators, and a mostly Aussie selection of spirits.
For snacks, it’s things like fluffy, warm, wild cultured focaccia with olive oil; pumpkin and cheddar croquettes with mustard mayo, chutney, sage, and parmesan; and sourdough crisps topped with mushroom, lentil, and walnut pate, and blood plum relish.
Mains feature dishes like charred lion’s mane mushroom with white bean puree, shaved fennel, and herbs; Murray Valley pork cutlet with celeriac puree, apple, fennel, and cider cream; and slow-cooked chicken leg with creamed mash potato, Fioretto, and gravy. Whatever you do, be sure to grab the pork cutlet and a side of the excellent roasted garlic and herb Dutch cream potatoes.
To finish, you have to go for the luscious, cream profiterole. It has the perfect pastry crunch, and is served with a Gospel whisky-spiked dark chocolate sauce, and creamy mocha ice-cream.
The Forager’s Fork
51 Sydney Road
Brunswick
Victoria 3056
Australia
Telephone: n/a
E-mail: n/a
Website
Open
Wed – Fri: 4:00pm to 10:00pm
Sat: 12:00pm to 10:00pm
Sun: 12:00pm to 9:00pm