Crofter Dining Room & Bar - Matt Wilkinson Returns to Brunswick
*ADVISED 16/2/20 CLOSED FOR NOW. Chef Matt Wilkinson is back in Brunswick, swinging open the doors to his highly-anticipated new venue, Crofter Dining Room & Bar. Crofter, an 80-seat dining room and bar is Wilkinson’s most personal venue yet, a modern Australian approach to food and dining, injected with some not-so-subtle nods to homeland Britain. Wilkinson elevates vegies and salads to centre-stage at Crofter, with local meat and sustainable seafood plates taking on supporting roles.
Wilkinson says: “In my mind, an ideal meal at Crofter would start with one or two snacks and a pre-dinner drink (a little sherry or a cocktail, perhaps) followed by bread and dips, and a handful of flora and side plates to share. Then pud, of course.”
Think papadums and chutney, or a sweet potato doughnut with anchovy dipping sauce to start, the latter being a riff on Mrs. Beeton’s recipe from her 1861 British culinary bible Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management.
Bread and dips—one of Wilkinson’s favourite things to eat—are house-made, and a dish in their own right. It’s a toss-up between a classic loaf with pickles or a garlic naan, ready to mop up some spiced dahl or Wilko’s mad-good butter dip (that’s right, butter dip).
Salads include Wilkinson’s version of a Keralan thoran, a wood-fired spicy cabbage salad; an umami bomb of tomatoes with Vegemite dressing and red onion; a ‘CWA’ classic mixed green salad with cheese; and, “Nan’s overcooked greens” with ricotta and macadamia, a cheeky dig at Wilkinson’s grandmother, Rita, who loved an over-boiled veg.
Among the sides and sharing dishes, there is a marinara of octopus, cuttlefish and skate—all pulled from Port Phillip Bay—with capers and potato aioli; and the sliced free-range ham and mustard is set for hero status. For starters, it’s Four Pillars ‘Made from Gin’ ham, naturally, and will be freshly carved against the grain to order.
Wilkinson says:“People regularly celebrate and eat jamón and prosciutto but, in Australia, for some strange reason, we only eat ‘the good ham’ at Christmas. At Crofter it’s available all the time and this ham is the best I’ve had since I left Yorkshire. It’s so fooking good.”
Puddings are the best of Britannia, with an Eton mess pav roll; mango rice pudding ice-cream; a salted caramel and chocolate blancmange; grilled strawberries with coconut ice-cream; and, cheese, a big wedge of it, served with carrot cake and fruit chutney.
This is a menu full of winners. As well as the above, there are exciting dishes of ‘leftovers’ bubble & squeak omelette; devilled chook; a warm rice, chickpea and fava salad; old-cow kofta with pickled vegetables; Four Pillars gin-cured fish; golden-crusted lamb shoulder; curried mussels; and, much more. Notably, there is a special vegan menu.
No-one goes thirsty at Crofter either. The drinks offering focuses on what Wilkinson and head booze guy James Jeisman (Mac Forbes, Graceburn Wine Room, Etta) personally love to drink—think sherry, G&Ts and delicious wine—reasonably priced, from local and international friends, including Mac Forbes, Chrismont, Pennyweight, Hochkirch, Crawford River, and wine co. Stock and Hand. The guys are also making a selection of their own digestifs including nocino, amaro, limoncello and pastis.
Given Wilkinson’s position as Creative Director of all things ‘Made from Gin’ at Four Pillars, it won’t be a surprise to hear that Crofter will be pouring their full range, as well as two of Four Pillars’ Jimmy Irvine’s infamous cocktails: Tan Lines and Pub Squash. Wilkinson is also finalising his own signature cocktail which will, at this stage, feature some form of grapefruit.
On the branding and fit-out, Wilkinson worked with long-time friends Rachel Peachey and Paul Mosig of award-winning design studio Racket. The trio have a long history of collaboration, from the relaunch of Circa in 2009, to the launch of Pope Joan in 2010, and the design, and much of the illustration work, for Wilkinson’s three best-selling cookbooks.
Crofter is the culmination of Wilkinson’s personal equinox – having now lived in England and Australia for 20 years apiece. Drawing inspiration from modern Australia and Britain’s colonial legacy, Wilko has looked to the past to create a more sustainable, future-oriented restaurant which, above all, promises to be his tastiest offering yet.
Crofter Dining Room & Bar, 434 Lygon Street, Brunswick East VIC 3057
Tuesday – Friday: 5:30pm till late; Saturday: 11:30am till late; Sunday: from 11:30am
03 8419 8822, crofter.com.au, @crofterdining
Crofter Dining Room & Bar – The history of a name
The venue’s name, Crofter Dining Room & Bar, refers to small land holders, tenant farmers, in the Scottish Highlands, known as “crofters”. In the 1880s, “is treasa tuath na tighearna”—“the people are mightier than a lord”—rang through the glens and straths of the Highlands as crofters and small tenants protested for the protection of their rights, organising radical action, rent strikes and land raids. Crofter Dining Room & Bar takes inspiration from the idea that we’re all in this together and that the act of growing and eating food as a community enhances everyone’s wellbeing.
About Matt Wilkinson
Matt Wilkinson is the founder and owner of The Pie Shop, and the creative director of Four Pillars’ ‘Made from Gin’ products. Wilkinson opened Brunswick café Pope Joan and ran it for eight years, before it closed in June 2018 to make way for an apartment development. In 2019, he partnered with restaurateur David Mackintosh to give Pope Joan a second coming in Melbourne’s CBD. In November 2019 he departed Pope Joan to open Crofter Dining Room & Bar.