Printhie Dining and The Schoolhouse Restaurant at The Union Bank win Good Food Guide chefs hats

The Nashdale-based restaurant was one of two Orange businesses to be awarded a prestigious hat awarded by Good Food Guide 2024, the other was The Schoolhouse Restaurant at the Union Bank run by head chef Dom Aboud and Sarah Crowley in the Orange CBD.

The Schoolhouse Restaurant has won a hat before but for Printhie's head chef Jack Brown it's an extra special achievement given it's the first time he's been an official head chef.

"I'm pretty blown away by the whole thing," Mr Brown said.

"That's the first one to my name, like I've worked in [restaurants] with chef hats but I've always worked underneath the chefs whose hats they were.

"To have my own, it's f---ing mind blowing, especially in the short time that we've been open.

"It's been less than 20 months, it's been pretty crazy."

The restaurant opened in March last year and is run by a small team, which Mr Brown credited for the achievement.

That team includes: Charlotte Willis who does snacks, oysters as well as the first and second courses, sous chef Danny Claydon who does the third and fourth courses as well as meals with dietary requirements, as well as pastry chef Rosalie Gambrill who also does bread, lavosh cheese and deserts.

Mr Brown said they all put a lot of time and detail into the food and he's also blessed with the venue at Printhie Wines.

"We make our own ice cream, we make our own cremeux, we make our own bread, we make our own butter every day," Mr Brown said.

"If it wasn't for these guys doing that then we wouldn't be having a chefs hat in the first place."

He said the venue itself is also inspiring.

"It's on a massive property of apple orchards and vineyards, it's incredible," he said.

"I think the draw card to come and spend time at the venue, when you come and have lunch at Printhie you don't come for an hour, you spend about three and a half hours eating and then you feel obliged to walk around the venue and sit by the dam.

"There's so many beautiful aspects to the venue and it's something we've fully fallen in love with and when you love the environment you're in you exceed people' expectations because you give everything your best. Every day is an exciting day for me because of where I am in Nashdale."

Mr Brown moved to Orange to start the restaurant and trained the chefs he now works with.

"That's probably the biggest proudest moment that I do have with the restaurant, apart from the chef hat is also inspiring young people to cook like me and be fully obsessed in what they do and take a lot of pride in not just the food they're putting on the plate but where the food actually comes from as well because we're in the region of produce.

"The people that grow for our restaurant are not just our suppliers, they're also our really good close friends."

As well as using local produce, Mr Brown also works with a lot of Australian botanicals.

Mr Brown has previously worked at Berowra Waters Inn on the Hawkesbury River, and Nomad in Surry Hills as well as being an agency chef working all around Australia.

However, he credited his love of food to growing up in Singapore.

"I grew up in Singapore, I think my training started at hawker centres when I was like 12 years of age," he said.

"I used to wag school just to go eat certain things, I figured that the hawker markets were far more exciting than my history class."

"I started my apprenticeship back in 2007, I still consider myself as quite a young person, quite a young soul, I've got a lot to give.

"This is just the beginning for me, I'm 35 now and I want to cook for the rest of my life."

However, Mr Brown said the restaurant that defined him was the Berowra Waters Inn where he worked as a sous chef before taking the leap of faith to work for the Swift family at Prithie and open Printhie Dining.

"I got the job during COVID, I was working at the Berowra Waters Inn on the Hawkesbury River, quite an iconic restaurant for Sydney and I wasn't sure if I was going to make the move ... the restaurant wasn't even built," he said.

"I took the chance and I knew that I had to make it work.

"This is my first time as head chef, I've had other jobs where I've been a leader in the kitchen but this is my first serious role as head chef."

Since arriving he's created a degustation menu that show cases the wine and the Australiana themed restaurant is also produce driven.

He said the Swifts have also been great to work for and will get in and help when needed.

"They were there with me everyday saying, 'oh Jack, I'll jump in and shuck some oysters for you mate' or 'Jack, I'll jump over here and wash these dishes. There's no job that Dave Swift, Emily Swift or Ed Swift are afraid to do, they'll do it all."

To compile the prestigious guide, released by the Sydney Morning Herald each year, experienced critics anonymously visited restaurants across NSW and the ACT over six months, reviewing food, service, setting, experience, and value.

Both Orange venues were awarded their hats after they each earnt 15 out of 20 points.

Several other Central West eateries were also applauded with a Critics Pick tick of approval among them were Charred Kitchen & Bar and the newly opened Hey Rosey in Orange.

Further afield, the The Zin House at Mudgee retain its one Good Food Guide Hat. Fellow Mudgee venue, The Barn at Blue Wren Farm also earnt a Critic's Pick as did Matt Moran's The Rockley Pub at Rockley.

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