On the popular South Coast road trip route – once a drive with only a few options for food not ordered over a counter and packed in a paper bag – now sits the Growers, a sprawling, new 450-seat eatery focussed on local produce.
It's in Worridgee, a town just out of Nowra, and sits less than 20 minutes from Jervis Bay and a stone's throw from one of the region's most popular oyster farms, Greenwell Point. The focus here, as the name might give away, is squarely on the makers and growers of the produce that will find its way to your table: from oyster farmers, to vegetable growers, wine-makers and meat farmers. And you can get involved in those processes yourself – the Growers will be running 'Meet the Producer' workshops, gardening classes, cooking lessons, long farm-to-table lunches, and more.
Heading up the kitchen is US chef Patrick Haney, who's honed his craft in Australian kitchens like Opera Bar and Cruise Bar before landing at the Growers. The indoor kitchen slings woodfired pizzas, smoked cauliflower burgers and casual snacks and is open Wednesdays to Sundays from 11am onwards. There's an outdoor smokehouse, too – it'll be grilling up pork empanadas, charred jackfruit tacos, chipotle chicken wings and more. Mark this one down for your next pitstop.
Book online at the Growers.