The Quince Poacher

I still smile when I think about our lunch at the Weldborough Hotel. I’ve yet to encounter a prettier or more charming beer garden than the one here.

The beer garden at the Weldborough Hotel

I first wrote about the Weldborough Hotel last year, when we stopped in for a drink one sunny afternoon. We made it back for lunch before our trip was over, and we were not disappointed.

S. ordered the BBQ Steak Sandwich with chips. This was served in a foccaccia bun along with bbq sauce, cheese, onions and lettuce. The steak was a beautiful tender cut of Scotch fillet, pounded thin and cooked just right (with a little bit of pink left in it). The lettuce was fresh and tasty while the onions were cooked until they were soft and sweet. All of this and the right amount of bbq sauce was layered together in the lightly toasted bun and served with some crisp, well cooked chips on the side. All in all, a great, simple lunch dish that combined a lot of different textures and flavours.

BBQ Steak Sandwich

I ordered the Italian Chicken, which was the Weldborough’s take on a chicken parmigiana sans the breadcrumbs, which was great for someone such as myself who shouldn’t be eating wheat.  This was a pan-seared chicken breast topped with smoked bacon and a flavoursome, herby tomato sauce, served with crisp chips and a fresh and colourful salad. Very appealing to look at, it was also very tasty to eat.

Italian Chicken

To finish, I ordered a piece of apricot cake with ice-cream. This was a lovely home-made cake that highlighted the sweet, seasonal apricots, one of my favourite fruits.

Apricot cake

The Weldborough Hotel source as much of their produce locally, mostly from Scottsdale but also Ringarooma, St Helens or Pyengana. Chicken and eggs are free-range and hormone free. This approach of using local and fresh produce pays big dividends. The menu at the Weldborough Hotel, while not extensive, is a classic pub menu that delivers delicious and satisfying meals that don’t disappoint, and we would definitely go back again.

A quick check of their website shows that a lot has been happening at the Weldborough Hotel over the past year. It seems their accommodation, including the campsite, is fully up and running, so if you’re cycling or walking in the area, this could be a good option. They’ve won a tourism award, they’re now featured in Lonely Planet’s Tasmanian travel guide, and they continue to win fans. We still are, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Weldborough Hotel to others.

What we had:
Italian Chicken $19
BBQ Steak Sandwich and Chips $15
Apricot cake with ice-cream

All of this was, of course, enjoyed with some selections from the Weldborough’s fabulous micro-brew range.

The full menu for the Weldborough Hotel is available here.