Bathers’ Pavilion turns up the heat with new fine-dining chef, farm and vineyard

With Monday night’s SMH Good Food Guide Awards in the rear-view mirror, jostling among next year’s contendershas already begun.

An early leader is Bathers’ Pavilion in Mosman, which has snared talented Shell House head chef Aaron Ward and acquired a vineyard and farm.

The signing of Ward, who was head chef at three hat Stanmore venue Sixpenny before joining Shell House Dining Room in 2021, is a coup for the stalwart one hat restaurant.

Bathers’ has noticeably lifted its pitch this year, including a winter residency from three Michelin star UK restaurant, L’Enclume.

“Momentum breeds opportunity,” Bathers’ co-owner Jess Shirvington says of scoring Ward as its new executive chef following the restaurant’s five-week L’Enclume takeover.

“We’ve been hitting a lot of markers this year, I hope (Ward’s recruitment) is a reflection of how we’re perceived.”

Attracted by Bathers’ Pavilion rich culinary history and an upturn in the restaurant scene north of Sydney Harbour, Ward says his imprint won’t be evident until his first menu lands November 9.

It’ll bring a fresh wave of dishes, but Ward will also offer up a re-interpretation of his beetroot dish from Shell House. A Good Food review described the coal-roasted then barbecued beets dressed with fermented blueberry and cherry vinegar as the “dishiest dish of the night”.

Ward has already lodged growing requests at Rotherwood Estate, in the Southern Highlands, which was recently acquired by Bathers’ co-owner Ian Pagent and his wife Maryanne.

Visiting L’Enclume chef Simon Rogan offered advice on everything from soil testing to sustainable farming during his Sydney stay, gathered from experience with his own farm set-up in the UK.

Shirvington would eventually like a truffle grove, while Ward has a shopping list of leafy greens. Planting has already begun at the 100-acre Sutton Forest property, with excess produce eventually earmarked for Foodbank.

The Mosman restaurant has had a busy year. As well as the L’Enclume residency, earlier this month it opened a Summer pop-up, Eddy’s – a cross between and enoteca and a milk bar – in the long-time home of Awaba Café.

Meanwhile, the vacancy created by Ty Bellingham’s recent departure at Bathers’ first floor Betel Leaf restaurant has been filled, with former Sailors Thai Canteen chef Pacharin ‘Air’ Jantrakool taking on the position.

It has been a huge year, Shirvington says: “we want to keep the momentum going into 2024.”