“A few of my menu items take me back to happy times. Food will do that.”
From the Yorkshire Dales to the Southern Highlands….Mark Holland, Head Chef at Hickory’s Restaurant & Bar in the beautiful Peppers Craigieburn Hotel has come a long way.
Geographically AND with his career in food.
We love how passionate he is about local produce too – he literally gets his hands dirty, heading out to local farms to go dig truffles himself or meet with Highlands producers to check on the quality of produce that ends up on the beautiful plates at Hickory’s.
We caught up with Mark to find out more about his food journey AND his love of the Highlands.
1 :: It seems you’ve spent a lifetime in the kitchen.
Yes, it all began in a little town called Harrogate in North Yorkshire. My father owned a traditional Yorkshire pub called the Open Arms, and the chefs were happy for me to sit on the bench and mix Yorkshire batter. It served all the traditional English fare like oxtail soup, beef with Yorkshire pudding, and toad in the hole. It’s a stunning part of the world.
2 :: Yet you cut your teeth as a chef in an Italian restaurant?
My best friend’s father owned an Italian restaurant in Harrogate and my first job was with him. It was a baptism of fire to be honest.
The executive chef was an ex-army vet and the head chef was a fiery passionate Italian, a pretty brutal but good place to start. It was great traditional Italian food all made from scratch.
3 :: You were soon drawn back to pub food though. How did that lead to training in a Michelin kitchen?
Well, I headed off to one of the biggest pubs in North Yorkshire. The executive chef won many local accoldaes, including a Bib Gourmand, the highest recognition you can get for a gastro pub. He sent me off to work for an amazing Michelin chef who I’m still in contact with to this day.
After nine years working in high pressure kitchens I needed a break. My other passion in life is snowboarding so I moved to Verbier in Switzerland for six months to cook in a five star fully catered chalet. It was finally the life balance I needed.
4 :: But England pulled your back in… and off you went to London.
Switzerland gave me a taste for private cheffing so I returned to the UK as a private chef for a local family in my home town. After two years I craved something more inspirational so I moved to London, to work in one of the best gastro pubs in North London, The Bull and Last. This is where my career took a new path, the fast paced environment and London being food mecca changed my views and passion on food.
5 :: And then an Aussie gal walked into the bar.
She did. She’d been in London for 10 years. We got chatting and the rest, they say, is history. Married in Florence. Then Australia beckoned.
6 :: You soon landed a job working with Matt Moran.
I did. For the first six months after I landed, I just got to know the food scene. Australia was a refreshing change, slightly slower pace of life, but equally as amazing food scene as London. I worked for the Solotel Group [when Matt Moran was involved] for 18 months as a his head
chef at the Paddo Inn in Paddington Sydney.
7 :: And at the beginning of 2020, Covid hit.
Actually, there’s a bit of luck in that story. An opportunity came up in a recently renovated hotel in Narrabri. We had family living there so it was a no brainer for some quality family time and the opportunity to start a new business. We managed to see the whole of the first covid wave in the safety of regional NSW.
8 :: It’s been a long and winding road to the Highlands then!
Yes. With a second child on the way we wanted to be closer to family. My wife and I had always loved the Highlands so when the opportunity came to work for Peppers Craigieburn came up we jumped at the chance of moving. So the Southern Highlands it was! I started a week before the second lockdown.
9 :: Now you’re Head Chef at Hickory’s, what can locals expect?
My style is now quite modern Australian, but since moving to the Highlands I’m able to put my English stamp on the menu. It’s cold and wet outside and cosy inside – perfect for those big, hearty dishes. I’ll have a big focus on Sunday roast soon!
10 :: Do you have a favourite dish on the menu?
I’ve got a lobster risotto on the menu which is the first dish I nailed back in the Michelin restaurant and I’ve never had it on a menu until now. And when I taste it, it just takes me straight back. A few of my menu items take me back to happy times. Food will do that.
11 :: And what do you love about the Highlands?
Well, the local produce for one! But apart from that, the green, the trees, and sitting inside a pub with a roaring fire, a bottle of wine and a cheese board– which I haven’t had much of a chance to do this winter! And of course, the locals are just so nice and Peppers has loyal patrons for that special occasion.
12 :: It’s a special place for many locals as well as visitors to the Highlands.
That’s right. It has a lot of soul in this hotel. When you walk around you can just feel the history inside the building.
And it holds a lot of special memories for many people, too.
We just want to keep creating more for them.
Hickory’s Restaurant & Bar at the beautiful Peppers Craigieburn in Bowral is all about seasonal produce and immersing the senses, thanks to the combination of culinary finesse and classic dishes Head Chef, Mark Holland brings to the table.
Put this lovely, local restaurant on the must visit list for a fresh new take on contemporary dining in the Southern Highlands. Find out more and take a sneak peek at the menus here.
And heads up, the restaurant is not just for inhouse guests – locals are always more than welcome.
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