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T H E P G A B R I E L
I N T &
B O Y N E
The Point is one of Port Macquarie's newest waterfront restaurants, and Gabriel Eagleson and Boyne Pead are sharing their passion for food and hospitality.
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oyne: growing up here in Port Macquarie, what inspired you to pursue a career as a chef, and how is it being back? I have always had a passion for food and cooking as long as I can remember, dating back to the days of baking my first cupcakes at 8 years old. It’s great to be back in Port and share my passion with my hometown. We have been open here at The Point for about 7 months now, which has just flown by, but I still never get tired of looking out the window to see dolphins swimming outside. Gabriel: originally from Los Angeles, California, tell us about your travels and experience in hospitality ... Shortly after graduating from university in Arizona, I moved to New York to help open a restaurant in a new Fifth Avenue hotel, which was quite an amazing experience. In 2011, I moved to London, where I worked with two different high end hotels in the city and had the chance to travel around Europe, until most recently when I relocated here. Port Macquarie actually reminds me a bit of LA, but with cleaner beaches! Honestly though, the town has its own unique character and charm, which I love, and the people here have been absolutely amazing, very welcoming and supportive. Boyne: tell us about your travels and experience in the hospitality industry; how did you end up moving to London? I was working as a chef in Brisbane and decided to move to London for a year or two. I landed a job in one of Sir Richard Branson’s restaurants and was sponsored to stay in the UK permanently, where I immersed myself into the world of pastry for the next eight years. I had the opportunity to work with one of the City's top Michelin star restaurants and even helped create their menus for openings in Dubai and Las Vegas. Gabriel: what personal touch have you brought to your new business venture as co-owner at The Point? Every once in a while I get to sneak some of my funky American dishes on to the menu, like our Salted Caramel Sizzling Cookie, which
has been a big hit. Also, when you come visit us you will see all the menus are actually made out of different record covers and the dessert menus are made from recycled VHS tapes, remember those? I love the old Hollywood glam and vintage style, and we get to have a lot of fun with that theme – we’ll even be starting “Dinner and a Movie”nights soon, so stay tuned for that! Boyne: as Head Chef at The Point, what is most important to you when cooking? I believe a dish is only as good as the food you put into it, which is why we work hard to find the freshest local ingredients – even our oysters come from the Hastings River just in front of the restaurant. But anyone who knows me knows how much I also love pastry, so there are always new treats on offer. We have favourites that locals come in for, like our vanilla slice, but I also like to surprise our regulars with things like our Esterhazy, a gluten free Hungarian torte layered with hazelnut, cocoa, and coffee buttercream. Gabriel: celebrating Christmas in July this month, what will be on offer for customers? For the entire month of July, we are offering guests a two course lunch/dinner menu, including their choice of main and one of our homemade desserts for only $37. And as you know, we are BYO, so it’s quite affordable for families, couples or groups looking for a fun night out (bookings required). I can almost already smell the roast in the oven! Boyne: can you cater for parties and other special functions? Absolutely. Just recently we hosted our first wedding, which was great. We catered the ceremony in the gardens out back and hosted the reception in the restaurant afterwards. We enjoy the buzz and excitement of having groups in for birthdays and parties and work with the organiser to create a menu that suits the group’s needs. And of course, we can also custom design a cake specifically for the occasion. The Point is located at 168 Settlement Point Rd, Phone 6584 2020. Open 7 days
Do you have moments when you really feel like a BIG coffee hit? Many times at BUZZ I hear people say this, especially on the way to work after a late night ... We then recommend: BUZZ Coffee Black Magic Robusta. This is an Indonesian Robusta AP-1 Grade 1 Extra Large Bean. The extra-large bean being denser, producers more flavour. It is a staggering 2.7% caffeine! So … BEWARE! The beans are large and uniform. It has a medium body and bold, strong flavour that is bittersweet, pungent, fruity and nutty, with the typical earthiness of Robusta. Robusta coffee is characterised by its woody and earthy flavours. It has lower acidity and a heavier mouth-feel. The Robusta trees are high bearing and disease resistant. You can try one at your Café BUZZ and you can purchase the beans to enjoy at home or work! Chai Tea is now an accepted part of the café menu, especially in the winter months. Ten years ago it was a drink people had “heard of”. Café BUZZ has its own blend of Chai that mixes perfectly with hot milk to give you the heady aromas of India. It is sweet, milky and flavoured with
cinnamon, cloves, ginger and cardamom. Finished on top with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar, and you have your BUZZ Chai Latte. This is also available to buy at the counter from your local Café BUZZ. Another warming winter favourite is BUZZ Hot Chocolate – our very own Rich Chocolate Powder, which is perfect for a warm cup of hot chocolate. We have sourced the finest Hot Chocolate for the BUZZ brand. As well as hot, you can enjoy it cold and iced and on your cappuccino. We know you’ll love it! If you love the social pleasure of Facebook, then you will love to see what is happening at your local Café BUZZ. Come and like us to enjoy the newsfeed. All BUZZ coffees and teas are available at your local Café BUZZ or online at www.buzzcoffee.com.au Regards, Harry harry@buzzcoffee.com.au
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