Antao
SABOR IN THE HUNTER
FOCUS ON
FERNANDO & RENATA
When it comes to the sweet things in life you cannot go past Sabor in the Hunter - the thriving dessert bar in Lovedale, which is owned and run by husband and wife team Fernando and Renata Antao. Although from Portuguese descent, Fernando was born and raised in Sydney while Renata was born in Brazil but spent her childhood growing up in Sydney. The two met through a friend when Fernando was just 20 years old but they soon discovered that their respecƟve mothers knew each other - both having worked in the same shirt manufacturing business. When it comes to Portuguese Chocolate Mousse, the Antao family can trace their family recipe back approximately 60 years to a liƩle village known as Poeares da Regua located in the Northern part of Portugal around 400 km from Lisbon where chocolate was a luxury and chocolate mousse a treat reserved for family gatherings and special occasions. Before moving to the Hunter Valley just over 2 years ago, Fernando and Renata, owned a pizzeria in Pyrmont - Sydney where they started oīering the chocolate mousse as part of their menu. Made in the tradiƟonal way (the Portuguese do not use cream to make their mousse) and using their grandmothers recipe handed down through the family, the chocolate mousse was so popular amongst their customers that they sold the pizzeria and began to make the mousse to sell in gourmet delicatessens and at markets. Such was the demand that they soon expanded the range to include diīerent Ňavoured mousse and also rice pudding. AŌer years of holidaying in the Hunter Valley several Ɵmes per year, Fernando and Renata decided to make the Hunter Valley their home and purchased the Wilderness Rd property adjacent to the historic Gillies Bridge where they refurbished the original cellar door to create the dessert bar and converted the winery and cold storage area into a factory which currently goes through approximately 1 tonne of chocolate each month and 50 kg and 100kg of buƩer a week. Sabor in the Hunter was opened in August 2011with a menu overŇowing with tasty treats and a range of classical and seasonal desserts paired with wines, dessert wines and Ports from the Hunter. They also oīer a gluten free range and barista made coīee. Now almost 2 years later, Fernando and Renata have a successful and highly popular business with Sabor in the Hunter aƩracƟng both locals and visitors to the Hunter. They now also distribute their desserts to Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane and Adelaide.
JULY 2013 THB
19