The Sunshine Coast pub offering unforgettable chicken schnitzel

Pub dining gets a fine dining touch-up at this new project in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

What do you get when the growers of the country’s best organic vegetables take over their local pub? Chicken schnitzel with premium veg of course.

At $34, this is unlikely to be the cheapest schnitty around, but the massive hunk of golden crumbed free-range breast perched atop a nest of creamed potatoes, teamed with frighteningly fresh broccolini and carrots and lapped by a prodigious puddle of chicken sauce is something of a triumph.

The thick wedge of meat, which arrives topped with a disc of herbed garlic butter, remains moist and succulent inside its crisp, crunchy skin. This is pub food with a cheffy sensibility that uses quality produce to ramp up the nutritional quality and flavour of one of Australia’s favourite pub meals.

The chicken schnitzel at Mapleton Public House.

We’re at the Mapleton Public House, on the Blackall range above Nambour in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, with a broad verandah to take in the views across the hazy distance to a smear of ocean on the horizon. The 113-year-old pub has been bought by Jessica Huddart and Ben Johnston, the owners of nearby The Falls Farm, which was in July crowned a national winner at the delicious. Produce Awards for its small plot organic farming and is a supplier to leading Brisbane restaurants such as Dan Arnold and Agnes. Former Spicers executive chef Cameron Matthews, who a few years ago was running the kitchen at The Long Apron just up the road at Montville, is on board as executive chef.

Dining room at Mapleton Public House. Picture: Lachie Millard

The fitout will evolve progressively as will the menu to hero more plant-based options such as Falls Farm beetroot with black sesame, molasses yoghurt and mizen furikake. On a recent Sunday the starter line-up featured Ten Acres sourdough from nearby Ninderry, antipasto, minestrone, chicken liver pate with pickled vegetables and sourdough or our choice of fried calamari ($20), which is brushed with a light batter and served with rocket, lemon and a housemade tartare. Beyond the schnitzel, main course options include a cheeseburger ($25), beer-battered fish of the day ($30) with rosemary potatoes, housemade tartare and leaves, rib fillet with sauce diane ($39), and hand-rolled pasta ($29), which is clad in a herb sauce, showered with dried olive and ricotta ($29) and is quite lovely. Sides include roasted pumpkin, marinated onions, honey and miso-roasted heirloom carrots or chips ($8-$10).

Hand-rolled pasta at Mapleton Public House.

Many are tucking into a special of free-range porchetta ($30) filled with Falls Farm fennel, onions and garlic and served with creamed potatoes, seasonal vegetables and gravy.

Dessert is chocolate mousse with honeycomb cream; Maleny Food Co vanilla bean ice-cream, a strawberry tart special or a firmish, flavoursome panna cotta with seasonal fruit, in this case, sweet, juicy orange segments.

On tap is Larry Pale Ale from Your Mates brewery at Warana down on the coast, Eumundi ginger beer and XXXX Gold, with three pages of reasonably priced, mainly Australian wines and glasses from $6.50 to $13.

Falls Farm beetroot with black sesame, molasses yoghurt and mizen furikake at Mapleton Public House. Picture: Lachie Millard

Décor hasn’t changed much yet, the pub is still rocking deep pink external walls, pine interior walls reminiscent of a 1970s sauna, with historic photographs of early settlers lining a wall near the kitchen. Diners have the option of an interior dining room or the wide verandah.

At this stage you order near the kitchen, you’re given a buzzer that flashes when your meal is ready and you pick it up along with cutlery wrapped in a paper serviette. Staff vary in experience but are chilled and friendly, with the guy running front of house a good fit for a project that is straddling the expectations of longtime customers with the desire to do something different and widen the venue’s appeal. This is just the start of an interesting project and it will be fascinating to see it evolve. In the meantime, that schnitty is worth the drive up the range.

MAPLETON PUBLIC HOUSE

2 Flaxton Drive, Mapleton

5445 7499

mapleton.pub

Open

Mon-Thu 10am–8.30pm Fri-Sat 10am–10pm

Sun 10am–5pm

Must try

Chicken schnitzel

Verdict – Scores out of 5

Food 3.5

Service 3.5

Ambience 3.5

Value 3.5

Overall3.5