Wagga dining: Meccanico, Roundabout Restaurant among region’s hottest eateries
Wagga is fast becoming known as a foodie haven with some of the country’s most talented chefs tantalising the taste buds of regional NSW.
The Wagga News
Don't miss out on the headlines from The Wagga News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Wagga is fast emerging as a foodie hot spot with some of the greatest restaurants in the state.
And behind the delicious meals are the hardworking and passionate chefs who excel at their craft.
The Wagga News takes a look at the top chefs taking over regional NSW and changing the way locals wine and dine.
Aaron Wrafter
Hailing from England, Aaron Wrafter, 27, arrived in Australia in 2018 and like many Brits before him, spent 18 months driving his way through Australia.
But like many, COVID-19 changed his plans and he found himself at a standstill in Wagga.
Having worked as a chef in Michelin star restaurants for a number of years across Europe, Wrafter decided to settle in Wagga and try to find some work.
Soon he stumbled across the perfect place – Meccanico, Espresso and Wine Bar.
“Meccanico is a really European- and Spanish-inspired space,” Wrafter said.
“So that’s where I come in, because I am obviously European myself and I have been trained as a chef in Europe,” he said.
He began his role as a chef with Meccanico in May and has recently been appointed head chef.
“For me Meccanico is very different to what I have done before because it’s a coffee shop through the day and adapts during the evening, by transforming into a wine bar,” Wrafter said.
“So it plays all the cards and audiences. Everything anyone wants, they can get it here.
“Predominantly, at night it is a tapas-style menu and we also have a beautiful deli inside which stocks imported high quality meats and cheeses,” he said.
Wrafter said from the ingredients he uses to the climate he cooks in, being a chef in Australia and in Europe are worlds apart.
“Southern hemisphere cooking is very different, so it’s mixing what I am learning here and what I have learnt at home to bring that twist to Wagga and compliment Meccanico,” he said.
Wrafter said the team had recently given the menu a shake up and customers should prepare their tastebuds.
“I’m a French-trained chef, so that’s what I am bringing to Wagga which is a little different,” he said.
“The menu has actually just changed, so it’s all about sharing plates, having some wine, cheese and meats and then finishing off the night with a simple dessert.
“We have also just installed a grill so we will begin cooking some steaks and cod on Friday and Saturday nights.
“But you will find me here, in the kitchen, trying to bring my European tastebuds and background to the Wagga.”
Jamie Shepley
Most Wagga residents know that if Jamie Shepley is in the kitchen, it’s bound to be a damn good night.
Beginning his food journey at the Victorian Hotel as just a kid, Jamie has gone on to be considered the pioneer for transforming the Wagga food scene.
Finishing his apprenticeship at Three Chefs, Shepley took his chefs whites overseas and worked for some of the biggest names in the business including Gordon Ramsay in London.
After a number of years of literally tasting the flavours of the world, Shepley returned home to Wagga and ventured across to Junee.
It was here, he took over the restaurant and transformed the kitchen at the Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory for a number of years, until he decided it was time to move on and truly dominate the Wagga food scene.
He began the transformation of Wagga food, by heading back to his old stomping ground at the Oakroom Kitchen and Bar (formerly Three Chefs).
“I slipped into the role as head chef at the Oakroom and built it up to be a successful business,” he said.
And that he did. Shepley drew masses of people to the Oakroom, who would beg for a seat at the sought-after restaurant which used high quality local produce to create five star dishes.
The Oakroom soon cemented it spot as the top fining dining restaurant in Wagga and was the spark that ignited the modern food spaces that Wagga is now home to.
“While it was at it’s peak, I decided to go across to the Roundabout Restaurant which is where I am now,” he said.
“I saw it as another personal challenge in terms of seeing if myself and my team could build this space up.”
And once again Shepley succeeded. The Roundabout, is now one of the top places to be in Wagga, with bookings well in advance recommended.
And with the change in venues, so has Shepley’s cooking style evolved.
“It’s been a constant evolution,” he said.
“In the beginning because I was classically French trained, I was cooking really heavy dishes.
“But as the years have gone on, I find myself trying to refresh and really concentrate on flavour.
“I believe my style of cooking has more of an Asian influence, because the ingredients are so fresh and the flavours are just incredible.
“But that change is because my taste in food has changed, and I want to share my experience with food with my customers.”
Like always, Shepley has brought something different to the Roundabout and is serving up five- and seven-course tasting plates with the option of paired wines.
“Wagga has really evolved and the people, well, they want to try new things,” he said.
“I think that change has come from people heading to Sydney and Melbourne a bit more.
“And they come to our space because they know that they will get what they can’t get anywhere else in Wagga.
“When we first started the tasting menus at the Roundabout, we had a bit of push back but now 75 per cent of our customers chose that menu because they want to experiment with their palate.”
In the new year, people can expect a rebrand and renovation of the restaurant.
“We are constantly changing and moving forward,” Shepley said.
“We are lucky in the sense that Melbourne and Sydney are a bit ahead of us, so we can take their ideas and introduce that to Wagga.
“A lot of chefs are reluctant to put things on the menu because they are concerned about their audience.
“But, for us we don’t worry and we just serve what tastes good.
“And people soon try it, even if it is different.
“The biggest compliment I can get is when people say ‘oh I would never have ordered that if it wasn’t on the tasting menu’.”
Luke Kerlin
This is a true example of a small town country boy, making it big, in the city.
Luke Kerlin, 25, began his food journey as a 15-year-old kid at the Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory when head chef Jamie Shepley saw potential in him and took him on as an apprentice.
After two years at the Factory, Kerlin followed Shepley across to the Oakroom and was his right hand man in building the restaurant to the heights it has reached.
But in 2016 it was time for a change and Kerlin headed to Melbourne.
His training at the Oakroom set him up for success and he instantly landed a role at Kettle Black – a leading Melbourne cafe that is one of Australia’s most recognised and acclaimed hospitality venues.
“Working at Kettle Black was incredible, and it also allowed me to venture around and experience the hottest food spots in Melbourne because it was a cafe and the hours were 6am to 3pm,” he said.
“It was in the top five cafes in Melbourne at the time, and I think it still is.
“The masses it drew was something like I had never seen before.”
But nine months later, Kerlin soon found himself in the kitchen with George Calombaris at the Press Club, Melbourne.
“It was 8am until finish which was normally around 1am,” he said with a laugh.
“But I got use to it and it’s surprising what your body can take.
“And that work ethic was drilled into me ever since I started as a kid by Shepley, which I am now very grateful for. “
Although Kerlin said he saw some of the biggest and toughest men he knew walk out of the Press Club kitchen crying due to pressure and stress – he was not one of them.
“George’s righthand man asked me one day if I had a passport and the next day we were on a plane to South Africa,” he said.
“We did a food and wine show over there and not only that experience but the two years I worked with George were surreal.”
But home soon began calling and so did Shepley, and Kerlin returned to Wagga to start his role as sous chef at the Roundabout Restaurant.
“Jamie spends a lot less time in the kitchen to what he has in the past,” Kerlin said.
“Because we both are on board of what we are trying to achieve here, I am basically in charge of the kitchen.
“Jamie sets the business plan but I police the structure which works really well.”
The dynamic duo is bound for more success as they are scheduled to sign more than one business deal in the next few months, expected to further transform the Wagga food scene.
Kerlin said the plans are bold and something Wagga has never seen before.
“Me and Jamie will soon be business partners,” he said.
“We have always had a good relationship, so this next step, really will be seamless.
“Although we are different personalities we just bounce off each other.”
Although they didn’t give much away, if their history is anything to go by – the plans are sure to be a raging success.
“We always try to stay true to ourselves and really our main goal and what we aim to do is always be one step ahead of the game,” Kerlin said.
“Watch this space,” he said before he hinted a restaurant empire is on the cards.
Sarn Rudd
Girls rule the world, and Sarn Rudd is about to rule the newest restaurant in Wagga.
Opening early next year and housed in the home of the exclusive Riverine Club, Rudd has been given the role of head chef at Pastorale.
The task is one that Rudd said was daunting but extremely exciting at the same time, because she will be challenged to serve mouth-watering food in one of the oldest buildings and well to do clubhouses in the state.
The Riverine Club dates back to 1881 when it was founded as a gentleman's club, comprising of landowners and pastoralists.
But as times changed, so did the rules and the club now welcomes women.
The century-old club house is set for an overhaul as the owners of Meccancio Espresso and Wine have gutted areas of the Tarcutta St building to make room for Rudd and restaurant Pastorale.
“It will be more meals then the tapas-style menu people experience at Meccanico,” she said.
“We are paring the menu with the building’s history.
“So people can expect a fine dining experience while using products from the land like beef, lamb and vegetables.”
Pastorale will take on a Mediterranean-styled space which customers could expect to find in Melbourne or Sydney.
“It’s pimped up peasant food, if that makes sense,” Rudd said with a laugh.
Having worked at the Roundabout Restaurant and is the former head chef at Meccancio, she knows good food and is hoping to fill the gaps in the Wagga food scene.
Kapil KC
Say hello to the new chef on the block.
Hailing from Nepal and arriving in Australia in 2013, Kapil KC, is the newest chef to hit Wagga.
After spending six years working in Sydney, with various stints at restaurants in Darling Harbour including Rockpool, KC decided to hit the road and take a look at country NSW.
After liking what he saw, he was appointed head chef at Cottontail Wines in September.
“I really wanted to head out to regional Australia and this role with Cottontails allows me free range with my cooking,” he said.
“I am really looking forward to putting my own experiences and culture into the food I deliver at our winery.”
Predominantly, KC has experience cooking authentic Italian cuisine and has tried his hand at Australian fusion.
“After Christmas we will be changing the menu at Cottontails and it will be a mix of these traditional dishes that I know well, but then I will add a twist with hints of spices and flavours from Nepal,” he said.
Currently, KC is soaking up the beautiful Cottontails views which surrounds his kitchen, while working alongside two other chefs.
“I am really looking forward to experimenting with local produce while incorporating my own culture into the dishes,” he said.
“And that’s the thing I love most about Australia is the range of different cultures living here but working together to create something fantastic.
“And that is exactly what I hope to replicate in my food.”
Thanchanok Manon
Thanchanok Manon has taken Wagga by storm since the day she arrived in 2018 with her traditional Thai recipes.
Located in Fitzmaurice St, you will find Manon cooking up a storm in the Thaigga kitchen – the restaurant which has been voted on TripAdvisor as one of the top three restaurants in Wagga.
Having grown up in the North of Thailand, Manon said she learnt to cook from a young age.
“I learnt how to cook from my mother and father,” she said.
“They were big cooks and they were always teaching me how to cook authentic Thai recipes.
“I came to Australia in 2010 and worked in Sydney before coming to Wagga.”
She said her and her team of six chefs aim to bring the tastes of Thailand to Wagga.
“We just try to cook the dishes our country is known for and make sure we cook them well,” Manon said.
“We aim to bring a mix of the different flavours, spices and tastes of Thailand to Thaigga and serve dishes that you would find in all parts of our country.
“Every month we also create a different dish that many people may have never tried or heard of before.”
Thiagga can serve around 80 people at a time, with the restaurant booked out most Friday and Saturday nights.
“We do two sittings per night and we also serve lunch,” Manon said.
“It’s very busy but we like it that way because we love making people happy, serving our country’s dishes.
“We just try our best and we always love to hear what customers think of our food,” she said.
Rising stars: Every batter, bowler ranked in Country Colts
After a brilliant Country Colts carnival in which regional NSW’s best young cricketers put on a show, we’ve ranked all batters and bowlers to see who stood out.
Read more
Wagga sale and auction results, week ending October 13
See the latest auction and sales results in Wagga for last week.
Read more