1 week Ago By Scott Bolles
The sprawling Three Blue Ducks food empire has opened on a farm, in a ski resort and even a wave park. But in a first for its surf- and snow-loving chef owners, The Ducks is sliding into a pub. It’s not just any pub.
Hotel Brunswick, a 20-minute drive north of Byron Bay, is a hidden gem of northern NSW. OK, maybe not entirely hidden – it took a reported $68 million bid in 2021 by MA Financial Group to prise it from its former owners. “It’s a partnership with the pub – we’re calling it The Ducks at Hotel Brunswick,” Three Blue Ducks co-owner Darren Robertson says.
The venue opens on Thursday, December 5. An Englishman, Robertson admits he has a love affair with pubs. The former head chef at recently closed Sydney fine-diner Tetsuya’s, Robertson stumbled on the “The Bruns” on a road trip 15 years ago.
“It’s quintessentially Australian. Straight off the beach, cross the bridge over the river, and there’s this great pub with a long history of live music and a big garden,” Robertson says. This summer, you’ll be able to snack on “Cali-inspired” Ducks bites such as tacos and lobster rolls in the beer garden or in the hotel’s restaurant.
They’re dropped in a new pizza oven, and lobster pizza is on the way to accompany menu items such as ceviche and pickled octopus. Robertson says they haven’t drifted from the reality that the Bruns is “still a pub”. He’s worked with Ducks co-owner Andy Allen and the pub’s head chef Loki Lynch to rework classics such as chicken parmigiana, beer-battered fish and chips and chilli chicken wings.
“Loki has a great pedigree,” Robertson says. Expect elevated pub classics. With most of the team based in the area, Robertson explains the deal made sense.
They settled on The Ducks moniker so as not to confuse customers headed to its nearby farm-based venue, Three Blue Ducks Byron Bay. “Restaurants like Fleet have already put Brunswick Heads on the food map – the Bruns is one of the icons of the area,” Robertson says. “We’re really excited about this one.
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