January 27th, 2020Country charm, great flavours and value!
THE Pig & Whistle Hotel is nestled in the wee hamlet of East Trentham and it’s long been a popular stomping ground for both locals and visitors.
Owners Jenny and Scott took over in April last year and Jenny says to this day she still can’t believe where all the people come from, even on those cold and foggy days.
The place maintains its country tavern charm with an interesting selection of model pigs scattered throughout, both inside and out. The front bar is always occupied, with a great selection of beers on tap and wines locally sourced, with the house wine coming from St Anne’s Estate at Myrniong.
The main dining lounge is cosy with intimate corners and an open fireplace and Jenny and Scott have made a few changes, including opening up the back section and turning it into a family room with a kiddies’ corner. It would also be ideal for larger groups or functions. The windows in the back room let in a lot of natural light and it opens up to the courtyard and beer garden. And then there’s the Pigpen, complete with jukebox, pool table, pinball machine and a sports TV.
The regular menu is packed with variety from burgers, parmas, fish, pies and steaks ($24-$38) to lighter salad meals ($15-$24) and the kids’ piglet menu ($10-$12). There is also a specials board and locals’ night is on Tuesdays. One of the biggest surprises has been the introduction of vegan and vegetarian options, which have been a huge success. A vegan burger is coming soon!
Entrees
To start we ordered the bruschetta ($9) and it was by far the best I’ve had. Explosive bursts of flavour with a light crunchy base, feta and a drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar. The Trentham potato skins ($10.50), sourced locally, were a generous serve and perfectly deep-fried.
Mains
The seafood, delivered daily, was our go-to straight from the specials board. I had the honey-glazed salmon on black rice with Asian vegetables and shallots ($30). Cooked medium – slightly pink with crispy skin – it was light and infused with sweet, salty tastes and the black rice absorbed all the flavours.
Andrew had the Moreton Bay bugs with squid ink shrimp risotto ($38) – shelled Tasmanian scallops and prawns topped with parmesan cheese. The sweet prawns and scallops with the strong flavours of the Moreton Bay bugs complemented each other nicely. And the risotto was perfect.
Desserts
With very little room left it was hard to say yes to desserts (all $11) but why not? I had the white chocolate brûlée, which was decadent, sweet thick custard with a perfect crunch on the toffee top. Andrew had the Malteser cheesecake, which was sublime, a beautiful creamy smooth flavour that wasn’t too rich and had a nice crunch in the pastry. All desserts are served with a pink chocolate confectionery piggy mascot. Cute!
One more thing
Each Monday night $1 from every pie or parma meal goes towards the Farmers’ Run, a great cause that is close to Jenny and Scott’s heart and something they will continue to be involved with.
Words & images: Charl Parris
