The team at Ponte Bar & Dining have taken over The Growers at Worrigee Sports and we have previewed the menu, the vibe and the views, perfectly timed for the Spring season.
The Growers By Ponte is a revitalisation of this stunning venue aptly billed as “where the coast meets the country” thanks to its proximity to the sea and the sprawling pastoral views of dairy country and mountains beyond the golf course. Where Ponte was an intimate, indoor shared dining experience, The Growers By Ponte is a 400-seat behemoth with two kitchens, outdoor gardens and covered verandah seating options, a menu showcasing Brazilian BBQ alongside solid Aussie classics, and a family-friendly atmosphere. Bookings are available now for the re-opening this Friday 9 August onwards, for lunch or dinner Wednesday to Saturday or a leisurely Sunday lunch.
The Growers was seeking a new team to reimagine and realise its potential, after closing earlier this year after the summer season (it first opened in late 2020). Enter Sharon and Thiago Menezes, who were ready to expand their operations here in the Shoalhaven.
Sharon & Thiago have impeccable credentials and depth of experience in dining and hospitality. The pair met while working together at Manly fine-diner Hugo’s, and have built a fantastic following in foodie circles here in the Shoalhaven during their time running Ponte on Wharf Street (opened in 2020).
Executive chef Thiago is joined “on the pans” by chef Sam Smith, who was named in the top 4 of the Australian Chef of the Year Challenge event earlier this year. The two kitchens, including a smokehouse, will be serving up entrees, main courses and desserts featuring lots of locally sourced produce at very reasonable prices, as well as a selection of cheese.
Think, chicken schnitzel with a specialty brine and crumb. A steak cooked to perfection with elevated sides like grilled veg and amazing sauces. Or a slow-cooked wagyu beef ragu, or locally made pork and fennel sausages from Greenwell Point Butchers.
To match, there is an exceptional wine, spirits and cocktails list. Thiago, who is a qualified sommelier, is very passionate about wine and has curated a wine list that is accessible, reasonably priced for quality drops that he has personally sourced. Bottles vary in price but he says you can get an absolutely quality bottle for $40 that will be sure to blow you away.
This dream team of the Shoalhaven food scene is ready to bring more of their beautiful food, attentive service and destination dining to more locals and visitors to the Shoalhaven.
The appeal, for Sharon, of moving operations to this location were numerous. “With restrictions in place on the waterfront for building and development, our Wharf Road venue is now all it will ever be,” she said. “We are unable to expand for an alfresco dining area or rooftop bar.
“At The Growers, we are more centralised to where things are happening and growing in our area.” Sharon said there are many other benefits that come with the location including the sprawling grounds with comfortable seating, an external smokehouse that can be operated as another independent kitchen, plus the ease of access and parking that currently isn’t available at the Wharf Road location.
With the bigger venue, there will be new ways that customers can order, such as via a QR code, as well as in person with a staff member at the bar. Sharon said this will not take away from the well-known Ponte hospitality but will enhance it by freeing up Sharon and other senior staff to monitor the dining spaces and make menu changes according to availability or specials, and to improve the flow of service in such a large venue.
“If one kitchen is behind with a heap of orders, I will be able to promote menu items from the smokehouse and vice versa to allow meals to come out in a timely fashion with the kitchens catching up when necessary,” said Sharon.
“Think of the green space outdoors on a beautiful Spring Saturday afternoon, we will be able to efficiently serve drinks and food so customers can enjoy the atmosphere.”
Sharon is the heart of the Team
There are many pieces to the puzzle of running a successful restaurant. A great menu with an equally great chef, a venue that is welcoming and comfortable plus top quality, attentive service. Even with all of these pieces in place, there needs to be the glue that holds it all together.
Sharon Menezes is exactly this, the glue that brings it all together at Ponte. You will see Sharon as the everywhere woman, bringing her 25 years of experience in hospitality to each and every customer.
Sharon’s ethos is all about “old school” hospitality including manners, customer service and eye contact. She teaches her staff the importance of speaking clearly and being engaging with the customers in front of you. “I had a young boy come in for a trial and when he arrived he shook my hand, looked me in the eye and said, Hello Sharon how are you? and I immediately thought, he is hired because he has that quality I look for in someone to engage with our customers. The rest is so easy to train, movement around the space, taking orders, but being engaging takes so much more time to learn.”
Sharon is affectionately known as Mumma Shaz by her younger staff members due to her caring nature and relationships she builds. She was very proud to point out that 26 of the current staff members are happily coming across to the new venue at The Growers, meaning the base team is strong with the Ponte service standards already well ingrained. “This will help the transition immensely to ensure we hit the ground running!”
The twin pillars upon which Sharon and Thiago have developed the Ponte brand are excellent customer service and quality locally sourced food that is fresh and full of flavour. They are trying to use as few suppliers as possible whilst still being in the South Coast, Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands regions to ensure quality offerings.
Sharon said this extends to beverages as well by sourcing wine, beer and spirits from producers within these local areas. One partnership she is really proud of is with Bryce Warnock of Greenwell Point Butcher. He only provides a few meat and poultry offerings used by Ponte but the delicious chicken schnitzels are a collaboration of methodical production. They are brined first with a brine supplied by the kitchen, then Bryce cuts the breast to the size and thickness required and provides a consistent first-rate product crumbed ready for service that is as reliable as it is delicious.
“It’s partnerships like these that make me really proud,” said Sharon. “The fact that we put our trust in Bryce means he puts in that extra effort for us and we get such a beautiful consistent product that is literally up the road from us.”
It is descriptions like this that show the passion and dedication Sharon has to the whole venture. She loves to speak about the new local supply of chicken or a beautiful bottle of wine that Thiago has sourced from a local vineyard and allowing her customers to enjoy and experience the amazing things that are on offer on our doorstep.
The smokehouse will be activated on Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays with offerings stemming back to Thiago’s Brazilian heritage including delicious meats and vegetables cooked on open flames a Brazilian flare brought to the venue. Matching cocktails that can be purchased in carafes to drink out in the expansive garden seating.
Sharon wants people to know that what they were doing at Ponte on Wharf Street isn’t what they will be doing at The Growers. This is a different experience.
Sharon said their goal is good quality food, good quality drinks all served at a fast pace to enable everyone to be fed while being flexible with seating in relaxed spaces that are fun.
“We want to be really family friendly, I love that we have the space where kids can have a run around while you can watch them, enjoy our hospitality and have great food.” Sharon has a clear vision in her head about how this venue will look and sound when it is up and running in mid-August.
I asked Sharon if this is the reinvention of Ponte, but she sees it as the reinvention of The Growers. “It is just a beautiful space that we feel we can bring to its full potential, two kitchen and two bars. Space for 400 people with all of our nooks and crannies. Beautiful outdoor dining options, cosy yet classy and relaxed indoor dining. We think we will bring it to life again!”
Bookings are now available online, the weather is improving, and The Growers By Ponte is beckoning
This story is published in conjunction with the Shoalhaven Food Network, showcasing the place, plate and face of food and hospitality in the region. Each month we will publish a story spotlighting one of the incredible growers, producers and venues that provide outstanding food, beverage and customer service to our locals and visitors alike.
