At Forager’s Fork, Seasonal Produce And Australian Wine Put Local At The Centre Of The Table

It’s no secret that good things grow close to home in Victoria, and Sydney Road’s newest little bar and bistro, The Forager’s Fork, puts ‘local’ in the centre of the table. Head chef, owner and Brunswick local Andy Beswick (ex-Head chef at The Lincoln) has developed his food ethos over a 25-year career in the UK, the south of France and Australia, letting ingredients and producers speak in each bite and sip.

“Produce that’s grown locally simply tastes better,” he says. “When I worked in France I became really familiar with the concept of terroir, which essentially means 'from the ground here'. It’s the idea that the soil, climate and the care of the farmer all influence the final product.”

Image: Nicole Cleary | Supplied

Exposed brick and rustic timber finishes invite you into The Forager’s Fork with warm, welcoming light, the kind of spot you can duck into for Friday knock-offs, swish snacks at the bar and date nights.

Pair a cider from Coldstream with porchetta, applesauce and Day’s Walk Farm heirloom zucchini from Keilor, then mop up the juices with wild cultured focaccia enriched with Five Groves olive oil from the Strathbogie Ranges and herbs from Beswick’s garden. Snack on aged cheese gougères with whipped goat’s curd and black walnut, and fried shishito peppers with soy aioli alongside a glass of Little Brunswick Wine Co vino. Everything you taste is drawn from close relationships with local and Australian farmers, producers, butchers and, of course, foragers gathering those hidden seasonal specialties. 

Image: Nicole Cleary | Supplied

With Beswick’s ingredient-driven approach, when something’s no longer in season, dishes depart. So while the opening menu offers an autumnal mushroom, lentil and walnut pâté with blood plum relish and sourdough crisps, it won’t stay that way forever. Now, an abundance of peaches sees them poached and served with almond crumble and vanilla cream. No peaches? New dessert. And with a good glut of growing things comes fermentation and preservation to carry those flavours in new forms throughout the year. 

The wine list is 100% Australian, with two Brunswick brews on tap from Inner North and Co-conspirators. Having carefully 'researched' (i.e. joyfully sipped) the Melbourne cocktail scene, The Forager’s Fork’s own list is tightly focused on four house specialties, including a margarita with a Queensland agave spirit and the refreshing Orchard Spritz with notes of elderflower and lemon verbena (which teetotallers can also enjoy in non-alc form).

The Forager’s Fork is a “family project”, with Beswick’s wife Michelle keeping things running smoothly behind the scenes. “I couldn’t do it without her," he says. 

Daughter Gabby chipped in with a designer’s eye (as an architecture student) and works front of house. They started transforming the space just before Christmas, and kept at it while Beswick was working full time at The Lincoln. This place is their “baby”, and they’ll gradually guide it as it grows into a Brunswick local itself.

“It’s such a diverse and creative neighbourhood and people here genuinely care about food, produce and supporting local businesses,” Beswick says.

Open Wednesday to Saturday, 4pm until late, you can book a table here. 

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Main image: The Forager's Fork | Supplied