Mitchell Waugh’s Public House Management Group has reopened one of Australia’s most renowned foodie pubs, under guidance of superstar chef Guillaume Brahimi.
Less than a hundred metres from Brahimi’s eponymous French bistro, Guillaume, is the two-hatted gastro pub The Four in Hand, made famous by Colin Fassnidge.
Brahimi joined forces with Public House Management Group (PHMG) late last year, which has swiftly collected an impressive portfolio – including no less than three pubs in Paddington.
While the French-born maestro says he won’t be cooking at The Four in Hand by Guillaume, he is culinary ambassador to PHMG, and advising on menus, operations and staff mentoring across all venues.
Manning the flames at the pub will be new head chef Darrell Felstead, serving up “sophisticated gastro pub dishes” through the hotel’s traditional bar menu, with a more extensive but still casual menu for the dining room.
“The Four in Hand has always been one of my favourite pubs,” says Brahimi. “It was one of the first places I drank a beer when I arrived in Sydney many years ago, and it’s one of the best pub dining rooms in the country.
“It is also down the hill from my restaurant, so it’s an area of Sydney I know and love.
“I have worked closely with Darrell to maintain its spirit, but also to showcase some of my favourite casual dishes, the kind of food I like to eat every day.”
Mitchell Waugh fronted a whirlwind of pub acquisitions last year with PHMG, including three of the nine pubs in the gentrified Paddington precinct. Waugh makes no bones of the French master’s importance to the Group’s dining experience.
“We are thrilled to partner with Guillaume at The Four in Hand hotel and reopen the doors to the new dining room under his guidance,” said PHMG’s CEO.
“There is no question that Guillaume’s expertise on food and service is un-paralleled given his local and international experience, and we look forward to showcasing this through the menus across the venue.”
PHMG reports plans for the pub itself, which will be executed over the coming four to six weeks by SJB Interiors.
PHMG now operates seven hotels throughout Sydney, including The Collaroy Hotel, Mosman’s Buena Vista Hotel, Forbes Hotel in the Sydney CBD, The Narellan, and the three in Paddington, which include The Woollahra and the Royal Hotel.
