Located on the ridge where Hermitage Road and Mistletoe Lane intersect, the 30-hectare property has a tap bar and bistro, four-star accommodation, farm animals, horse riding, carriage rides, Segway rides, workshops, wine tastings and a beer school.

The Helé family rebranded Hunter Valley Resort, Matilda Bay Brewhouse and the Adventure Centre as Hunter Farm and entered into an alliance with 4 Pines Brewing Company.

Hunter Valley Resort's Philip Helé OAM is a name long associated with hospitality. His family hail from Denmark and his great grandparents owned the famous Grand Hotel in Copenhagen.

His hotelier grandparents were the official caterer to the King Frederik IV of Denmark and Queen Ingrid for many years, and his parents both worked for the Hilton Hotels group worldwide until settling in Australia in the 1960s.

They purchased Hunter Valley Resort in 1991 and in 2003 opened the region's first craft brewery, Bluetongue, with John Singleton.

"When we purchased the resort we took out a 30-year lease on the cellar door and restaurant within McGuigan's adjacent Hermitage Road winery," explained Philip Helé, who in 2014 was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for services to Australian tourism.

"This lease finished in June 2021, so we decided rather than re-lease, we would build a brand new facility on our own lands and take this opportunity to completely rebrand the property as Hunter Farm, capitalising on the shortage of family-oriented facilities in Wine Country.

"With the exit from Bluetongue then Matilda Bay, we decided to no longer make beer on-site - we have partnered with 4 Pines in Manly and will now be known as a taproom with the freshest of fresh beer available.

"As far as the rest of the property goes, we are creating a 'Farm' where couples and families alike can see, up close, farm animals."

The food offering is being overseen by executive chef Dylan Mraz.

"He has been with us for five years and leads a young team of eight chefs operating seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner," Helé said.

"With the Sydney COVID lockdown, operating hours are currently flexible to suit demand."

Hunter Farm is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday while travel restrictions are in place, with seven-day trading expected to begin in September.

"We're a family of four generations of hoteliers, originally hailing from Denmark. My folks arrived in Oz in 1964," Hele said.

"Growing up in a hospitality family meant we were washing dishes, clearing tables and taking orders from a very young age.

"My sisters and I were in our 20s when the family bought Hunter Valley Resort in 1991. Our restaurant/hotel is the longest running under the same ownership and management in the region.

"We started the wine and cooking schools, the wine theatre experience, then introduced horse riding and Segway tours. We always wanted to give visitors an alternative to just wine experiences.

"The Farm is our next chapter. But it will not be the last."

In other positive news for the Hunter Valley, chef Serge Dansereau is reportedly opening a restaurant at Pokolbin's Casuarina Estate.

The estate, which had been on the market since 2015, was sold for $3.9 million in March year to an undisclosed buyer.

Dansereau left Bathers' Pavilion in October 2020 after more than 20 years at the Balmoral Beach restaurant.

He told the Sydney Morning Herald he had leased the restaurant and the menu would be "French but with a twist of old Shanghai and the French Concession to it". It is expected to open in February.

Susuru Ramen and Gyoza has collaborated with Mayfield West Kebabs & Charcoal Chicken to bring you a new and exciting ramen dish for the month of August. Think succulent chicken souvla shaved in-house at Susuru and combined with chopped tomatoes, tabouli and Toum garlic sauce served in a kebab-spiced shio broth, finished with cheese. Vegans can choose locally made falafels rather than chicken, and there are gluten-free options available too.

"These guys are doing a roaring trade and have been around for three generations - Mayfield West Kebabs is a genuine household name in Newcastle and beyond," Susuru's Taiyo Nambo said.

"It's great to see like-minded businesses helping each other out during these COVID times.

"Our dine-in patronage has dropped during the day but, thanks to our delivery service, things aren't too bad here in Susuru land. Also, there are lots of collaborations happening which keeps us busy."

Susuru, at 140 King Street in Newcastle, is open daily 11.30am to 9pm, and noon to 3pm on Sundays.

Peterson House at Pokolbin has created a special one-week-only dessert tasting plate which ends this Friday, August 6. For just $20 per person you can enjoy four house-made desserts matched with Peterson's sparkling wines. Book online at petersonhouse.com.au.

They also have breakfast and lunch specials on offer for local LGA residents until August 13 (Monday to Friday only).

Some days you want to cook; other days the goal is simply to put food in mouths. Welcome to Every Night of the Week, by Lucy Tweed.

Every Night Of The Week is rich in warmth, humour, simplicity and visually stunning food photography. Tweed's focus is on clean ingredients, supporting local businesses, balancing the diets of her family, deliciousness and, of course, the necessary hack or shortcut we are all looking for.

Every Night of the Week: Sanity solutions for the daily dinner grind is out now through Murdoch Books, RRP $35. Food & Wine has a copy to give away. To enter, send the words "Every Night of the Week" with your name, address and number to freelunch@newcastleherald.com.au.

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