Nigella Lawson marvels over ‘heavenly’ Australian lunch spot in rave review hours after landing: ‘My recipe for joy… my cure for jet lag’
Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson has raved about an Aussie hidden gem just hours after arriving Down Under.
The much-loved British food icon landed in Western Australia on the weekend and has declared a tiny Margaret River winery one of her favourite places on Earth.
Taking to Instagram, Nigella, 65, shared a swoon-worthy post about her long lunch at Cullen Wines, describing it as ‘heaven’ and ‘my cure for jet lag and my recipe for deep joy’.
Under the shade of her ‘resplendently red sun umbrellas,’ she kicked off her afternoon with a glass of their life-affirming Pét-nat (short for Pétillant Naturel, a natural sparkling wine), before diving into a delicious spread.
First on the table? Perfectly baked bread paired with a ‘divine’ Pipián – a silky, smoky dip made from pumpkin seeds, tomatoes, peppers, and a hit of garlic, lime and coriander.
And it only got better from there. Nigella revealed she ‘inhaled’ delicate scallops served with cauliflower and a surprising ‘chickeny’ sauce, admitting it sounded strange but tasted ‘heavenly’.
The star was left practically speechless over a crispy potato and celeriac terrine draped in cabbage, resting under a cloud-like sauce so flavour-packed she admitted she ‘panicked’ at the thought of never eating it again.
For mains, the culinary queen devoured a melt-in-the-mouth Rankin cod, topped with charred sweetcorn, XO mussels, snapper sauce and a scatter of sunrose leaves – a citrusy native plant, that she never knew existed before.
The much-loved British food icon landed in Western Australia on the weekend and has declared a tiny Margaret River winery one of her favourite places on Earth
Nigella shared swoon-worthy pictures of her long lunch at Cullen Wines, describing it as ‘heaven, heaven, HEAVEN.’ Pictured: Her first course of baked bread paired with a ‘divine’ Pipián – a silky, smoky dip made from pumpkin seeds, tomatoes, peppers, and a hit of garlic, lime and coriander
Under the shade of red umbrella’s Nigella kicked off her afternoon with a glass of Cullen’s Pét-nat, a natural sparkling wine
She followed it up with an indulgent Arkady lamb rump, paired with pumpkin, creamy white polenta and Kunzea, another native ingredient Nigella described as tasting ‘fresh and honeyed at the same time’.
Despite the fine-dining presentation, Nigella insisted the food had a ‘joyous flavour’ and said it ‘tasted of food, if you know what I mean’.
Of course, no Nigella feast would be complete without dessert, and her spread of not one, but three plates did not disappoint.
‘Caramelised apple (from the tree near where we were sitting) and almond cake, with spiced oats and guava ice cream; honey mousse with macadamia, quandong and banana ice cream; and Cambray Blackwood Blue cheese (which I’ve fallen in love with) seeded crackers, pear and walnuts,’ she wrote.
While she ran out of room to properly describe the wines Nigella assured her followers they were as spectacular as the food – sharing a final snap showing off the bottles she sampled.
Cullen Wines was founded in 1971 by Dr. Kevin Cullen and Diana Cullen and has been family-owned for over 50 years.
Since taking the reins several decades ago, it states on the official Australian Wine website, that Vanya Cullen has transformed the family business into one of Australia’s best boutique wineries and most environmentally sustainable vineyards.
Vanya posted to her own personal Instagram on the weekend thanking Nigella for ‘her contribution to Australian hospitality,’ as well as her positive energy at a time when ‘things are really tough’.
Nigella treated herself to six-courses – including three dessert options
Cullen Wines was founded in 1971. Pictured: Vanya Cullen and Nigella from the weekend
It’s not the only culinary destination Nigella was excited to visit for her trip down under – telling told Gourmet Traveller that Ester in Chippendale was also at the top of her list.
Praising chef Mat Lindsay as ‘extraordinary’ for his surprising yet delicious creations, she revealed it was the Sydney restaurant she can’t stop thinking about.
She recalled being convinced by a waiter named Ollie to try Ester’s famous chicken fat oysters – a dish she initially thought sounded unappealing but ended up adoring.
‘I love oysters anyway, but these were extraordinary,’ she said, adding that while the concept might sound improbable, the flavours completely won her over.
