KDPO are long-time fans of Starward Whisky so we were enthusiastically on board for a campaign to help publicise the brilliant revamp of the 120-seat venue which has added a new bar and kitchen and a new name, Starward Whisky & Bar.
A cool, handsome fit-out, courtesy of design firm Studio Y, has seen the large warehouse-like space cleverly partitioned into different dining areas that creates a beautiful sense of intimacy.
On the pans you’ll find head chef Drew Traynor, whose menu is all about small plates, snacks and grazing boards. As with the grains used to make Starward’s award-winning whiskies, the ingredients are sourced from within a day’s drive of the distillery, and the use of whisky as a theme across the menu has results that are nothing short of brilliant.
Case in point: the house-baked spent barley bread which uses recycled grains from the whisky-making process then adds whisky butter for good measure. Or how about the kangaroo and pork sausage with Solera single malt ketchup, or the fried chicken with Starward’s Two-Fold barbecue sauce and blue cheese ranch dressing? Yes please.
Perhaps the very best way to explore the new menu (and the liberal application of a wee dram) is via the new Distillery Chef’s Experience, a three-course sip and grazing menu in which each course is paired to a whisky cocktail.
KDPO’s campaign with Starward Whisky facilitated coverage from influential food and drink, lifestyle and travel outlets including a feature with Broadsheet and coverage in the Herald Sun, Gourmet Traveller, Australian Hotelier, Time Out, Sitchu and Urban List. We also assisted in coordinating a launch event that provided a chance for key media, friends of the brand and F&B opinion leaders to experience the new space. Cheers to that.
