August 2011

Chef Johnny Dain and publican Jo Kidston.

As a fishing boat ties up at Careys Bay wharf, chef Johnny Dain tears across the road to meet it, taking tonight's menu straight from the deck.

It's a treat the Filipino chef is still coming to terms with, after two years in charge of the Carey's Bay Hotel kitchen.

"I think ‘wow. I know what I'm going to do with this'," he says with a beam.

The scenario has likely been played out by dozens of chefs and fishermen over the 137 year life of the historic stone pub, a stone's throw from the water and drenched with the salty history of Otago Harbour.

It was built in 1874 as the Crescent Hotel and has had numerous owners over the years, says publican Jo Kidston, who has owned the Dunedin institution with her parents since 2008.

"Back in the day there were still tall ships landing in Port Chalmers. It was quite a prosperous little town and one of its first mayors built the hotel."

The town's rich history will be on show at the inaugural Port Chalmers Seafood Festival on October 1.

"We want to bring more people here and share it with more people and show them what a fabulous place it is," says Jo, one of the organising committee.

The seafood on the day will be as fresh as it gets, with fishing boats passing it straight from their decks to vendors set up just metres away.

Port Otago has opened the gates to its seaside docks, where 100 metre cranes will loom over seafood lovers looking for the best of the sea, including the southern clams, flat fish, queen scallops and blue cod the region is known for, or at least should be, says Jo.

"I think a lot of people in Dunedin don't realise what an abundance of seafood we have here, because it doesn't translate that well into menus in the city," she says.

"There is a huge variety of fish you can get. But it's always in the too-hard-basket for people because they're not sure how to cook it."

For Johnny, cooking seafood is all about timing.

He's helping Carey's Bay Hotel forge a reputation for its growing seafood menu, developed as he trials new recipes and extends a seafood platter already overflowing with fresh fare, including squid, scallops and southern clams.

His most recent addition is cod wings, making the most of the fat, juicy pieces that often get thrown overboard.

In his private cooking he has gone one step further, determined to open fishermen's eyes and palates to the gourmet potential of fish heads, cooking them up late at night, when only the sea salts remain at the bar.

For Jo the development of a good seafood menu was key to giving the Carey's Bay Historic Hotel another point of difference, and with 95 per cent of the menu now seafood, they are attracting people from the city specifically for that fare.

It's another string to the bow of a beautiful bluestone building with a rich history, a stunning setting and a proud reputation for its art collection.

The former owners gave the hotel a $2 million makeover and national profile for its art, with an extensive collection of Ralph Hotere works a salute to the area's famous artist.

That's a theme Jo and her family have continued in a more modest fashion, with local art hanging throughout the pub, along with a family friend's Hotere.

Formerly an early childhood teacher, Jo laughs that in place of 35 hours looking after children, she now spends 100 hours looking after adults, but her playground authority has stood her in good stead with the occasional rowdy patron.

"I love it here. You can't beat the feeling of belonging to such a great little community"

Click here to see Careys Bay Shellfish Bowl recipe.