by Fergal Gleeson

There was a sharp intake of breath when Beastie entered the room. We are used to seeing our pork in cellophane rather than the whole hog! But there Beastie was crouched on the carving board, resting in peace.

We were a group of ten, celebrating the end of quarter and had hired a private room on the top of Four in Hand, a trendy gastropub in Paddington.

Unlike the vinegar dressed Kale which was one of the sides, Pork Crackling is not strictly defined as a superfood by nutritionists.

It was very popular as was the Colcannon, an Irish style mashed potato that tasted like home. The pork was beautifully cooked, tasting moist and tender. There was a Waiter to carve so no “Lord of the Flies” type savagery was needed.

I wanted to do Beastie justice with the wines and chose a new and old world combination. The white wines we drank were Astrolabe Sauvignon Blanc 2014 from Marlborough and Domaine Seguinot Bordet Petit Chablis 2013 from Chablis.

The reds were Journey Wines 2013 Pinot Noir from the Yarra and Piazzano Chianti DOCG 2013 from Tuscany. The Chianti was the winner by popular demand.

At $80 per person for food this wasn’t cheap however it was a feast in the literal sense of the word. If we’d had a few furs it could have been Game of Thrones. I heartily recommend it.