Stopping for a feed at a country pub is all part of the Aussie road trip experience and if you’re heading Bathurst way, the best foodie pit-stop is set to be The Rockley Pub.

Celebrity chef and restaurateur Matt Moran purchased the pub mid 2021 and its reopening on March 17.

Originally built in 1872, The Rockley Pub is situated in the Central Tablelands.

You know Moran is going to do a good job of it, not just because he’s Matt Moran, but because he has strong family ties to the area. His great grandparents were married in Rockley, and his family farm, is a 10-minute drive from the village.

The classic country pub feel will be the same, but it will have a menu that’s all Moran. The focus will be on highlighting as much local produce as possible – including that from his family farm.

The pub’s menu will focus on over-the-counter classics including a ploughman’s plate that features Moran Family Farm salami, crispy Hawkesbury calamari, Green Hill Farm spicy pork sausage roll, beer battered fish and chips, parmesan crumbed chicken schnitzel, and rump steak or dry aged sirloin cooked on the grill.

Moran is thrilled that the first stage of the pub is opening. “I’m excited to reopen the pub for the locals of Rockley and the region. This is just the start of our plans for The Rockley Pub over the next few months, the serious work now begins on the renovations and additions, but in the meantime, there will be great pub food and beers on offer,” he says.

“This is going to be a project that I will work on for years to come, and hopefully it gives a bit back to this part of Australia that I love so much.”

The next stage of the pub’s new lease on life should be completed by Christmas and will include a new 90 seat restaurant and bar, a beer garden and upgraded accommodation of the nine on-site rooms all featuring ensuites.

Next year, Moran plans to expand the pub’s footprint and infrastructure, with the addition of a bakery, general store and more accommodation.

While this is going to be a destination pub, Moran also wants it to be a place for locals. He’s made access to The Rockley Pub easy, with a bus service to and from Bathurst, which is a 30 minute drive. It will run several times a day, for $10, ongoing from the end of March.

The Rockley Pub is open Thursday-Sunday 12pm until late from March 17.

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