The Press Club

While ‘a change can be as good as a holiday’ in the restaurant industry it is generally accepted this is only true for small changes. Big changes to any operation are costly, time consuming and, with the necessity to close the doors on the public, potentially business ending.

So it was with bated breath that many in Melbourne waited on the development of a much-loved culinary institution when George Calombaris shut down The Press Club for several months.

There was no need for excessive anxiousness however – in late 2013 the renovated, refined and resplendent restaurant opened to even more rave reviews.

The beautiful new space offers room for only 36 guests, with luxurious booth seating and a generous, opulent interior. It’s the same level of outstanding dining as before but on a much smaller, carefully focused scale.

Open from Monday to Friday the location is now typically filled with savvy business types and eager foodies, both groups enjoying the refined lunch menus and sumptuous five and eight course degustation menus in the evening.

Luke Croston, also Head Chef at Calombaris’ neighbouring Gazi, heads up The Press Club kitchen, overseeing a menu that reflects Calombaris’ Greek heritage with a contemporary and inventive twist.

This food needed preparing in an environment ideally suited and perfectly developed. According to Otto Meile, Moffat’s National Sales Manager, Calombaris’ request was for the kitchen equipment to become a “piece of furniture” that would fit seamlessly with the sleek, luxurious fit-out.

The result is spectacular. With a world-class kitchen and a celebrated menu The Press Club is sure to remain making positive headlines in the years ahead.

The kitchen was a huge feature of The Press Club re-design and it was vitally important that the equipment both performed and looked the part. The complete Waldorf Bold fit-out from Moffat provided the stunning answer.

The equipment range includes two Waldorf Bold 4-zone induction cooktops and a Waldorf twin pan commercial deep fryer. “The induction cooktops give the team the versatility and cooking power they need to produce a ten course menu to the highest standard”, says Moffat’s National Sales Manager Otto Meile.

Two Convotherm 6.10 mini combi steamer ovens on either side of the cook bank compliment the cooktops, and the tray timer mode is used to ensure a very high level of food consistency during service.

As with all of Calombaris’ restaurants, The Press Club uses Moffat blast chillers extensively, including two Friginox underbench units installed under the Convotherm mini combi-steamer ovens. Finally warewashing is taken care of by a Washtech M2 passthrough dishwasher and a Washtech GL undercounter glasswasher with a Washtech RO 15 reverse osmosis unit – which negates the need for staff to hand-polish the restaurant’s beautiful Zalto glasses.