Winter is here, and The Valley’s sun-drenched rooftop brewery, known for its relaxed beer garden vibe and widely appealing craft beer range, is bringing the heat, with a new range of dishes that make fire an essential ingredient.

Welcoming Executive Chef, Andrew Musk to the team, who has worked at establishments such as the Palazzo Versace and Rickys Riverbar Noosa, Valley Hops is keen to match its craft beers with a relaxed, slightly rustic edge to the food offering.

Andrew explains, “It’s about getting the best from using quality ingredients without overly complicating things, with a focus on using local suppliers. The King River Wagyu burger comes from a fifth generation, family run Queensland farm. My goal is to seek out and source more of this great quality produce and change the menu seasonally.”

Tasty share dishes are very much still on the menu, but there’s a distinct shift in the offering, making the most out of the venue’s wood and charcoal grills, with an inviting, hearty feel. Take the sticky, spiced lamb ribs, for instance, with labneh, dukkah and radish, or the Angus flank steak with charred onions, chimichurri and roquette — standouts that showcase a delicious combination of smoke, caramelisation, and char flavours.

There’s also a selection of ‘large plates’ (like the Valley Hops Burger) and a decent range of gluten, dairy and meat free options that still benefit from those smoky flavours, like the blackened butternut pumpkin with miso caramel, white soy dressing, kale and furikake (vegan, with gluten free option available). And for those who enjoy an authentic Italian pizza, the wood fired oven is here to stay, with some delicious new toppings to try.

The brewpub is also tapping a range of limited-edition winter brews to coincide with the new menu, crafting their very first All Australian Smoked Porter, smoked in-house using malt, then soaking charcoal ironbark from the pizza in dark rum.