With its relaxed atmosphere, great food and even better beer, Longstocking Brewery and Oyster Bar is the obvious choice for a schooner of hand-crafted ale when in Pambula NSW. But that’s not the only thing you’ll find here.
There’s that wonderful moment when you’re travelling when you find yourself somewhere that really makes you feel at home.
It’s a strange oxymoron to enjoy though. I mean, you’re travelling, right? The last thing you should be excited about is home.
But as we work our way through our tasting paddle of Longstocking’s beer while we wait for our handmade pizzas to come out of the wood-fired oven, that’s exactly how we feel.
Perhaps it’s the happy chatter of the other groups here; families, couples, friends all together. Or maybe it’s the live musician and his guitar.
It could just simply be the warm welcome we receive from owner, brewer and chef Peter Caldwell, who’s busy shovelling pizzas, or his similarly tasked partner Joey Cunningham, who also makes us feel—well—at home!
Check out our quick video of Longstocking Brewery and Oyster Bar here.
Part of the complex of Oaklands Barn, Longstocking has been brewing beer here since 2016. Its bar, the lounge, veranda and cellar door all have a friendly family vibe and the outdoor open kitchen and brick pizza oven, where we first meet Peter, is right at the entrance.
Peter tells us “on a busy day, we’ll do upwards of 120 pizzas in two hours.”
Thankfully, Peter isn’t that busy today. And before we know it our pizzas—a Diablo with spicy sausage and plenty of onions, and a super-cheesy anchovy pizza—land on our table.
We still have enough time beforehand though to try a dozen of their oysters, from Pambula of course—perhaps even from our friends at Broadwater Oysters.
Six we have natural but the other six are Longstocking’s ‘wakami’, which come with seaweed, chilli and wasabi mayo. The result is umami and spice with an added level of creaminess to the plump oyster, which delivers its signature salty flintiness that Pambula oysters have.
Through this whole eating experience, we’re accompanied by our paddle of 10 beers straight from Longstocking’s active brewery, which you can see down the corridor from the bar and cellar door.
The paddles are all staves from old barrels, arching over the table with each glass suspended in its little hole.
Longstocking Brewery’s beers
Longstocking has around 14 beers on tap at any one time, so the tasting paddle of 10 ($25) will give you a taste of most of them.
We get the ball rolling with the Birra estiva (“summer beer” in Italian), which is clean and crisp, and the Sapphire Coast Ale, which is a midstength but still full of flavour.
Longstocking’s XPA is only 4.5% but has good bitterness and body, while the Pale Ale—our favourite—is balanced, rich and dangerously drinkable.
We also have the IPA, which is full of tasty hops, the Red Ale, a big beer packed with malt, the Dark, which is ok and the Stout, which is surprisingly clean and light though has deep coffee notes that lead to a satisfying finish.
At the far end of the paddle, the lovely fruit flavours of the Apple and Rhubarb seasonal cider and superb hard Ginger Beer, which is better than the famed Matso’s, leave us with tingly sweetness and a smile on our faces.
Peter also takes us on a quick look at the brewery where he and his head brewer Matt Burnett work their magic.
Oaklands Barn
But Longstocking Brewery, with its live music, great food and drink, and happy atmosphere, isn’t the only thing going on here.
Oaklands Barn, which has been here in one form or another since 1833, is a hub for a whole range of interesting things.
Of course, the brewery is a large part of the co-op, but there’s also a cafe, a gift shop, a replete garden centre and landscaping supplies store as well as a stockfeed store.
Oaklands Pantry sells delicious deli style produce and the art gallery shows and sells a range of art and craft by local artists and craftspeople.
There’s even a large event space for everything from conferences to formals.
But behind the brewery you’ll find the stables. This large barn is home to a whole host of animals great and small. From surly miniature horses to huge, affectionate goats, the happy creatures here are part of the Animal Barn.
A gold coin donation lets you in where you’ll also find camels, alpacas, mules, donkeys, pigs, cows, sheep, chickens, cats and dogs. And there’s also a led pony ride kids under eight can enjoy.
Finally, in the carpark amidst the antique trucks and cars is an old London double decker. This is the Little London Chop Shop barbers where you can come for a shave or haircut!
Owner-barber Sunny has also turned the top deck of the bus into a little “London style market selling the likes of new and used, vintage, collectables, retro games, posters, trainers, shoes, bags and products.”
Longstocking Brewery and Oaklands Barn are a must-visit when you’re on the Sapphire Coast. There’s plenty to see and do, and because it’s such a focal point for the community, you’ll get to meet locals and enjoy local produce. It’s also a great all-weather option.
