Spring Angus: Quality cattle, quality produce at Zin House

The restaurant offers a classic, country dining experience where about 80 per cent of its produce is either grown or raised on the property or close by, a true example of the paddock-to-plate philosophy.

The mainstay is a 105-head Angus herd that grazes on the certified organic and biodynamic pastures of Tinja, nestled among the Mudgee hillscapes.

The herd is managed by Clancy Currie, son of The Zin House curator Kim Currie.

"At the moment it numbers 105 head, with the original bloodlines from Pinaroo dating back to 2004," Mr Currie said.

"Our previous bulls have been by Talooby or Coffin Creek Angus.

"We rotational graze - crash-grazing using electric fencing, and stock are moved from lush river flats to native grasses in white box woodland."

Clancy said the property was fortunate to have 80 per cent native pastures.

"Twenty per cent of the total area is set aside for woodland and regeneration and combined with the fact that we don't over graze, it's allowed us to keep the herd healthy and well maintained without any supplementary feeding," Mr Currie said.

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The property's biodynamic status began in the vineyards that were established by David Lowe and his father Keith in 1973 and flowed through to the rest of the property.

The approach to balanced farming contributes heavily to it being able to produce a quality end product, Mr Currie said.

"As a carnivore and beef lover I'd rate grass-fed Angus as the best and I believe our gentle, balanced farming produces excellent quality.

"One of the challenges for a restaurant is dealing with the whole nose to tail thing.

"So Zin have to do a wide range of dishes and styles to use a beast. Braises, sausages, curing will all feature alongside the prime cuts that most restaurants want to use exclusively."

Three words are written on a blackboard in The Zin House - quality, authenticity and generosity.

It's an ethos that has driven the team at the hatted establishment since it opened to the public five years ago.

"We have never veered from that," said The Zin House curator Kim Currie.

"There isn't anything we have done where we have veered from that; that's our driving ethos."

The Zin House - Zin is an abbreviation of Zinfandel, the grape variety Lowe Wines is most famous for, and, Dutch for desire, appetite and intent - is located on a 405-hectare certified organic and biodynamic farm, Tinja, 7km outside Mudgee, NSW.

"Zin House is cooking simply from scratch with what we grow," Ms Currie said.

"We would grow about 85 to 95 per cent of what is on our menu and rely on friends and neighbours for what we can't grow. It's classic food with a hospitality bent that couldn't be anywhere but Mudgee."

Ms Currie and husband David Lowe, chief executive officer and chief winemaker at Lowe Wines, originally considered establishing a function centre on the property when they made the permanent move.

"The house where The Zin House is located was originally a home and surplus so it ended up being perfect for a restaurant," she said.

The Zin House dining experience has evolved over the years and after a six-month sabbatical earlier this year to review operations and identify changes, The Zin House reopened on July 1.

The Monday kitchen garden lunch has returned, where guests roam through the extensive and highly productive garden and interact with the resident gardener before returning inside to see the action in the open kitchen.

"Saturday lunch is Zin House on steroids," Ms Currie said.

"It's the ultimate long lunch, with six courses and everything included. We have curated the entire experience so diners can immerse themselves and have the luxury of having a number of hours to do it in."

Friday and Saturday nights cater for the younger crowd, who were keen for an abbreviated Zin House experience.

Ms Currie said advance bookings were solid.

"One of the nice things is the feedback in town. People are really excited. People are really proud of what we do here."