Chef Scott Gooch’s surprise new dining option
Words by Bree Element
You’re likely a huge fan of his wood-fired pizzas and signature Roo Burger but iconic Queanbeyan chef Scott Gooch has launched a surprise new dining offer.
You’ll find him every Sunday at Wright Park, home of the junior Blues, in his new fully-kitted out coffee and toastie van catering to hundreds of coffee-drinking parents and hungry kids
post-match.
On the menu at Bean and Bread, his new downsized offering, are flat whites, cappuccinos and hot chocolates, but the best part is you pair them with a Texan Toastie (home-smoked brisket, cheese, caramelised onions, pickles and hickory bourbon sauce) or a Grilled Ruben
(homemade corn beef, cheese, sauerkraut pickles and mayo).
And if you’re a fan of cold coffee (like me) he also does iced lattes, mochas and long blacks – although the hot drinks will likely be more popular on freezing cold mornings at one of Queanbeyan’s busiest sporting fields.
It’s a huge change of pace for the chef who’s designed menus for five-star resorts and the
bistros of multi-million dollar pubs and clubs in the past; but it’s a change Scott says was “very
welcome”.
“I’ve worked hard enough,” he laughs. “When we moved over to east Queanbeyan at the beginning of the year, I saw hundreds of people on the oval across the road and thought, ‘that’s one way I can feed a crowd’.
“Everyone wants a coffee first thing – especially in winter in Queanbeyan. And I knew that although they’d built the new canteen facilities over there, what was missing was a barista.” Scott designed the coffee van himself to include things coffee vans normally don’t have a huge cast iron sandwich press and a fridge. Luckily, he’s used to working in small spaces. Scott first started cooking when his family bought Tommy Tucker’s Cafe in the West Industrial Area in the early 2000s. In 2017, he stepped up into the role of executive chef of The Duxton at O’Connor shops. But COVID put an end to that role, and Scott was forced to work in the public service: which only reinforced how much he loved being in the kitchen.
In 2021 he joined Journey Beyond as executive chef, designing menus for five-star restaurants in the top end of Australia. His most recent post, though, was as executive chef of the Queanbeyan Kangaroos Club, where he completely redesigned the club’s lunch and dinner offerings in line with the launch of the new 2620 Bistro.
He pairs weekend work in the Bean and Bread van at Wright Park with consulting work during the week. His kitchen layout, talent recruitment, team structure and menu design skills are in huge demand for new venues launching in Canberra and nationally. But of course, he wants to see as many of his local fans as possible at Wright Park, whether they’ve got kids running out onto the field or not. “And if you’ve got a big event and need a coffee can, we’re open to bookings,” he says.
