The Blue Door Bellingen: A Produce-Led Dining Experience on the Mid North Coast
Bellingen’s food scene has welcomed an exciting addition, with award-winning chef Dylan Cashman bringing his acclaimed restaurant The Blue Door home to the Mid North Coast.
After five years in Sydney’s Surry Hills, Cashman has relocated The Blue Door to Bellingen with his wife, wine director and co-owner Angelica Nohra. For Cashman, who grew up in Crescent Head, the move represents something of a homecoming, and an opportunity to build a restaurant even more closely connected to the farmers, producers and landscape around it.
Located inside a heritage-listed former bank on Hyde Street, the intimate 24-seat restaurant centres on seasonal produce, ethical sourcing and close relationships with local growers and farmers.
From Surry Hills to Bellingen
The philosophy behind The Blue Door has always been produce first. In Bellingen, that approach can become even more local.
Rather than creating a fixed menu and asking producers to supply ingredients to match, Cashman works the other way around. The kitchen takes its lead from what farmers, growers and fishers have available, meaning dishes can change frequently as ingredients come into season.
“If we have a whole animal, we use the whole animal. If the farmers have beautiful vegetables, that's what we build the menu around,” says Cashman.
“For me, that's what seasonality really means — it can change every week.”
Where possible, ingredients are sourced from within approximately 100 kilometres of Bellingen.
Local suppliers include Bello Beef, producing pasture-raised beef nearby; Patch Organics for organic fruit and vegetables; certified organic Darkwood Farms; Hogan Farm for regeneratively raised pork; and Nautical Seafoods, which supplies line-caught, iki jime fish.
When something can't be sourced locally, the restaurant looks to ethical Australian producers, including Northern Rivers Ducks and producers of chocolate and vanilla in Far North Queensland.
The Blue Door Bellingen: A Seven-Course Tasting Menu Shaped by the Seasons
The main dining experience is an ever-changing seven-plus-course tasting menu priced at $179 per person.
Cashman brings considerable experience to the kitchen. After completing his apprenticeship in Bangalow, he worked at Australian restaurants including Sean’s Panorama, Cottage Point Inn and Paper Daisy before spending two-and-a-half years in Michelin-starred European kitchens, including three-Michelin-starred Vendôme in Germany.
At The Blue Door, those influences come together in modern Australian cooking that may draw inspiration from Asian, Middle Eastern, Indian, British, Korean, Italian or Japanese flavours depending on the produce available.
Bread and charcuterie are made in-house, whole animals are butchered by the restaurant team and the kitchen deliberately avoids relying on permanent signature dishes.
Instead, the signature is the philosophy: local produce, whole-animal cooking and food that responds to the seasons.
A Restaurant With a Bellingen Story
The connection to place extends beyond the menu.
The Blue Door occupies a heritage-listed former bank, with timber floors, tan leather seating, green and white tones and an open kitchen.
There are also some lovely personal details within the dining room. Its 11 dining tables were handmade by Cashman’s uncle and cousin from a single tree which was one of the first trees milled at their grandfather’s timber mill after it was destroyed during the 2019 bushfires.
Crockery has been commissioned from NSW ceramicists Gabs Wallington and Leia Sherbolm, while local Indigenous artist Jason Ridgeway has created a large feature artwork for the restaurant.
The result is a space designed to feel connected to Bellingen rather than transplanted from Sydney.
The Blue Door Wine Bar
You don't have to commit to the full tasting menu to experience The Blue Door.
The restaurant also has a small wine bar, with six seats at the bar and four on the front patio. Walk-ins are welcome, making this the more casual option for locals and visitors wanting a drink and something to eat.
The snack menu follows the same produce-led philosophy as the restaurant and changes according to what's available in the kitchen.
Offerings could include house-made charcuterie, local beef tartare, potato scallops topped with smoked Ebor trout, Hogan Farm pig head croquettes, freshly made pasta, oysters, burgers and fried chicken.
“The idea is that we're inviting people into our Bellingen home,” says Nohra. “And we want people to feel comfortable here, whether they're coming for the full dining experience or just dropping by the bar for a quick drink and something light to eat.”
NSW Wines Take Centre Stage
Nohra's wine list keeps the local philosophy going, with a focus firmly on New South Wales wines.
The list showcases different NSW wine regions while highlighting young and emerging producers, including female winemakers and female-led wineries.
Guests choosing the tasting menu can add a NSW wine pairing for $90 or a non-alcoholic pairing for $60.
Thursday evenings are also BYO Wine Night, with corkage of $30 per bottle, and winemaker dinners are planned throughout the year.
Another Reason to Visit Bellingen
With its heritage streetscape, creative community, surrounding countryside and established food scene, Bellingen on the Coffs Hinterland has long been one of the Mid North Coast's most appealing destinations for a weekend away.
The arrival of The Blue Door adds another reason to make the trip, particularly for travellers interested in discovering the produce and producers of the region through the eyes of a chef who grew up on the Mid North Coast.
For Cashman and Nohra, however, the aim is just as much about becoming part of the local community as attracting visitors.
As Cashman explains, supporting local farmers keeps money and employment within the region while encouraging regenerative and ethical food production.
And finding the restaurant shouldn't be difficult. Just look for the blue door.
The Blue Door Bellingen
hops 3–4, 58–60 Hyde Street, Bellingen NSW 2454
Dining: Seven-plus-course tasting menu, $179 per person; bookings essential
NSW wine pairing: $90
Non-alcoholic pairing: $60
Wine Bar: Snack menu; walk-ins welcome
Thursday: BYO Wine Night, $30 per bottle
Opening hours:Dinner Thursday–Saturday from 5.30pmLunch Saturday–Sunday from 12pmWine Bar from 5.30pm
Website: www.thebluedoorbello.com.au
Instagram: @thebluedoorbello