I decorate for an event the same way I’ve decorated the house. I start with neutral bases, and add colour with the décor. White table cloths and blush linens and then colourful flowers, fun glassware and plates. I love effortless, wild looking flowers, as if they’ve been plucked from the garden. I wish these had come from our garden! Until I can grow them, I pick them up from Botanica Bird for home and the store. Because our entertaining space is spread out and some people might sit at the island and some at the table, I go for lots of smaller arrangements to cover more areas rather than one focal point.

The pre-dinner mingle?

As people arrive Mitch is usually finishing up in the kitchen, there’ll be a French Cafe playlist on (his favourite to cook to with a red in hand) and we’ll be mixing some Aperols. The kitchen opens onto the deck so it’s the perfect place to mingle. We’d keep it simple and put out some olives and a thickly sliced baguette from Baked Uprising, an amazing bakery a few blocks from us. Good quality olive oil, salt and balsamic and we’re done. Easy and so delicious.

Roast pork, potatoes (Mitch’s specialty), pumpkin and green beans. To get amazing crackling, you’ve got to dry it out. Buy it the day before, take it out of the packaging, salt up the skin and put it in the fridge overnight. It will go really hard and dry. When you’re ready to cook, score it, salt it again, and cook it for an hour per kilo. Say it’s 1.8kgs, put it in at 230 degrees for the first 40 minutes, and then wind it back to 160 degrees for the last hour and 10 minutes. Then comes the magic. Pull it out, cover it in foil and rest it for as long as you can. I don’t put my potatoes in until the pork is out, because the longer you rest the pork, the more juicy and flavoursome it is. The chefs at MEET say the juice is all the love. This applies to all meat too. If we have steak, it’s rested for as long as it’s cooked. That’s the secret to something being rare but not bloody.

End the weekend on a high with good people, good food and a glass of good wine.

Friends, family, whoever’s around and free. The more the merrier.

Turn up when you can, roast will be ready at 5pm.

Head out to the deck for an Aperol Spritz and the afternoon sun. If you’re not into Aperols, there’s chilled rosé and Prosecco ready to go.

Last thing that inspired you to cook?

Good produce inspires Mitch to cook — a recent visit to Hungerford Meet Co. in Branxton resulted in the most delicious 45-day-aged black onyx rib-eye feast. It’s true that the first step to being a better cook is buying the best produce.

Last dinner party you hosted?

A Sunday evening BBQ with our family. It was the classic: snags, steaks, a potato bake, garden salad, nice craft beers and rosé. Chapel Hill The Parson Sangiovese Rosé is my go-to. It’s a real crowd-pleaser.

Signature party drink?

Red for dinner with family. Aperols for a summer afternoon gathering. French Champagne for special occasions and celebrations (usually in the flutes Lauren was given for her 18th birthday), and chilli Margaritas on a fun Friday night.

What makes a good event?

It’s all about great food, wine, lighting, music and people.

Best event you’ve ever hosted?

Definitely our wedding. 170 of our nearest and dearest in Lauren’s hometown. Our little guest house there, Tall Trees Cottage is located on the canal and it has a beautiful big garden which was perfect for the ceremony. Then we had the reception in a nearby hall that was basically a huge tin shed that we could make entirely our own. Lots of Prosecco. It was so, so special.

Styling rule to remember?

Flowers! Flowers make any event or occasion feel beautiful and special.

What’s your home entertainer archetype?

Last minute hosts. We generally find we have guests come over spontaneously. If the weather’s nice, or if we’ve met in the evening at the pub with friends, we’ll ask them over to have a drink on the deck or cook something simple but delicious. We definitely believe that to be the best cook you need the best produce. We’re passionate about good food, but not necessarily complicated recipes – I think that’s the country coming out in us. When we do plan to have family or friends over, it’s always for a roast.

I have a few special pieces that I love and always use them to make the table feel special. In The Roundhouse plates, In Bed and Thelka table linen, Maison Balzac glassware and LRNCE ceramics are my favourites. Just add flowers.

Currently Always Add Lemon by Danielle Alvarez.

Definitely a Hunter Valley Shiraz. Brokenwood Shiraz or Hungerford Hill Shiraz are two of our favourites. We love red wine in this house. Currently our spare room is stacked with cases of red wine. We’re in desperate need of a wine fridge and wine rack.

NOW EXPERIENCING:

Next-Gen Host: Lauren and Mitch Steel and a Sunday roast

Next-Gen Host: Lauren and Mitch Steel and a Sunday roast

Read time 7 Mins

Posted 11 Jul 2022

By
Alexandra Whiting

The magic of perfectly cooked pork and a glass of Hunter Valley Shiraz.

Newcastle-based Lauren and Mitch Steel love a project, and have pulled off some truly great ones. Mitch is the co-owner of MEET, a South-American style restaurant and star of the Newie dining scene, and he also owns a manufacturing company. Lauren, an ex-Vogue Living editor, is the co-owner of boutique lifestyle store, House of Lita, and the women’s wear brand, Lita Studios. They also own a guest house in Lauren’s country NSW hometown, Narrandera, are in the final stages of renovating their dream home, and are about to transform a inner-city warehouse into a cafe and retail space. See? They love a project. “We both love to be busy and are so lucky to work on projects together. The best part is that every single day, week and month is different. We’re certainly never bored,” says Lauren.

Transforming their inner-city Federation-style home has been a big effort, but one they are relishing. “We bought it in 2018, and while it needed a complete renovation it had great bones and the most beautiful heritage detailing. It was on a great street and in an emerging suburb — exactly what we wanted. However, not only run-down, but it was the most colourful and crazy house we had ever seen. The exterior was blue (well, very chipped blue), the hallway and living room was also blue with pink trims and details (even the powerpoints) were painted pink. There were also several murals: a Disney-themed bedroom, a space-themed bedroom, an under-the-sea-themed bathroom and kissing dolphins painted on the glass of the front door.” Now the home is decidedly in the modern farmhouse style. The original features are restored including the ornate ceilings, wall panellings and the authentic brick fireplace which houses Mitch’s pride and joy, a SMEG oven.

Like most people we spend so much time in the kitchen and it’s the place we congregate most. Mitch also loves to cook so we couldn’t wait for it to be completed. The oven was a splurge but it was Mitch’s one non-negotiable in the whole renovation. I have to say its functionality is as impressive as its retro aesthetic,” says Lauren. With the space ready for guests and the oven fired up, we got an invite to see how Mitch and Lauren pull off a relaxed and delicious Sunday Roast.

Home essentials

Q.What makes a good event?: It’s all about great food, wine, lighting, music and people.

Q.Best event you’ve ever hosted?: Definitely our wedding. 170 of our nearest and dearest in Lauren’s hometown. Our little guest house there, Tall Trees Cottage is located on the canal and it has a beautiful big garden which was perfect for the ceremony. Then we had the reception in a nearby hall that was basically a huge tin shed that we could make entirely our own. Lots of Prosecco. It was so, so special.

Q. Styling rule to remember?: Flowers! Flowers make any event or occasion feel beautiful and special.

Q.What’s your home entertainer archetype?: Last minute hosts. We generally find we have guests come over spontaneously. If the weather’s nice, or if we’ve met in the evening at the pub with friends, we’ll ask them over to have a drink on the deck or cook something simple but delicious. We definitely believe that to be the best cook you need the best produce. We’re passionate about good food, but not necessarily complicated recipes – I think that’s the country coming out in us. When we do plan to have family or friends over, it’s always for a roast.

Q.Tablescaping style?: I have a few special pieces that I love and always use them to make the table feel special. In The Roundhouse plates, In Bed and Thelka table linen, Maison Balzac glassware and LRNCE ceramics are my favourites. Just add flowers.

Q.Go-to cookbook?: Currently Always Add Lemon by Danielle Alvarez.

Q.Go-to drink?: Definitely a Hunter Valley Shiraz. Brokenwood Shiraz or Hungerford Hill Shiraz are two of our favourites. We love red wine in this house. Currently our spare room is stacked with cases of red wine. We’re in desperate need of a wine fridge and wine rack.

Notable mentions

Q.Last thing that inspired you to cook?: Good produce inspires Mitch to cook — a recent visit to Hungerford Meet Co. in Branxton resulted in the most delicious 45-day-aged black onyx rib-eye feast. It’s true that the first step to being a better cook is buying the best produce.

Q. Last dinner party you hosted?: A Sunday evening BBQ with our family. It was the classic: snags, steaks, a potato bake, garden salad, nice craft beers and rosé. Chapel Hill The Parson Sangiovese Rosé is my go-to. It’s a real crowd-pleaser.

Q.Signature party drink?: Red for dinner with family. Aperols for a summer afternoon gathering. French Champagne for special occasions and celebrations (usually in the flutes Lauren was given for her 18th birthday), and chilli Margaritas on a fun Friday night.

Let’s plan… a Sunday roast

Q.The vibe?: End the weekend on a high with good people, good food and a glass of good wine.

Q.Invited?: Friends, family, whoever’s around and free. The more the merrier.

Q.Guest brief?: Turn up when you can, roast will be ready at 5pm.

Q.Drink on arrival?: Head out to the deck for an Aperol Spritz and the afternoon sun. If you’re not into Aperols, there’s chilled rosé and Prosecco ready to go.

Q.The pre-dinner mingle?: As people arrive Mitch is usually finishing up in the kitchen, there’ll be a French Cafe playlist on (his favourite to cook to with a red in hand) and we’ll be mixing some Aperols. The kitchen opens onto the deck so it’s the perfect place to mingle. We’d keep it simple and put out some olives and a thickly sliced baguette from Baked Uprising, an amazing bakery a few blocks from us. Good quality olive oil, salt and balsamic and we’re done. Easy and so delicious.

Q.The main event?: Roast pork, potatoes (Mitch’s specialty), pumpkin and green beans. To get amazing crackling, you’ve got to dry it out. Buy it the day before, take it out of the packaging, salt up the skin and put it in the fridge overnight. It will go really hard and dry. When you’re ready to cook, score it, salt it again, and cook it for an hour per kilo. Say it’s 1.8kgs, put it in at 230 degrees for the first 40 minutes, and then wind it back to 160 degrees for the last hour and 10 minutes. Then comes the magic. Pull it out, cover it in foil and rest it for as long as you can. I don’t put my potatoes in until the pork is out, because the longer you rest the pork, the more juicy and flavoursome it is. The chefs at MEET say the juice is all the love. This applies to all meat too. If we have steak, it’s rested for as long as it’s cooked. That’s the secret to something being rare but not bloody.

Q.The decor?: I decorate for an event the same way I’ve decorated the house. I start with neutral bases, and add colour with the décor. White table cloths and blush linens and then colourful flowers, fun glassware and plates. I love effortless, wild looking flowers, as if they’ve been plucked from the garden. I wish these had come from our garden! Until I can grow them, I pick them up from Botanica Bird for home and the store. Because our entertaining space is spread out and some people might sit at the island and some at the table, I go for lots of smaller arrangements to cover more areas rather than one focal point.