THE Seasonal Brewing Company is one of the more recent additions to the Maylands hospitality scene.

Situated on Guildford Road, the microbrewery fits the tried-and-tested formula established by Little Creatures in Fremantle all those years ago – shiny steel vats loom over an informal dining area, there’s a rustic beer-friendly menu,  and indie rock is playing in the background.

In fact microbreweries are the new smashed avocado, springing up bloody everywhere.

Not that I’m complaining, but I’ve always been a bit underwhelmed by their food, which never matches the excellent beer.

Would The Seasonal Brewing Company be any different?

The compact menu had a range of share plates, burgers, pies, mains and a few specials like Sunday roast and steak.

It was pretty rustic but there were a few refined dishes like Tiger Prawns with miso butter and persimmon, as well as some variety to keep you coming back for more.

My Stirling Range beef rump cap ($36) was nicely presented with thick, pink slices of beef resting against a thatch of broccolini and a wedge of potato gratin.

I ordered the steak medium and the chef did a good job – often steak is overcooked outwith fine restaurants – and there was plenty of pink juicy flesh on show.

The little tub of gravy was gorgeous – super rich and thick – and went perfectly with the beef.

One of the highlights of the dish was the inclusion of potato gratin; I don’t know if it has gone out of fashion but I haven’t seen it on a menu in a while.

Anyway, this was a delicious version with thin layers of potato and cheese creating a mouth-watering stack of flavour. 

Adding some texture was the crunchy broccolini, providing a salutary burst of greens.

A top dish. My only quibble was that one thick slice of meat was slightly undercooked. 

Across the table my wife was raving about her prodigious chicken, leek and spinach pie ($20) which was braised in Seasonal’s ale.

“It’s absolutely gorgeous and has got that lovely homemade flavour with a light pastry,” she said.

“The creamy mash and peas complement the filling, and it’s the quintessential dish for a cold, wet night.”

There was only spagball or grilled cheese sandwich on the kids menu, which I found a bit disappointing, so we got them an adult cheeseburger ($22) to share.

They wolfed it down with no complaints and I tried some of the chips, which were delightfully rustic and not over seasoned.

My wife finished off her meal with a sticky date pudding ($13) from the special’s menu, which she described as “heavenly with a great balance of flavours.”

The beer is not too shabby either and I enjoyed a lovely glass of chocolate porter ($9 for 300ml)

My only gripe was the staff not clearing our table (we still had three plates on there while we ate dessert) but that aisde the service was good and the staff were friendly and polite.

The food surprised me at The Seasonal Brewing Company and it’s definitely a cut above the usual pizzas and burgers you get in other fungible microbreweries in Perth.

A welcome addition to the Maylands dining scene.

The Seasonal Brewing Company
175 Guildford Rd, Maylands

by STEPHEN POLLOCK