QT Newcastle has announced award-winning Shayne Mansfield as Executive Chef to spearhead its new era, elevating the current success of the hotel. With Mansfield at the helm, the designer hotel’s signature restaurant Jana will continue its bold culinary direction, transcending generations with sustainability at its core.

Sourced from the earth and ocean of the region, premium produce and sustainable fare are the centrepiece to Shayne’s culinary philosophy. His appointment comes with a winter menu highlighting locally farmed meats with NSW provenance; signature dishes include carrot tartare, Game Farm quail, Margra lamb and Rocky Point Cobia fish.

Ringing true to his ethos, the carrot tartare utilises all part of the produce incorporating pickled carrots and stems repurposed as green-tinged crackers, resulting in a zero-waste dish. The Berkshire pork cutlet is a true winter comfort dish, served with baked squash and slow braised head and belly of the best quality.

“My approach to minimal food waste is a true passion and a key focus of mine, I’ll continue to bring this to life with my time at Jana. It allows me to unlock new flavours through parts of produce that often would end up landfill,” says Shayne Mansfield, Executive Chef of QT Newcastle.

Mansfield juxtaposes the past with the present, plating up modern renditions of recipes passed down through his family’s generations, “throughout the menu we’ve included my grandmother’s pickling mix. We’re batching this 20 litres at a time,” says Shayne.

Guests will enjoy pickled rhubarb in the snapper crudo, to pickled carrots in the carrot tartare, bringing balance of newfound flavours to old favourites.

Shayne has cooked shoulder to shoulder alongside Paul Walsh and Jason Atherton at Michelin star, Pollen Street and City Social. His experience spans Europe and North America. Shayne’s riotous return to home soil saw a string of accolades follow. Hailing from local restaurant Flotilla, Mansfield was awarded One Hat by Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Food Guide 2022, attaining the hat in 2023, during his appointment as Head Chef.

Michael Stamboulidis, General Manager of QT Newcastle, is excited about Mansfield’s appointment…

“We are beyond excited to have Shayne leading the team. Shayne’s modest approach to Jana will showcase the most premium ingredients with a touch of trickery. We cannot wait to release to the Novocastrians and visitors to Newcastle humble food, done very well.”

Through luxuriously curated modern design, QT Newcastle tells the story of reflections and renewal, celebrating the coastline and city surrounds. Located in Steel City’s East End precinct, Jana is a humble neighbourhood dining destination, with a premium produce-led menu and a sustainable heart.