Lunch at the Illawarra Brewery, Wollongong [plus a giveaway]

Wollongong, on the South Coast of NSW is my home town. It's is a casual city, where inner-city living meets coastal views, and a beach-side lifestyle. The relaxed pace suits me to a tee.

There is a fabulous blogging community in Wollongong, and we make an effort to catch up for lunch and talk about all things blogging occasionally (sans eye-rolling from our loved ones. lol). What began as a mutual interest in social media, has spilled over into friendships, and we're never lost for words. We're all supportive of our local area, and like to try out local venues, such as The Illawarra Brewery, the Illawarra's only microbrewery.

The Illawarra Brewery is located on the edge of Wollongong City Beach (South Beach for us locals). It's such a great space to sit and enjoy a lazy lunch...sipping one of their handcrafted beers, sharing a meal, and just watching the world go by. The view from the bar and restaurant out to the ocean is pretty special.

Images above courtesy of The Illawarra Brewery

 Yesterday, a few us headed down to the Brewery to try out their menu...

Lisa - Life as we know it | Anorina - Samelia's Mum | Tina - Tina Gray {dot} me
Erin - Imperfectly Erin | Eleise - A Very Blended Family & What's on Wollongong

We were treated to a sampling of the Brewery's specialties...sharing the plates between us so that we could try a bit of everything! The rustic ploughman's lunch was delicious...generous chunks of cheese and ham, with pickles, chutney, prosciutto, olives, pickled veges, and crusty bread. This would be perfect to share, while slowly sipping on a beverage or two, beer-matched to perfectly compliment the platter.

Salt and pepper squid is a favourite, and my taste buds would agree. Perfectly crumbed, soft calamari, with a tasty aioli dipping sauce, and side salad that will leave you feeling completely satisfied. The servings are a great size too!

Another platter to share...the antipasto. Meatballs, mixed olives, chorizo, prawns and marinated mushrooms, served with crusty bread. This my kind of meal...finger foods that are high on flavour. My favourite was the mushrooms. I could have eaten a bowl or two of those alone.

Last, but certainly not least, we tasted the "sliders"; American-style mini burgers filled with pulled pork, rocket, shredded fennel and mayonnaise...delicious! There are two other sliders available on the menu, and I'll definitely be back to try them.

There really is something on the menu to suit every taste, and with meals ranging from $16-$27, it will suit your budget as well. We had a lovely lunch together, and may have solved a world problem or two...but that happens in every bar, right? lol.

The Illawarra Brewery is located at the WIN Entertainment Centre, corner of Crown and Harbour Streets, Wollongong. Head on down for a meal, quiet beverage, or perhaps consider the venue for your next function!

I was given a $25 gift voucher today for a future visit, however I'd like to give it to one of you so that you can experience The Illawarra Brewery as well!

To enter, simply leave a comment below telling me which restaurant meal, or handcrafted beer from the Illawarra Brewery you'd like to try.

Disclaimer: I dined at The Illawarra Brewery as a guest, and was provided with a complimentary meal. I was not obligated to blog about this experience. No payment was offered nor accepted for this post. All opinions expressed are purely mine.

*Terms and Conditions

• Entries must be made via Intense Debate commenting system to qualify.
• Entries close midnight, Monday, 20 May 2013.
• One entry per household.
• Open to Australian residents only.
• Total prize pool valued at $25.00.
• This is a game of skill. The judge's decision will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
• One winner will be chosen. The winner will be contacted by email, then advertised on this post and facebook.
• Life as we know it...will take no responsibility for any delay, loss or damage to prizes sent to winners.

Day 9, Thursday: A moment in your day (this can be just a photo or both a photo and words)