Love for fine food brings restaurant and butcher together at Erina Heights

Saratoga Quality Meats (SQM) in the Kincumber Shopping Village has been serving the finest quality meats on the Central Coast for over 25 years. They are recognised as one of the most successful butchers on the Coast.

Founders Rob and Bruce Kay sold the business to Tony Palmer in 2020 and with Head Butcher Jason Bowden have grown the business and its reputation beyond the Central Coast.

Last year they opened a pop-up butcher shop in the Erina Heights shopping precinct selling pre-packaged meat and ready to cook products prepared in their Kincumber shop.

Five years ago, Nico and Alex Coccia who had come to Australia, Nico from Naples and Alex from the South of France and worked in some of Sydney’s renowned restaurants set up Osteria il Coccia restaurant at Ettalong. Firstly, in the Galleria and then in the new Atlantis development opposite the Mantra.

They had become famous for their menu cooked entirely over flames.

Last year the Coccia’s started sourcing their meat from SQM and a new collaboration started which has resulted in the two businesses joining together creating a new concept and now known as Carne & Cucina (Butcher and Restaurant) at Erina Heights.

The 45-seat restaurant also showcases a full range of SQM freshly packaged premium meats and related products including ready-to-cook products.