All About

The Growers by Ponte

Whether you’re looking for a delicious sit-down lunch or a mouthwatering afternoon cocktail, The Growers by Ponte offers an idyllic dining experience in Nowra.

the ponte family

Sharon (front of house) and Thiago Menezes (chef and sommelier), together with their excellent staff, make up The Growers by Ponte team, delivering terrific food and drinks to our Shoalhaven Family and Friends.

creating togetherness

Enjoy an casual, family friendly dining experience at The Growers by Ponte. Our menu has a range of fresh, locally soured seasonal produce with optional share plates, starters, mains, BBQ Grill items and children’s meals.

HAnd-picked wines

With twelve years of experience running wine bas, sommelier and chef Thiago hand-picked wines for The Growers by Ponte’s impressive wine list, with a broad range of Australian and International varietals suitable to all budgets.

Executive Chef

Thiago Menezes

Born in Brazil to a farming family, Thiago has always had a love and appreciation for food, especially paddock to plate, seasonal produce and eating well. Sharing food with family and friends is the way of life in Brazil, and you will always find the heart of the home is where the chef is: the kitchen!

Not long after completing a degree in Agricultural Engineering in Brazil, Thiago set sail abroad and landed himself in London, employed as a kitchen hand in the heart of one of the most exciting cities in the world.

After several years of working his way through the English pub scene and improving his English, Thiago made the bold move to further his skills in the kitchen and enrolled as an international student at Le Cordon Bleu Australia (Sydney). Arriving on the shores of Sydney in 2006 with very little English, Thiago worked his way through culinary school and completed a Grande Diplôme.

Thiago has had the privilege of working alongside some incredible Australian chefs throughout his 15-year career in Sydney and has a vast array of culinary skills in a multitude of cuisines.

In more recent years, Thiago has discovered his true passion: wine. His sophisticated palette and natural ability for pairing wine and food are simply incredible! So, if you ever have the chance to sit down with Thiago – who we affectionately call T – and chat to him about food & wine, you’ll come away with a head full of knowledge and heart full of admiration.

T has been married to his wife and business partner, Sharon, for 10 years, whom he met whilst working together at Hugos in Manly. They have two children Alyssa and Luka.

The Growers by Ponte

The Concept

Our vision was to create a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere ideal for enjoying good food at your own pace, we have introduced a self ordering Menu QR Code system whereby one can order when they are ready and take in the spectacular views of the garden and Worrigee Golf Course at your leisure.

We also love to host events and functions, at Then Growers there are plenty of function options to accommodate all the seasons and occasions.

Our veranda is wet-weather friendly and our functions manager can put together a fabulous food and beverage package for your next celebration. We have a number of set menus, canapé options & Brazilian BBQ Menus available to suit all occasions!