By ANNA USHER

Five hundred porchetta rolls a week. Cremorne’s newest rotisserie shop has only been open since January – and it’s already running out of room.

Cotenna spent five years on the market circuit – at Northside Produce in North Sydney and Le Marche in Willoughby – before converting its prep kitchen at Shop 6, 271 Military Rd into a permanent home.

The shopfront is easy to miss, tucked away on the second floor, above a hair studio and a florist on Military Rd.

Co-owner Amy Wheater says Cremorne was always the plan.

“Cremorne is easily accessible from all corners of the lower north shore,” she says, “it’s a great location close to our foodie fan base.”

Five years in the making

Wheater and head chef Jamie Sutherland originally envisioned a food truck. Instead, they hit Sydney’s thriving outdoor market scene and spent half a decade building a cult following.

“We never take shortcuts with our product,” Wheater told Mosman Collective. “Our recipe hasn’t changed, we are consistent with the product, customers know exactly what they are getting, week in week out.”

A three-day process of love

The pork – sourced from northern NSW – is seasoned with rosemary, fennel, garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper, rolled, then air-dried in a cool room for three days before being placed on the rotisserie for up to four hours.

Cotenna uses pork belly and pork neck rather than the traditional loin – a deliberate choice for deeper flavour and a crackling that shatters.

The Market Porchetta Roll ($19) comes loaded with onion jam, rocket and garlic sauce.

For something more substantial, the Rotisserie Plate ($23) offers a choice of meat, two sides, and two sauces.

The rotisserie chicken is brined, then stuffed with parmesan and rice – available by the quarter ($14), half ($25) or whole ($35).

And, if you need a snack to start with, the porchetta popcorn – cooked in porchetta fat and seasoned with crack salt – is on the house.

Come for dinner, bring your own wine.

Cotenna is fully licensed, with a rotating selection of Australian craft beers and BYO wine. There’s no corkage fee. But, it’s important to note tables are extremely limited, with takeaway service the favoured option.

“We are looking at taking over the shop next door, to make the space comfortable for dining in,” Amy said.

“Our chicken and Porchetta are both served fast and fresh, making the dishes ideal for a take-away family dinner, but the hope is to move into a much larger space so we can welcome big groups.”

Cotenna still trades at the Northside Produce Market on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month at 200 Miller St, North Sydney, and at the Le Marche French Market – Woolwich Dock, Entertainment Quarter (Moore Park) and Laurelbank Cottage in Willoughby.

The details

• Address: Shop 6, 271 Military Rd, Cremorne (second floor, above the hair studio and florist)
• Hours: Wednesday – Thursday 5.30 pm to 8 pm; Friday–Saturday 5.30 pm to 8.30 pm
• Dine-in and takeaway
• Licensed (Australian craft beers) | BYO wine, no corkage
• Catering: kitchen@cotenna.com.au
• Instagram: @cotenna.sydney | Web: cotenna.com.au