South Australia has heard plenty of bold claims made over the years and usually, the people ignore them. Sweeping statements are often the result of hubris, and we’re especially savvy at seeing through blind ego. We are a state, after all, making today’s strides forward with global intent, especially in the competitive food, wine and tourism markets. If you’re going to make a claim, you’d best be ready to back it up.
It seems like the team at Mount Lofty House are preparing to do just that. Already the proud South Australian owners of one of the most breathtaking views in the state, sweeping across the Adelaide Hills from the beautiful and historically significant heritage manor, you could not wish for a better setting to begin building towards such an ambitious goal. This statement of intent accompanies the largest renovations on the historic Adelaide Hills manor house since it was raised from the ashes of the Ash Wednesday fires some 30 years ago. A new restaurant is set to be just one piece of a larger vision for the property, which will include the development of luxury villas unlike anything South Australia has seen before, and sure to attract not only high end and celebrity clientele, but expand upon the existing reputation of the House as a premier wedding and executive retreat destination.
“Our sense of place is crucial to getting this right,” begins Tony Barradale, the General Manager of Mount Lofty House. “We’re just the custodians but in our lifetime this is our chance to get it right. Currently, we host 31 guests and 4 cottages opening over the valley, so the villas are obviously going to offer more opportunities for people to stay. And these are for everyone and anyone to come and appreciate the view, the history and the grandeur. We’re not trying for glitz or to be ostentatious or over the top with these developments. They are going to be sheer quality, in keeping with the history of the manor house. South Australian’s are parochial, especially about icons and we’re being very respectful of that.”
Which should give you a clue as to how they are approaching the brand new restaurant as the first stage of this broader expansion. Upstairs walls are being moved and removed, (which in a heritage buiding is no small feet) working towards a mid-September deadline for Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant (named for the politician, lawyer and pastoralist Arthur Hardy who built Mount Lofty House in 1852) and the Arthur Waterhouse Bar & Lounge (named for the banker). “We’re looking to capitalise on the attributes of the original house,” explains Barradale. “The Piccadilly Restaurant (currently open) is great but we feel like we can offer an even better experience, the best in South Australia.”
A a brand new, state-pf-the-art kitchen is an impressive start for this multi-million dollar redevelopment. The dining and lounge experience won’t jar with some kind of modern/heritage combination, but rather aims to build upon the already outstanding features of the building, such as the internal timber features, flooring, high ceilings and, naturally, the views. No changes will be made to the externals of the building, with the minor exception of the upstairs balcony which is to be completely glassed in to extend the Restaurant’s dining facilities. But of course, a beautiful building alone does not make a a restaurant the best, irrespective of the location. Which is where Mount Lofty House have scored a real recruiting coup, with Executive Chef, Girard Ramsay, set to be joined by Wayne Brown, a hatted chef with experience working alongside the likes of Tetsuya Wakuda of Singapore’s Michelin Star destination Waku Ghin, Peter Gilmor’s Quay in Sydney and Sake in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney.
“Because the new Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant needs to be set up and operated while we also cater to our 130 or more wedding events each year, we went searching,” says Barradale. “Finding Wayne was great timing and he was especially keen to head up this new restuarant. It was an opportunity we could not pass by. He wanted to come, and his coming on board will allow Girard to focus upon food conference, wedding and events. Girard has substantially grown these key elements for us over his five and a half years and grow our reputation to this point so he will now be positioned to further expand with all we have planned for the future at the Mount Lofty House Estate.”
To orientate Chef Brown to the Adelaide Hills, he will spend the month of August being introduced to local producers. The ethos of Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant will strongly reflect paddock-to-plate (or valley-to-verandah as they like to call it) and foraging philosophies. The menu will be developed around the best local ingredients available seasonally. And the wine list will extend this with over 500 labels to be featured, 85% of which to be from the Adelaide Hills region, and 98% to be South Australian. We’re told the last 2% will be made up by French Champagne and a particularly nice dessert wine from beyond our borders. Further complimenting the food and wine will be a selection of over 150 of the finest Whiskeys from across the globe.
Of course, anyone in hospitality knows that it takes time for a kitchen to start to work together, a restaurant to gather momentum, a location to become a destination. But this statement of intent is not something Mount Lofty House have made lightly. The planning and preparation is being couple by genuine dedication to enhance the assets already on offer and create a long overdue world class food, wine and accommodation destination just 15 minutes from the city, yet a world away in terms of atmosphere.
With the recent announcement of direct flights between Adelaide and South China, coupled by the direct link to Doha from May, and Adelaide now being listed as one of the 9 Great Wine Capitals of the World, as well as a UNESCO City Of Music, our secret’s here don’t seem as if they’ll be ours to keep for too much longer and decisions in preparation for South Australia’s international are likely to become more prevalent. Seeing as this is one of the first and most significant to the state though, we’ll be following it very closely as it develops. We can’t wait to see it all come to fruition.
Mount Lofty House is located at 74 Mount Lofty Summit Rd, Crafers. For more information, visit their website, or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
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