Brae

A journey to Victoria’s Otway Ranges hinterland eight years after our first trip to the restaurant, farm and accommodation of Brae is striking as we observe the prolific growth of the foliage surrounding the restaurant and the Six Degrees-designed accommodation suites. The 20-acre property’s farm garden has been relocated and expanded, and is thriving. A citrus orchard is now well established behind the restaurant.

Brae is nestled amongst the hills and dales near Birregurra on the northern flank of the Otways. Dan Hunter and wife Jules Bagnato purchased the old dairy back in 2013 with a vision to create a regenerative farm, nurture the land and provide a memorable dining experience on high quality locally sourced produce. The kitchen garden under the stewardship of Jo Lawson now provides 90 per cent of the restaurant’s plant-based fare. Her energy and experience oversee the production of an incredible variety of produce; during our visit, she was delivering seasonal vegetables including artichokes, asparagus, carrots, daikon, turnips, leeks and celeriac to the kitchen during.

On a weekly basis, chef Dan and his staff are provided with a two-week forecast from Jo of what to expect at the kitchen door. Just like the circular organic growing process, visiting diners offer welcome feedback to Jo and her crew while strolling among the vegetable beds. Paths weave through the property with interpretive signage explaining the virtuous relationship between the farm and the restaurant, and the importance of the regenerative techniques used.

Several years after opening, Brae is often mentioned in lists of the world’s top 50 restaurants. “The one thing when we established our own business is we wanted to do things differently,” Jules says. Brae has subsequently been invited to submit for Food Made Good accreditation by the Sustainable Restaurant Association based in the UK.

The holistic review is across three categories of environment, sourcing and society. “The reason we decided to do it… we had begun focusing not only on the environmental stuff but had begun changing our culture within the business,” she says. The assessment process is demanding with over 600 pages in Brae’s submission including documentation and evidence supporting the farm’s methods and suppliers’ accreditations. The certification is highly significant but, just as importantly, has pushed Brae to achieve an even higher standard in their operation.

While on a tour of the property with Jules we bump into Jo who is harvesting from a booming asparagus plot. Nearby, New Holland honeyeaters feast on flowering shrubs. It is this bucolic setting where recent guests have praised Jo on the quality of the fennel or quizzed her on the variety of native plant ingredients. On the way to the kitchen Jules leads us through the citrus grove of limes, cumquats, mandarins and grapefruit. Passing through the service courtyard we witness the art of sourdough being prepped for the wood fired oven. In the kitchen the vibe is convivial yet serene. The enthusiasm of the staff is evident as we observe the focused passion in preparation of ingredients for the night’s meals. We were to relish this dedication over dinner with a sublime degustation menu including a warming broth of chicken and celeriac, Angasi oyster and swede marinated with cultured citrus then Murray cod and king prawn with crustacean butter and finger lime. But the dish that really stood out was the simple vegetable garden bowl. Choosing a non-alcoholic pairing was prescient. The restaurant’s own fermented beverages not only perfectly complement each dish but enhance the tasting.

Back at the guest suite and gazing across the rolling landscape, it is the subtleties of the design-based experience which emanates through every facet of Brae. It is more than a treat to dine and stay here. You leave feeling not just rejuvenated but inspired.

braerestaurant.com / thesra.org

Inside issue 101 — Grab the issue here.