ABOUT 18 months ago, vignerons Peter and Suzanne Williams from Redesdale Estate were holidaying in their 300-year-old Tuscan farmhouse, which they had restored, when they had a phone call from Australia to tell them that the down-at-heel Redesdale pub was for sale and ask if they would they be interested.
They sold the Tuscan farmhouse, bought the 1860s pub and began another major restoration converting it into a chic gastro-pub that today has a long, light dining room with blonde-wood cabinetry, Victorian ash tables and smart Hans Wegner-style wishbone chairs. It caters for 60 diners inside, with a more casual area outside under wide eaves.
They recruited James Bone, a former sommelier at the Lake House in Daylesford, as restaurant and bar manager and secured the services of Andrew Carswell as chef. The menu is mostly regional with the added bonus of seasonal produce from the kitchen and local gardens, while the wine list includes the owners' excellent Redesdale shiraz and cabernets, other regional labels and a handful of imports.
We share antipasti ($13) and charcuterie ($16) platters - home-made treats including smoked veal and smoked duck sausages, slow-braised kid, zucchini fritters and pickled cucumber - to start with. A local Heathcote rosé´ from Greenstone Vineyard ($8 a glass, $39 a bottle) seems the ideal partner.
A sucker for a good roast, my husband opts for the roast of the day ($24) - a generous serve of still-pink lamb on a mound of beautiful vegetables - and a side of garlic green beans ($7). My prosciutto-wrapped wild rabbit ($28) is served with local mushrooms, beetroot and onion - perfect with a Redesdale Estate Cabernet 2004 ($15 a glass, $63 a bottle).
Reviewed by Tricia Welsh who was hosted by Goldfields Tourism.
The Redesdale, 2640 Kyneton-Heathcote Road, Redesdale, 5425 3111. Bar open Tue-Sun from 11am, restaurant open Wed-Sun noon-3pm, Thu-Sat 6pm-9.30pm. See www.theredesdale.com.au. To stay: The Redesdale; Redesdale Estate Vineyard (www.redesdaleestate.com.au); Campaspe Valley View (www.campaspevalleyview.com.au).
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