Featuring: Grampians Estate Winery, Five Duck Farm, Our Kitchenette…

WE’VE taken 2021 on, with all its chaos and unpredictability, and are forging on in Melbourne and Victoria. While the sad reality of hospitality businesses closing since lockdown is a constant, there are those who have the courage and experience to open something new, others, to expand their business or make a pivot a permanent fix.
After 18 months of planning and nine months of renovations, Sarah and Tom Guthrie, sheep farmers and the owners and winemakers of Grampians Estate Winery, have opened the 1878 Room & Deck and it is fast becoming a food and wine hub for the region.
The abundance and diversity of Western Victorian produce is the cornerstone of the new cellar door/cafe and the couple set out to create a shopfront for their wines while also highlighting the produce of their region of Western Victoria. The cafe can accommodate up to 36 diners and the menu is short, changes regularly and features entirely Western Victorian produce.
The ‘Dairy Paddock Platter,’ may include cheeses from Milawa Cheese, Meredith Dairy, and pastes and preserves from Mitch’s Preserves and Five Duck Farm.
Great Western Granary make a pie exclusively for Grampians Estate. The lamb, from the Guthrie’s farm is marinated in Grampians Estate Shiraz and the pie crust is made using local wheat. Timboon Ice Cream have designed a new flavour, “The Tipsy” made with a Grampians Estate Shiraz reduction swirled through their vanilla bean ice cream.
All the producers who work with Tom and Sarah share the same ethos as Grampians Estate. They are small businesses utilising and making quality local produce. Tom and Sarah are passionate about what they do, who they work with and the cellar door is creating an opportunity for the community to feature their work.
“We are a boutique winery, as opposed to mass-producing wine,” says Tom, “our production equals 30 to 35 tonnes a year and we’re very hands-on. So, developing this new arm to the business, a locally focussed cellar door and cafe, is a natural extension of what we do.”
Grampians Estate Winery, 1878 Room & Deck, 1477 Western Highway, Great Western; phone (03) 5356 2400.
Chancery Lane, a European bistro by chef Scott Pickett, opened in the CBD in December, in the historic Normanby Chambers building.
It’s a big step for the savvy businessman and chef, as it embodies his career evolution. “It is an amazing opportunity to continue the legacy of Normanby Chambers that has been home to some of Melbourne’s most iconic restaurants,” he says.
Pickett has brought together a team with exceptional experience from Creative Director, Stuart Neil (Ezard, Estelle by Scott Pickett), Head Chef, Rob Kabboord (Lekker, Quay), and Venue Manager, Alex Mouzos (Vue Group).

The menu is founded on classic European dishes with a twist, and is both generous and approachable, offering a broad selection of flavours from a simple dry-aged duck burger to an indulgent seafood platter.
Other menu items include Hervey Bay scallop, fennel with finger lime, jellied egg and smoked eel consommé and Cape Grim porterhouse on the bone.
A feature floor-to-ceiling wine cellar showcases a wine list by Beverage Manager Clint Fox and Sommelier and Beverage Manager, rising talent Hannah Day. It features a list from Grand Cru Burgundies through to a sharp, local representation. Chancery Lane, 430 Little Collins St, Melbourne; phone (03) 9089 7598.
Our Kitchenette – aka Kitchenette by its regulars – is a cosy Hawthorn cafe that opened on Riversdale Road in 2015 and took the extended Melbourne lockdown to restructure their business and move from a café to ready-made meals, tableware and espresso bar.
Chef Jenna Abbruzzese and her business partner, Maitre d’ Megan Griffey, originally opened Kitchenette to provide café-style food and warm, generous service to a hungry Hawthorn audience. They’ve built a strong following of regulars who have taken to the friendly and professional culture the pair have cultivated.
Then along came 2020 and the global pandemic. When the “density rule” was introduced for hospitality in March 2020, Jenna and Megan didn’t so much pivot, as take a leap of faith. “We knew that our little café would not be able to operate viably. We needed a new business model altogether,” says Megan.
Within 24 hours of the announcement the pair bought a display fridge and Jenna extended their range of ready-to-eat, take-home meals. Customers, wary of supermarkets in those early days, appreciated the new range of daily essentials, Phillippa’s bakery sourdough, free range eggs, milk and Dr Marty’s crumpets.
Further research cemented the business model. “Our customers told us they were disheartened at having to cook and clean three times a day for everyone at home as restrictions meant they weren’t able to dine-out as often as they had before,” says Megan. Jenna came to the rescue with her range of ready-made meals.
“These are solutions for busy people, and they are reliable and delicious,” says Jenna. The range includes Donati’s pork and fennel sausages in sugo; Persian-spiced lamb shanks and Greek chicken doused in lemon juice and oregano.
Desserts and cakes are a highlight, chocolate mousse and tiramisu sell-out almost every day. Friands and brownies are baked daily and there is a roster of whole cakes like Vanilla Chiffon and a Chocolate Celebration Cake.
Another string to the Kitchenette bow is homewares. “Dining at home has become more important during the lockdowns and we want to help make it stunning,” says Megan of their range of table linens by Pure Linen and hand-thrown crockery by Melbourne based ceramic artist Cath Hayward.
Our Kitchenette, 217 Riversdale Road, Hawthorn, 3122; phone (03) 9939 9340.