In February Spicers Hidden Vale unveiled their new Homestead.
The homestead, with Homage Restaurant at its heart, was rebuilt following a fire that destroyed the previous building almost two years ago.
Notice we didn’t say original building – that’s because the actual first-built homestead was destroyed by another fire 99 years earlier.
Framed prints of these two previous buildings can be viewed in the new homestead. The beautiful bespoke building embraces the history of the site with a timeless yet thoroughly contemporary ambience… a legacy for future generations.
It is just one of the many stories that surround this patch of fertile farming country an hour’s drive south-west of Brisbane.
So, what can you expect to see in this third incarnation?
Well, one thing that hasn’t changed is the stunning view beyond the infinity rock pool that so brilliantly reflects the setting sun at the day’s end.
The new homestead offers even more of the vista beyond, with a huge wall of doors folding back to draw your eye all the way to the Little Livingstone Range taking on a blue hue in the far distance.
The ample verandas are breezy spots for cocktails and scenery gazing, but there are tables inside that are also hard to resist along with the alluring lounge bar and dining area, like nowhere in Australia.
Since the fire, Homage, the highly awarded and hatted restaurant has operated from a century-old barn on the property.
Here, Executive Chef Ash Martin and his team have embraced a cooking with fire concept – initially out of necessity because their ovens were destroyed – and this has become a key theme of the menu.
The new kitchen includes an imported Mibrasa grill, fuelled by coals from local Mulgowie pruned olive trees that continue to weave the fiery edge into Chef Martin’s thought-provoking creations.
Although favourite dishes will remain on market-garden-driven menu, expect to be tempted by a collection of new dishes inspired by the property, region and season – Beef fat crumpet, caramelized honey, pickled scallions, wood roasted marrow (with honey from Homage’s own bee hives), or Red Claw yabbies, smoked yolk, orchard citrus (locally farmed yabbies, with oranges and limes from the market garden, and eggs from Hidden Vale’s own heritage breed hens) or Coal roasted suckling pig, stone fruit aged over olive wood charcoal (with piglets from Goombungee’s ethical 5th generation Schultz Family Farms) and many other…
The new Homage dining areas flow across a series of airy rooms, adjoining verandas and a private dining room / board room.
A cellar containing around 3000 bottles sits at the heart of the restaurant and Restaurant Manager James Russell is excitedly taking delivery of new shipments daily for the new list which will run to around 300 wines.
For drinks and relaxing, there are a plethora of choices – a stunning Spotted Gum bar, several alluring lounge spaces – two of which face floor to ceiling rock fireplaces, multiple verandas and gardens one of which frames an inviting fire pit.
