It’s been a big year for Australian TL&CC Collective member, Wickens at Royal Mail Hotel. In June, Executive Chef Robin Wickens and Head Chef Dave Sutherland appeared on the popular television show Masterchef Australia, where they showcased two dishes on the hotel grounds.

October brought cause for celebration when the Dunkeld, Victoria fine dining restaurant was awarded Two Hats in the 2019 Good Food Guide Awards, as well as Regional Wine List of the Year. The same month, Wickens at the Royal Mail celebrated its first birthday on the premises.

Later in the year, the hotel found success with its Quoll Breeding Program, announcing the arrival of six baby eastern quolls. Quolls are carnivorous marsupials native to Australia and New Guinea, with the eastern, northern and Tiger quolls classified as endangered. The hotel’s breeding program, in partnership with the Tasmanian Quoll Conservation, seeks to protect and preserve this precious species.

Finally, the kitchen garden was revived with the arrival of spring. The dedicated kitchen garden workers have planted seasonal vegetables including carrots, beetroots, radishes, lettuce, parsley, lovage, basil and various varieties of tomatoes. Up to eighty per cent of the produce used on Wickens at Royal Mail’s menu is grown onsite and harvested daily by the restaurant’s chefs. Guests can take a guided tour of the gardens – which are Australia’s largest working restaurant kitchen gardens – where they learn the origin of their food and hear first-hand from chefs about the benefits and challenges of maintaining a large kitchen garden.

News: other things you need to know

• Ring in 2019 with Ceviche’s New Year’s Eve party and dinner in London, UK. A Peruvian-style sharing menu including pork chifa tequeños wonton rolls with sweet chilli dip, tiradito of salmon with passionfruit, purple potato and cassava crisps, and Valrhona chocolate tart with coffee cream, is accompanied by a special cocktail menu. This is followed by live Latin music and dance competitions with London musicians Devon Daley, Carlitos Nino and more. Visit cevichefamily.com for more information and to book.
• Australian restaurant Song Kitchen is ending the year with a bang, welcoming in a new head chef and an exciting new menu. Elizabeth Mason brings a fusion of Middle Eastern, Italian and Mediterranean influences to the Sydney eatery, resulting in flavour-packed dishes that play on modern Australian fare. Offerings include Blue Swimmer Crab Potato Gnocchi with brown butter and nasturtium, and Dark Chocolate Pudding with spiced espresso mascarpone and honeycomb. Visit songkitchen.com.au to find out more.
• OXO Tower, London, UK is celebrating vegan cuisine with a special Vegan Afternoon Tea. The menu is based on traditional afternoon tea foods, all homemade and completely plant-based. Highlights include ‘cheese’ sandwiches, chestnut and mushroom ‘sausage’ rolls, scones and miniature lemon meringue pies. Click here for more information and to make a booking.