Clementine

“We source locally wherever possible – pork and veal from Wagga Free Range Pork, Moorlands Lamb, seafood from the South Coast. Local farmers and our family vegetable garden supply herbs and seasonal vegetables.”

Roasted free-range pork with plum glaze, potato bake, green beans, and eschallots; and seared salmon with organic cucumbers, caraway, dill, and mascarpone.

It doesn’t get more personal than this: Clementine is located in the 1950s weatherboard cottage that owners Adam Bantock and Brooke Sainsbery call home. And the pair like to be good neighbours, with their country-style dining a showcase of nearby suppliers. Olives and olive oil are from La Barre in town, for example, while free-range eggs from Grassy’s Grass Fed share the same postcode. The wine list is equally low on “drink miles“, sourced from the Canberra region to Orange.

Clementine is a key part of Yass, supporting its town of 16,000 through community initiatives and offering work experience to local high-school students – creating thirteen jobs in the process.

Sustainability rules here, with vegetable scraps donated to friends with chickens, a rainwater tank connecting the garden and bathrooms, and solar panels on the roof. Biodynamic farmers get preference, vulnerable fish species are avoided, and a vegan menu celebrates local plant life.

“The food is locally sourced, well cooked, presented with flair, but truly accessible.”

–John Lethlean, The Australian