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Three Blue Ducks have opened a 45-seat restaurant inside a beautifully restored 1823 heritage farmhouse, just 90 minutes from Sydney. It’s found on Burradoo Park Farm – a 600-acre working regenerative farm founded and operated by Annie Cannon-Brookes, where produce is quite literally plucked from the soil and carried straight to the kitchen for that day’s service.
The intimate restaurant’s menu celebrates what’s growing, grazing and being harvested onsite, backed by delicious vino and magical, storybook-like views. The Burradoo restaurant joins The Bakehouse and The Farmhouse by Three Blue Ducks, completing its offering at Burradoo Park Farm, as well as its sibling venues in Byron, Rosebery, Melbourne, Nimbo and Bellingen, all of which are grounded in the same farm-to-plate ethos.
“It’s the most elevated experience that we’ve ever put our hand to, and it all revolves around the farm we’re standing on,” chef and co-owner Andy Allen tells me.
“Every dish on the tasting menu features something from the farm, from your snacks right through to dessert.”
“It doesn’t get much better.”
As well as Andy and co-owner Darren Robertson, the food direction is led by group executive chef Troy Crisante and new head chef Rhys Connell (formerly of Sepia, Society, Cutler & Co and Etymon Projects).
Guests can choose from two dining experiences: a five-course lunch-only Field Menu ($175 per person) and a seven-course Harvest Menu ($210 per person).
I was lucky enough to spend a day there last Friday and was tempted to trade in my writing hat for an Akubra.
The food was stunning. Rich, savoury chicken broth made from bones simmered for hours. A textural cover crop salad that was as interesting as it was nourishing. Perfectly pink Australian Wiltipoll lamb with sheep’s yoghurt and shiso sauce.
Two knockout desserts: granita made from rhubarb from nearby Moonacres Farm, alongside quince and lavender. And a potato number with crème fraîche, caramel and liquorice that tasted like Macca’s hot chips and a McFlurry got together.
I asked Andy his favourite dish.
“The cover crop salad,” he said. “It embodies what we’re trying to achieve here. We’ve asked Lindsey, the farmer, what cover crop she plants during the winter. Those elements – chickpeas, split peas – are served with a buckwheat risotto with a fermented turnip sauce. Turnips are grown on the farm. It really does embody how much we’re thinking about the farm here. It’s pretty special.”
“We’re building the menu around the farm and trying to use everything properly, whether it’s protein or vegetables, using it end to end and not wasting anything. It’s thoughtful cooking, but it still has to be really delicious and something people want to come back for.”
Between you and me, it really was delicious – and I do want to come back.
I drove to Burradoo Park Farm with Toyota in their new bZ4X Touring – a super-spacious all-wheel-drive electric car that can go from 0 to 100km/h in 4.4 seconds. And how good is it not to have to stop for petrol?
Address: Burradoo Park Farm 6 Railway Rd Burradoo NSW 2576
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