When you mix passionate people, incredible produce, fire, and a weekend full of flavour, you end up with something pretty special—the Grampians Grape Escape 2026.

I thought I’d share a bit of the experience.

This was my second time being involved. The first was about four years ago, where I ran a food stall (with the saltbush arancini, of course) and jumped on stage for a Ready Steady Cook segment—an absolute blast. From memory, we cooked kangaroo tenderloin with a macadamia crust and finished with a lemon myrtle dessert rice. So much fun.

How are my amazing food friends going?

Just a few updates to fill you in.

As we all know, the cost of living keeps creeping up, and the ripple effect is real. People are travelling less and pulling back on what used to feel like everyday little luxuries — and dining out is often one of the first things to go.

Hello, my amazing friends,

What have you been cooking lately?

As you know, we’re always busy in the kitchen at the Dimboola Golf Club — and most days, there’s still only one main pair of hands down there. Mine. But I have two amazing kitchen hands.

The last couple of months have been incredible. Full dining rooms and also quiet ones. Weddings. Catering. Functions. The kind of busy you hope for when you open a little restaurant on a dirt road.

But it’s also been big.

Hello Friends,

We’re nearly at the end of January already, and I’m not quite sure where the time has gone.

December saw me head down and full steam ahead, working with so many amazing groups 

to help celebrate their Christmas parties. It was busy, exhausting, and incredibly rewarding, and I loved seeing people come together around food.

Coming Up to Our First Birthday

Guess what? We’re coming up to our first birthday at the club next month.
Today marks the day the golf club said yes to opening a restaurant here — and what a ride it’s been.

First and foremost, a massive thank you to my incredible staff, friends, and family for sticking with me through all the ups and downs. And of course, a huge thank you to our amazing, valued customers — we truly wouldn’t be running without your support.

It’s been a little while between blogs, so I thought I’d take a minute to catch you all up on the latest from our little favourite corner of the world at the Dimboola Golf Club restaurant.

So… I did it. I finally made it to Daylesford.

After years of hearing about this magical little food-lover’s paradise and never quite finding the opportunity to get there, I woke up one day last week and thought — if not now, when?

Ah, quinces. That knobbly, golden fruit that’s often misunderstood and underutilised — until you cook it. Who would’ve thought that a simple poach or boil could completely transform its colour, texture, and flavour?

May Wrapped Up – Events, Food, Gardens & Community

Well, my motto of blogging more often went straight out the window when May rolled in. 😂 But with everything that’s been happening, I’m extremely thankful. It’s been a full and beautiful month of events, catering, cooking, and community — and the restaurant has been steady too, which is always a great feeling.

Running a restaurant is all about consistency, but sometimes, taking a break is just as important. We opened the restaurant in late November, and by December, I reached out to the Agrarian Kitchen to see if they offered cooking classes at the start of the week. Lucky for me, they did—so I locked in April 1st.

So, the last blog was nearly a month ago, and we’re well and truly back into the swing of things at the golf club after reopening post-fires. I said yes to a few events because, let’s be honest, running just the restaurant alone is unpredictable—some nights we might get three people, other nights 20 to 50 people. 

Reflections on a Rollercoaster Week: A Busy Return to the Restaurant

As we rounded off the second week back into the swing of things at the restaurant, I couldn’t help but reflect on the whirlwind of emotions from our first week. It felt surreal to be opening the doors again—on one hand, it didn’t feel quite right, like we shouldn't be there, but on the other hand, I felt so incredibly thankful that we were. It was a strange mix of emotions that kept me on my toes.