The Good Life at Second Valley

Last year, intrepid couple Iain Calvert and Hayley Pember-Calvert made the bold decision to take over the reins of Second Valley’s historic Leonards Mill restaurant. Motivated by a desire to own something together – and armed with hospitality, management and retail skills – the couple swiftly developed a vision. ‘We fell in love with top end country pubs in the UK and kind of wanted to do something like that,’ Hayley says.

New owners Hayley Pember Calvert and Ian Calvert (couple on right) are excited to be working alongside Chef Peter Smit and Sommelier Nina Thomsen (couple on left).

After looking around for a few years, it seemed like fate when their offer on another business fell through; not long after, Leonards Mill came back on the market. The restaurant and venue had built a national reputation for destination dining under the helm of Jane Mitchell and Alan Greig. While Hayley and Iain saw value in those accolades, their motivation to invest was primarily grounded in their connection to the place.

Hayley’s family have owned a farm at Second Valley for more than thirty years and she’s always loved the township for its old stone buildings, especially the Mill. Now, both in their thirties and with a toddler in tow, the lure of grandparents living around the corner was too hard to resist. It was also a bonus that relatives breed Black Angus Beef – featured on the menu – which lined up with their ‘paddock to plate’ philosophy. ‘What we really want to highlight is this region, (South-Western Fleurieu) and to find exciting local producers and products’, Hayley explains. ‘We can tell you the names of each of the farmers and we have relationships with all of the winemakers as well.’

The duo’s wine list is comprised of small boutique, family-owned brands like Brocks View Estate, Cooter & Cooter, Dodgy Brothers and Lino Ramble, just to name a few. It’s easy to see that Iain and Hayley are building a community and life around their dream. The menu depends on what is available. The day I was there, the daily special was fish because locals had pulled in a good catch. Their lunch menu differs from dinner; there is a more casual selection of small plates, mains and desserts, while dinner is an impressive five-course degustation.

Art and classic elegance mixed with rustic charm make the interiors and surrounds of Leonards Mill inviting.

Pete has rearranged the cold room to cure and dry meat and fish.

Finding a chef who shares their ethos – and even enhances it – has made this new chapter at the Mill all the better. Hayley and Iain were on Kangaroo Island when they met chef, Peter Smit, and his partner and sommelier Nina Thomsen, by chance. They embody the same mindset of cooking authentic dishes with local produce, to the core.

Pete started his apprenticeship in his hometown of Toowoomba, Queensland. He moved around a bit before becoming part of the start-up kitchen team at the esteemed Southern Ocean Lodge. It was working with head chef, Tim Bourke, that solidified his passion and ignited his drive and focus. ‘He is the one who made me look at food and what you could do with it, Nina tells me. ‘He turned things around for me and made me see it not just as a job but something I really wanted to do.’

Having a bit of wanderlust, Pete moved to the UK and an unintended encounter with a friend’s friend landed him at Pitt Cue in London. Here, under the tutelage of Tom Adams, Pete learned the craft of butchery, which further enhanced his skill-set and enthusiasm. Both Nina and Pete have a dizzying list of five star restaurants and accolades under their belts – too many to name here, but Pete’s last stop in the UK was to be the most fruitful.

Nina and Pete met working in Cartmel in the Lake District of the UK, both working at separate restaurants under renowned chef, Simon Rogan. There, Nina acquired her certification through Court of Master Sommeliers and Gold Service Scholarship. ‘I always wanted to be something good and work in the best restaurants I could find’, Nina says. She worked in the top end from the beginning and, upon moving from her native Germany to the UK, she began working at L’Enclume. ‘To be fair this is really the place where I learned everything I know about wine’, she says.

Working her way up, Nina left L’Enclume as assistant head sommelier. Meanwhile, over at Rogan & Co, Pete became head chef and was embodying all that he learnt from Tim Bourke and Tom Adams. ‘We were making our own sausages and bacon there, and we would go to a farm down the road and get sheep milk and we made our own cheese,’ he says. When his work visa was coming to an end and Pete needed to return to Australia, Nina happily followed, and now forms part of an important team at Leonards Mill, helping round out its boutique wine list, making cordials and kombucha from scratch, as well as helping Pete with fermenting and preserving.

Each element of the food at the Mill is delicately handled. Pete Smit has a consummate respect for the produce. Every element has a stand alone character but all of the flavours are balanced.

The wine list boasts an excellent selection of boutique selection of boutique small-batch family-owned wine brands from the Fleurieu and the Hills.

Pete and Nina will be up at the crack of dawn every day to create something special. They are good souls. Pete tells me how on their days off they meet producers at farms to understand everything about what they do. This has led to many close relationships forming, like with Ben and Julieann, who sell free-range Berkshire Pork and ‘Al the fisherman’ from Cape Jervis, as well as Nathan and Sophie from Wakefield Grange, just up the road. ‘We moved down the street and we have had all of them over for a BBQ’, Pete says. ‘I don’t want to be one of those chefs who just calls the producer to tell them what I want.’ For them, it is all about relationships.

It was also a bonus that relatives breed Black Angus Beef – featured on the menu – which lined up with their ‘paddock to plate’ philosophy.

It’s not hard to see that food here is handled with delicacy, respect and care. Every element is made to shine and hold its own special place on the plate.

With the start of a new era, it’s an exciting time at the Mill, and the team is not only maintaining the destination dining experience; they’re also forming strong ties to the local community.

Check the Leonards Mill website for special food and wine-matching dinners featuring local producers. The Mill is also available for weddings and private functions.

Story by Petra de Mooy. Photography by Heidi Linehan.