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Embracing wabi-sabi
The Japanese term ‘wabi-sabi’ is the view or thought in finding beauty in every aspect of imperfection in nature. Binalong Bay’s newly opened wabi-sabi cabin, SABI, embraces this philosophy. The raw but refined minimalist aesthetic introduces a new take on luxury to Tassie. The cabin sleeps four guests and has a fully equipped kitchen. The real highlight is the Japanese-inspired onsen, found nestled in the primary suite. The repurposed wooden barrel features a bespoke liner handcrafted from salvaged copper and is the perfect spot to soak your stresses away.
P For more, visit airbnb.com.au
travel news.Inspiration for exploring our state
3 TO TRY New in town
LARK DISTILLERY PONTVILLE
Australia’s oldest single malt whisky has a new home. Lark Distillery Pontville resides in buildings that date back to the 1800s and is the only distillery in Tasmania to have its own on-site cooperage to make casks.
PEACOCK AND JONES
Former Masterchef contestant Ben Milbourne is the new culinary curator at this contemporary restaurant. The menu features an abundance of Tassie-harvested produce and will change seasonally.
Ocean appreciation
Southern Sea Ventures has launched a new experience that combines whale watching, kayaking and cliff-top hiking on the Tasman Peninsula. The three-night adventure is hosted by resident biologist Gary Miller and the overnight base is a private beachside lodge with direct access to Pirates Bay.
DEVIL’S CORNER
After undergoing a cellar-door expansion, this winery is opening its doors to a new architecturally designed space offering immersive wine experiences and tastings.
Walk this way
Want your best shot at capturing aurora australis? Join nature photographer Luke Tscharke on a four-day walk along Tassie’s Three Capes Track and learn how to capture nature at its finest. Shooting hours are not limited to the day as the magical hours of dusk and dawn are embraced. Bookings are handled by Tasmanian Walking Company.
LITTLE ITALY
Under the tutelage of Napoleon chef Massimo Mele, Peppina is a jewel in the crown that is The Tasman. Dine in a trattoria-styled space that is complete with two productive olive trees, artisan brick work and leather booths. The menu is influenced by Massimo’s southern Italian roots and brought to the plate by way of fresh local produce.
TASSIE SOUVENIR
We can’t get enough of these adorable handmade ceramic houses by local creative Lisa Yost (@funkypickle2019) You can shop them individually or as a set. A quintessential Tassie find, they make the perfect souvenir or gift.
You can shop them at the Tassie Makers Market in Hobart. From $30.
SAVE 10% as a member!
Open 7 days
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Stillwater’s historic and quaint exterior; Grain of the Silos on a plate; with a focus on fresh and local produce Stillwater plates up delicious dishes; hip bakery Bread & Butter; Havilah is all about good wine and cocktails.
After taking out two big awards, there’s no denying that Launceston has some of lutruwita’s best eats. Nola James drops by to see what’s cooking.
Photos: Stillwater/Anjie Blair; Havilah/Ness Vanderburgh culinaryAustralia’s heart
Travel aggregator Wotif has named Launceston its Aussie Town of the Year for 2022, calling the city “Australia’s newest foodie hub”.
The accolade follows Launceston’s 2021 UNESCO
City of Gastronomy nod, which officially cemented its international reputation as a truly delicious destination.
Credit goes to Launnie’s tight-knit community of restaurateurs, chefs and growers, who always go the extra mile. Before Massimo Mele wrote the opening menu for Grain of the Silos at Peppers Silo Hotel, he drove from Launceston to Smithton, signing up local producers along the way. “First and foremost, I wanted to open a venue that supports the local food community,”
Massimo says. Five years later, those growers and makers supply 85% of the produce across the 108-room hotel.
The flagship restaurant, for which Massimo is executive chef, is a huge drawcard for visitors to northern
Tasmania – best book a table, even on a Sunday. Chef
Mika Chae (ex-Attica) is on the pans, bringing fine-dining flair to a locally driven menu accented by off-shore ingredients. Think Skull Island prawns from the NT with
Tasmanian cos and Korean gouchujang, for example, or thick slices of Hagley Farm lamb doused in Argentinian chimichurri made from Lorinna-grown herbs.
Across the river is Stillwater Restaurant, which has
HARVEST MARKET
BLACK COW
BREAD & BUTTER STELO AT PIERRE’S
STILLWATER RESTAURANT HAVILAH
LAUNCESTON
plenty of awards of its own. Owner-operators Bianca and James Welsh teamed up with hotelier Chris McNally to open Stillwater Seven, being seven luxurious suites on the second floor, in 2019. The commitment to northern Tasmania’s finest is second to none, from the all-day dining downstairs to the two-metre tall “mini bar” in each room bursting with Elly’s Popcorn, Milton Wine and Boags XXX (for good measure).
The Stillwater team also run George Street’s Black Cow, which is the place to indulge in northern Tasmania’s most famous export – grass-fed beef. Unsurprisingly, chef and co-owner Craig Will’s menu is not for vegans. Steaks from Cape Grim and Robbins Island, listed by cut and weight, come served with creamy potato galette, mustards and a range of butter-based sauces.
Also on George Street is Stelo at Pierre’s, a threeyear old concept that owners Lauren and Nathan Johnston moved over from Hagley in February 2020. The restaurant was then just ‘Stelo,’ but as Lauren says “no matter what, everyone will call it Pierre’s”, for the heritage-listed building it occupies. The original 1950s Pierre’s was a French restaurant boasting Tasmania’s first commercial espresso machine. Today, the menu is Italian, but the meat, cheese and veg are all hyper local. At $79 the four-course set is exceptional value, considering the quality of the produce and the cooking.
Around the corner, Princes Square is shaping up to be a culinary hotspot. On one side is Havilah, a slick
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT Black Cow’s signature Frozen caramel slice; Havilah’s interiors are Scandi inspired; the team behind Black Cow; bar snacks are also on the menu at Havilah. wine bar from Ricky Evans of Two Tonne Wine, that’s all about peach tones and Scandi furniture. British-expat and chef Max Crawford joined the team in late 2021, expanding the snack-based menu with handmade pastas and slow-braised proteins (think pork-rib ragu, Guinness-braised beef). And hip bakery Bread & Butter moved from Cimitiere Street to Elizabeth Street this March without missing a beat – it’s not closed a single day since opening in 2018. “Fresh bread is a basic human right,” says co-owner Olivia Morrison.
Of course, at the heart of every great food city is a great food market. Launceston’s Harvest Market takes over a city carpark on Saturday mornings. “It’s probably Tasmania’s biggest weekly farmers’ market,” says manager Rhys Hannan. Around 3,500 people come each weekend to buy direct from the farmers who stock the city’s best restaurants, and food stalls ranging from Malaysian to Afghani, Korean and Lebanese. The market, which celebrates 10 years of trade in 2022, has given a few of Launceston’s bricks-and-mortar restaurants their start. Ravenswood’s Apiece Bakery, Princes Square cafe Small Grain and Turkish Tukka on George Street all began as market stalls. All going to plan, Harvest will be zero-waste by 2025 thanks to a recent grant from the Great Regional City Challenge, a local non-profit. If they can pull it off, Launceston will be only city in Australia to have a carbon-neutral farmers’ market. Sounds like a good opportunity for another award to us.
