QHA_Sep-2020_Online

FEATURE
Asked to pick a few favourites from the current menu,
Ash said he hoped guests would find temptation in
a collection of dishes inspired by the property, region
and season and suggested a mix as follows:
• Rosevale beef brisket, sugarloaf cabbage slaw,
citrus (local beef, with cabbage from our market
garden, citrus from our orchard),
• Coal roasted pork collar, stone fruit, mustard (with
pork from Goombungee’s ethical 5th generation
Schultz Family Farms),
• Lamb cooked over olive wood, pickled heirloom
carrots (fuelled by coals from local Mulgowie
pruned olive trees, carrots from our market garden
and fermentation room)
• and for dessert, Rosella sourdough doughnut, ice
cream (plump rosellas from our market garden, and
our own old well-nurtured sourdough mother).
Put on the spot to give away a secret or two for other
chefs out there reading this story, Ash had this tip:
“We source the majority of our beans and corn from
the local Mulgowie Farming Company who have set
an extremely high benchmark in best farming practice.
Their broccoli and pumpkin are also outstanding.”
Another was the restaurant’s use of the Mibrasa
Grill in the kitchen, an imported grill fuelled by the
coals of the local Mulgowie pruned olive trees “which
weave delicate charry primal flavours into any grilled
produce.”
“The base is lined with refractory bricks which gives
maximum heat efficiency and resistance to pure
fire, and the easy-to-use elevating system allows us
to control the grill over the fire to vary our cooking
techniques.”
As the year ticks closer to the Spring you can bet that
the team at Homage are busy experimenting with new
menu ideas to entice and delight their lucky guests.
Spicers Hidden Vale and Homage Restaurant
is at 617 Grandchester Mount Mort Rd,
Grandchester, Queensland. Phone 1300 179 340.
See spicersretreat.com
SPICERS FAST FACTS
QHA REVIEW | 24
• Homage has a 10-person Green Team charged with ensuring as much food waste as
possible is recovered through the feeding of onsite pigs and chickens, and composting of
garden waste.
• Homage has banned plastic straws in the restaurant and joined The Last Straw Campaign
(paper straws are offered instead).
• Spicers Hidden Vale became known as a world class breeding and release centre for
Koalas in 2017 off the back of its large eucalyptus plantation.
• Spicers Hidden Vale has 34 rooms spread across colonial style cottages, two swimming
pools, and outdoor spa, tennis court and a campfire area. It also has dedicated meeting
facilities and venue spaces with a capacity for up to 80 guests.