Lahouse Daylesford
Alla's Journal
Alla's Notes & What's New from us at Lake House
AVOIDING THE DOGHOUSE
It comes around very fast - the Should I? Shouldn't I? debate of whether we should actually "do" Valentine's Day.
I'm sure the question occurs to everyone. Do I write it off as an excuse for shameless marketing or do I shrug, capitulate & use it as an excuse to tell someone how important they are...?
Well bar humbug to the less romantic amongst us! We say, unless you have delivered a poem, a bunch of flowers, 1000 kisses on your loved ones face for no apparent reason in the past year - then YES, by all means capitulate! Let your loved ones know just how special they are.
We tend to make it a little easier for you here at Lake House. Our precious gifts of joyful gourmet retreats or blissful spa escapes can be tailor made and packaged especially for that special someone. And because you may have left it until the last moment, yes we can email it to you in time for the 14th!
There are vouchers for lunch, dinner, spa packages for men & women, overnight escapes and more. Order Online Here, or you may want to drop a few hints yourself and forward this to a friend.....
And yes, we are open for dinner on the 14thFeb.
My own personal contribution to the day? - the production of heart shaped macaroons - a real labour of love, (they're not easy I tell you) and time for a glass or 2 of special bubbles with Al - the wind beneath my wings for 33 years!
All the very best
Alla Wolf Tasker AM
Beware the dog house. Don't Forget Valentine's Day! Tuesday 14th Feb.
Buy your voucher online here.
Autumn Masterclass - Sunday 6th May
Featuring Justin North (Becasse), Teague Ezard (Ezard / Gingerboy / Black), Paul Wilson (Newmarket/ Steer / Middle Park Hotel) & Michael Dhillon (Bindi Winery).
$195 per person includes full day of classes, baguette lunch & glass of Bindi Wine, continuous tea, coffee and mineral water. With a line up like this - it will sell out!
Winter Masterclass - Sunday 29th July
Featuring Mark Best (Marque), Luke Burgess (Garagistes), Donovan Cooke ( The Atlantic) & Frank Camorra (Movida / Movida Aqui).
$195 per person includes full day of classes, baguette lunch & glass of wine, continuous tea, coffee and mineral water. Again - book early!
SUNDAY 12th FEB 10 'til 4 $5 Entry
It's that time of year again - when we celebrate the region's bounty at our Annual Regional Producer’s Day.
For those who have never been – on this special day, we throw open the grounds of Lake House to a raft of our favourite local suppliers of food and wine.
In the Terrace Room, filled with food stalls and producers you'll want to have a chat to, I'll be hosting guest chef cooking demonstrations and foodie conversations. Want to know what to do with all those tomatoes, find out about rare breed meats, or understand the implications of GM? Then this will be the place to grab a seat. Hepburn Shire's Sustainability Award for 2012 will also be announced here.
Outside, more stalls will offer the opportunity to taste, shop and meet the producers. Tables will provide a place to sit and enjoy live music and delicious fare from the BBQ and wood fired oven. Great coffee from Vittoria and cider, beer and wine by the glass or bottle will be available all day. A marquee on the tennis court will house winemakers, brewers and cider makers as well as wine commentary and blind tasting competitions run by wine writer Nick Stock. There are great prizes to be won.
Taste your way through the market.... fill your shopping bags.... relax with a spread for the afternoon, either undercover or in the gardens. Get involved in a conversation about food, wine, sustainable agriculture and health. And above all, come and say hello to:
Angelica Organic Farm, Aussie Truffle Dogs, Barfold Olives, Big Shed, Birthday Villa, Crisp Produce & Preserves, Curly Flat, Dolphin Brewery, Eastern Peake, Ellender Estate, Goldfields Farm House Cheese, Greenvale Farm, chooks, pheasant & quail, Guilford Vineyard, Herbal Lore Liquor, Holgate Brewhouse, Holy Goat Cheese, Istra SmallGoods, Janey Bee Biscuits, JCBee Honey, Kyneton Olive Products, Lithia Springs Olive Oil, Locavore books, MADGE, Michel’s Fine Biscuits, Mitchell Harris Wines, Mount Franklin Estate, Mount Franklin Organics, Oss Eels, Passing Clouds, Piper Street Food Co, Red Beard Bakery, Roy ( our favourite fruit guy!), Sher Wagyu, Spring Creek Organics, Stella’s Bread, Sutton Grange Winery, The Natural Spice Company, The Butter Factory, The Vintage Baker, Tonia Todman Roses, Twofold, Tony Butler Murray Cod, Trewella Farm, Tuki Trout & Lamb, Verde Providores, Warialda Galloway Beef, Wolf in Kitchen, Yapunyah Chooks, Zig Zag Wines & more....
I look forward to seeing you there.
Alla Wolf Tasker AM
Beautiful summer skies have returned as I write and I'm pleased to say that the region's produce is now back on track with all our local artisan farmers predicting bumper crops. Seeing beautifully cared for produce rolling in through the door is a daily treat. Florian, from Mt Franklin organics, one of our primary suppliers, runs his place entirely on solar power. No cold storage, may make things more of a challenge, but for us it means that things have to be delivered the morning they are picked. You can't get fresher than that! And the raspberries coming from Yandoit, the peaches (and figs) from just down the road....
Our own gardens here at Lake House and at Wombat Hill House are also flourishing. I'm predicting a glut of heirloom tomatoes, baby beans, zucchini and much more.
Meantime - after almost 3 decades at Lake House - I am so very gratified to see significant awards and accolades still rolling in (see below). At the end of the day it's still what you, our guests think of us, that matters most. And indeed you are our best ambassadors. But for the team of young professionals here, who continue to carry the flag for good service and attention to detail - these accolades are a reward for their efforts and continued hard work. Well done everyone.
We look forward to sharing the regional bounty and our summer table with you.
Alla Wolf Tasker AM
Executive Chef/Co-proprietor
What's New? We're one of Tatler's 101 Best Hotels in the World!
Prestigious UK based Tatler magazine has included us in their annual list of the 101 Best Hotels in the World - the collation of which is, as they say, "no easy feat with so many fabulous places to choose from". This is truely the list to be included in.
When asked what makes a hotel right for the list? Travel editor Melinda Stevens, explains: "We... want to feel the love. This year, the guide celebrates the hotels that suck us in with the sheer force of their personality, that have us at hello."
Well ‘hello' Tatler - and thank you. Read the article here.
The Restaurant - Our Master Sommelier
There are 186 professionals worldwide who have received the title of Master Sommelier. Our very own Thomas Hogan passed the advanced exam of the Court of Master Sommelier. Pass rates at the exams held in the UK run at only 30%, but yes, our Tom did it, travelling to London last November. This means he will now be invited to sit the final Master Sommelier Exam in June of 2013. When you're next in, take time to have a chat with Tom, you'll be amazed at his extraordinary knowledge.
Book your table online