Amid stories of young couples left jilted at the proverbial altar and staff left shocked and out of pocket by the closure of Pialligo Estate, we shouldn't forget that Canberra has also lost one of Australia's most unique paddock-to-plate dining experiences.
In January, executive chef Mark Glenn escorted me around the estate, ahead of the launch of their Chef's Table experience. As we popped freshly picked cherry tomatoes and basil leaves into our mouths, driving through the orchards and around the garden beds, Glenn was still as full of enthusiasm for what the estate offered, for him as a chef and the diners of Canberra, as he was in 2021 when he arrived from Melbourne in the midst of lockdown.
"We have such a unique offering here," he said at the time.
"I can't think of any other restaurant that's able to source so much of its own produce, is so reliant on its own produce, and these tours are a great way for people to experience the ethos and philosophy behind what we are doing here."
Now he is one of 100 or so staff looking for a job.
I have to disclose that I am friends with the Russells, the former owners of the estate. Our children attended school together, and John and I spent many a Saturday afternoon frying up his bacon for the best egg and bacon burgers at the school rugby events. I can't imagine what they are going through.
From my perspective, the whole organisation, from the Russells down, was dedicated to the idea that Canberra deserved a dining option with a point of difference, at a destination unlike any other.
Whether it be a place to hold a wedding, or host comedy events - the Grapes of Mirth afternoons were always popular - or sports team season launches - the Brumbies held theirs there in February - or even just to catch up with family for Sunday lunch, Pialligo Estate had a space to suit.
During the pandemic, I supported Pialligo, alongside other local hospitality businesses, ordering produce boxes from the Market Grocer, challenging myself to cook with whatever ingredients arrived - little beetroots with dirt still on them, fancy Romanesco broccoli, huge bouquets of kale. When we could venture out again, I'd pop into the shopfront at The Plot, coming home with little jars of condiments - zucchini pickles, marinated baby figs which worked equally as well on a cheese plate as they did in a dessert. In many ways, Pialligo shaped how I ate, and cooked, during lockdown.
The last time I ate there was for a review in April 2022; almost a year has flown by.
"The team at Pialligo is doing what we should all be doing, thinking about produce first, treating it with care and simplicity. And here they are doing it with great success," I wrote then, scoring it 15.5/20. In November 2022, Pavilion Dining, the flagship restaurant at the Estate received its first hat in the Good Food Guide Awards.
If there's one thing the past few years have shown us, it's that the hospitality industry is fraught with danger. It's a tragedy when bad things happen to good people, especially when they're so passionate about what they're doing.
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