What does it take to create a Chef Hat restaurant?
If you’re looking for the best regional dining in South-East Queensland, there’s a Chef Hat restaurant in the Scenic Rim you need to try.
The Paddock restaurant at Beechmont Estate was recently awarded 14 points and two Chef Hats by the Australian Good Food (AGFG), celebrating the sophisticated, ego-less cooking of Executive Chef Simon Furley (formerly of the hatted Homage restaurant, Spicers Hidden Vale).
With a focus on hyper-local and sustainable produce (everything bar the salt and oil comes from within a 45-minute radius), and dishes cooked over open flame, you know you’re starting off on the right foot before you even order. This juxtaposition of ancient and modern cooking techniques embeds the food with smoky aromas and elevates the fastidiously selected ingredients.
You’ll find the likes of lamb from the Scenic Rim’s Towri Sheep Cheeses on the menu, along with the simple pleasure of “cheese from down the road” on the dessert list, while interesting edibles from the kitchen gardens appear in the palate cleansers. As Simon posts on his Instagram account, #ifitsnotfromhereitsnotonhere
Originally inspired by the Michelin guides of Europe, AGFG has been awarding Chefs Hats since 1982. Anonymous critics dine and score restaurants across Australia, using standardised points criteria, but the Chef Hat restaurants are awarded on the merit of the food alone.
Dining here – whether for lunch or dinner – is an exercise in relaxed elegance. Opt for two or three courses, or let the chefs decide with The Paddock table tasting menu. Artfully plated on Scenic Rim Pottery, each dish is as memorable as the views of green hills unfurling from the floor-to-ceiling glass.
The Chef Hat restaurant is open to the public so even if you’re not staying the night at Beechmont Estate, you can experience this celebration of Scenic Rim terroir and technique – and walk away knowing your meal is as low impact as possible.
