When did the Distillery Woodfire Restaurant open?
The revitalisation of the heritage listed The Still building was completed early October 2014 and the restaurant opened on October 15, 2014.
What were the biggest challenges of opening and managing the Distillery Woodfire restaurant?
How to stay true to the heritage feel of the building whilst creating a kitchen that was functional and easy to maintain.
How do you make your business stand out from the others?
It's quite simple. There is nothing like this in the west. We have created a unique ambience with a country feel which incorporates the deck overlooking the vineyards, thrown in a modern contemporary menu with an emphasis on comfort food and brought it to the west. We pride ourselves on creating an atmosphere that people want to come back to, using the freshest ingredients from our garden and the best woodfire pizzas in Sydney for which all our ingredients are imported straight from Italy.
What are the house specialties?
The stand-out has to be the stuffed zucchini flowers, the eye fillet with crusted bone marrow and the Diavola pizza.
Do your customers have a favourite item on the menu?
Hands-down the stuffed zucchini flowers are a hit along with the Margherita pizza.
Are you involved in the Minchinbury community in any way?
We have donated vouchers to local organisations and are looking at supporting the local sports clubs. Where possible, we try to support our local business by buying our supplies from them. We are involved in the [annual] Camp Quality Escarpade which raises more than $1.3 million over an eight-day event.
Do you enjoy working in Minchinbury?
We absolutely love it. We pride ourselves on being part of this development and being the evolution of an exclusive dining experience in the west. Our patrons share the same ideology and have become part of our family.
What's next for the Distillery Woodfire Restaurant?
We have been called the "hidden gem" of the west and want to build on that.
■ Details: 44 Barossa Drive, Minchinbury, 9675 3000.
