A Spring of Rewards & Renewal

by Jen

Although we are now starting to feel 2010 winding down, for us at Lochiel it almost feels like the start of a new year. With Spring breathing new life into our garden, everything is tinged with that glow of new green leaves and we are welcoming lovely floral fragrances that we have missed over the colder months. There are new shoots appearing on our lemon verbena tree, the sorrel is growing larger by the day, and soon there will be the promise of sweet strawberries and mulberries.

Along with the joy of our healthy vegetable garden, we recently got to enjoy the sounds of little bleating lambs coming from our neighbour's paddock with the arrival of a new flock last month. Although they were born on a crisp August morning, we knew their birth was the first sign that Spring was soon to follow.

With the days getting warmer and brighter, we have dusted off the tables and chairs in our courtyard and swept away the last of the Autumn leaves to make way for a long season of outdoor dining. With the cooler Summers that we are lucky enough to anjoy in Kurrajong Heights, there is no greater sight than that of seeing our contended guests enjoying the sunshine along with our food and wine. With daylight savings soon to start, it also means that early diners will be able to enjoy the surroundings of our restaurant at dinner as well as at lunch.

And if the promise of warm weather, cool bottles of Rosé and Sauvignon Blanc enjoyed with lighter summer salads isn't enough to be excited about, at Lochiel House we have another big reason to see the year anew. For those of you who haven't heard, our restaurant has been blessed to be awarded the title of Best Regional Restaurant for 2011 by the Sydney Morning Herald's Good Food Guide. We also received a second chef's hat which means Monique and Tony can each wear one!

With such amazing acknowledgement of our restaurant, it's impossible not to see every little aspect of what we do a little differently. Since we received these awards two weeks ago, we have all been buzzing with the idea of meeting and serving new customers and offering even more for our regulars to enjoy. We have been busy thinking of new ways to make the very best of our location, the produce we have available to us and of our regionality in general.

Whatever changes are waiting for us, there is one thing for certain - this is the start of a new phase for Lochiel House and we hope to deliver just as much of the same food and service that we always have, just with something a little extra to spur us on.

And here are some photos from the start of Spring: