‘Farm-to-table’ is a buzzword often tossed around kitchens across the country, but it’s a genuine way of life at The Agrarian Kitchen. This hybrid restaurant, cooking school, kitchen garden and kiosk is the crown jewel of Hobart’s quaint New Norfolk neighbourhood, just a 30-minute drive from the CBD.
The Agrarian Kitchen’s journey began almost 20 years ago when husband-and-wife team, Rodney Dunn and Severine Demanet, transformed an old schoolhouse on five acres of land in the Derwent Valley into Tasmania’s first hands-on, farm-based cooking school. The duo’s dedication to growing and cooking with real ingredients has made The Agrarian Kitchen a household name around Australia, drawing foodies from near and far to their ever-growing eatery.
In 2015, the next chapter unfolded with the opening of The Agrarian Kitchen Restaurant in a charming Bronte building that was once Willow Court, the town’s original mental asylum. Open for lunch from Friday to Sunday, this farm-to-fork restaurant delights diners with a seriously spectacular set menu that sways with the seasons.
Your journey at The Agrarian Kitchen begins in the welcoming warmth of its greenhouse, located in the far corner of the thriving one-acre onsite garden. Here, the first course of your eight-course set menu awaits, accompanied by a glass of local sparkling or house-made kombucha. Our trio of snacks saw a just-picked radicchio leaf topped with zucchini miso, a baby turnip swiped with hemp seed butter, and a bright pink radish coated in burnt leek. It really doesn't get fresher than this.
You can then wind through the vegetable patches and garden beds at your own pace, before returning to the light and airy dining room where the remainder of your dining journey unfolds. From wood-fired sourdough and handmade burrata to smoked meats and hand-rolled pasta, The Agrarian Kitchen’s ever-changing set menu showcases Tasmanian produce at its best. Vegetables and herbs are picked daily from the garden, while proteins and seafood are sourced from their neighbours and friends.
Once seated, a menu will be placed faced down on the table, leaving the choice of whether to keep each course a surprise entirely up to you. Spoiler alert: highlights from our winter edition lunch, included warm blue corn tostadas with raw lamb (or artichoke for the vegos) and fermented chilli; bite-sized kohlrabi with salted mackerel (or broccoli pesto) and mustard leaf; plus a tangy kumquat sorbet with lemon and elderflower.
The Agrarian Kitchen’s drinks list is as thoughtfully crafted as its food menu, offering both alcoholic and non-alcoholic pairings. The boozed-up version features local pinot noirs, sauvignon blancs and rosés from their friends, including Stefano Lubiano and Willie Smiths. Meanwhile, foraged ingredients and garden produce are upcycled into seasonal kombuchas and shrubs for the deso driver.
If you're just looking for a casual visit, The Agrarian Kitchen runs guided garden tours most Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 11:30 am. Follow it up with a pastry or a sweet treat from the casual kiosk, which you can enjoy on the front lawns with a hot chocolate or local wine.
The Agrarian Kitchen also hosts cooking classes for up to 24 students, where you can learn the basics of fermentation, natural cheesemaking, charcuterie and vegetarian cooking. They also rope in big-name Aussie chefs to host one-off classes, including Peter Gilmore (Quay, Bennelong), Danielle Alvarez (Sydney Opera House) and Lennox Hastie (Firedoor). You can keep tabs on what’s coming up here.