A best cellar

Restaurant Manager Karine Saille, owner Kirsten Hardiker and Head Chef Philippe Desrettes with the award.

By Kyra Gillespie

Boutique Gippsland wine producer Cannibal Creek Vineyard has been recognised as one of Australia’s leading cellar door dining experiences.
The local business was awarded Cellar Door with Best Food in Gippsland by Gourmet Traveller Wine, with winners revealed in the April / May issue of the magazine.
Gourmet Traveller Wine is recognised as one of Australia’s leading independent drink journals, with a team of renowned local and international wine experts as judges, writers and contributors.
Australia’s Best Cellar Doors are put together annually, with the GTW judging panel members traversing each of Australia’s wine regions to uncover the country’s top cellar door, food and wine tasting experiences.
Cannibal Creek owner, winemaker and restaurateur Kirsten Hardiker said that the award was a team effort.
“Since opening our new Cellar Door Restaurant in 2016, our whole team has dedicated themselves to offering customers a great quality dining experience that reflects the style of wine we make, and the region where we grow and make it,” she said.
“It’s exciting, humbling and a real honour to be recognised by GTW in this category.”
Head Chef Philippe Desrettes creates the Cannibal Creek Vineyard menu around the style of wine made by Kirsten and Patrick Hardiker, as well as produce sourced from the Gippsland region and grown in the kitchen garden.
“My approach has always been slow and from scratch – obviously with French roots – so there is a very good fit between my style of food and our wines, and customers can taste the difference on the plate and in the glass,” he said.
“Over 90% of the produce we use in the kitchen is Gippsland grown, and with an expanding range of food producers and artisans in this region it’s exciting to be incorporating that creativity as well.”