Hearty meals provide helping hand in the Clare Valley
The locals’ night at the Terroir restaurant has been a Clare Valley institution for many years. But coronavirus means it now looks very different.
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One of the Mid North’s premier restaurants Terroir was facing an uncertain future amid COVID-19 restrictions, but the landlord has stepped in to help on one proviso – the owners then pay it forward to other Clare Valley residents.
Dan and Annika Moss opened Terroir at Auburn in September 2012 with a focus on sourcing local produce. But, with restaurant closures due to the coronavirus, the couple was faced with tough choices about the business.
“The most heartbreaking thing about the situation is that we’ve never had a better start to the year as we had in 2020,” Mr Moss said.
“We really thought it was our time to shine.”
Being located 24km from Clare, operating takeaways out of Terroir was not a viable option, as the meals would be too cold before a lot of the valley’s residents got them home.
So when the couple sat down with landlord Marjorie Moncrieff, she came up with a plan B.
Ms Moncrieff agreed to waive the rent for the next three months and provide funds for a continuation of the restaurant’s popular locals’ night but in a different format.
Before the shutdown, Terroir had been running a special night every Wednesday for locals, with three courses for only $55.
With this no longer an option, Ms Moncrieff generously agreed to provide funds for Mr Moss to cook dinner for locals – free of charge – every Wednesday night.
It is also a great way for the restaurant to continue using its ample produce supplies from its garden at Auburn.
Ms Moncrieff said she wanted to do all she could to support the couple as she believed in them and the business.
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“Dan is so incredibly creative with food, and both he and Annika have worked so hard to establish a name for themselves,” she said.
Local residents have also come on board, donating produce towards the initiative.
This week will be the fourth week in a row that Terroir has offered the free meals.
Recently, Mr Moss made braised lamb and quince tagine with vegetable couscous, featuring lamb donated by local farmers.
The initiative has been so popular that 150 portions went in 40 minutes and 120 portions went in 28 minutes in recent weeks.