The Watervale Hotel’s Nicola Palmer is a finalist in Woman of the Year Awards

The acclaimed chef says she never planned on cooking professionally but fate had different ideas.

A career in the kitchen wasn’t always on the cards for The Watervale Hotel’s acclaimed executive chef Nicola Palmer.

A qualified jeweller, she moved back home to join the family business, Skillogalee Winery, in the Clare Valley in 2008.

Ms Palmer had worked front-of-house in the winery’s restaurant for several years, when she made the fateful decision to take a course in commercial cookery – just in case they needed a head chef.

“I actually did that without ever intending to cook. I just did it because I knew the struggles to find staff in regional kitchens and sourcing chefs,” she said.

“Then we lost our head chef and we spent nine months looking for a new one with no success. So at that point I said to my parents, why don’t you let me have a go at it?”

Ms Palmer, 40, hasn’t looked back since. After six years in charge of the kitchen at Skillogalee, she and husband Warrick Duthy bought the historic Watervale Hotel in 2018, extensively renovating the property before relaunching in September 2020.

Nicola Palmer at The Watervale Hotel Picture: Supplied

To say it’s been an incredible success might be an understatement. The Watervale was named Best Restaurant in a Pub or Club in Australia by the Restaurant & Catering SA, and Best Restaurant in Regional SA by the Australian Hotels Association four years running.

It was also named Best Hotel Restaurant in the World 2023 by Corporate Livewire, and Best Culinary Experience in the World by luxury travel publication LUXlife.

Now Ms Palmer is a finalist in The Advertiser Sunday Mail SkyCity Woman of the Year Awards, in the SkyCity Hospitality Hero category.

“We bought a country pub and lots of people said, ‘Oh, you’re going into competition with this place down the road’. We said, ‘No, we’re trying to go into competition with the best restaurants in Australia or the best restaurants in the world’,” Ms Palmer said.

“We want to build a tourism beacon that’s going to bring more people to our region.”

The Watervale’s success is built on Ms Palmer’s farm-to-table philosophy, a focus on regenerative farming, and using sustainable practices.

Nicola Palmer from The Watervale Hotel. Picture: Supplied

About 90 per cent of the produce they use is grown on their nearby property Penobscot Farm, with 300 fruit trees and two massive garden beds. The farm is managed to regenerate the soil which provides added flavour and nutrition.

“We’re trying to get more nutrients into the food that we’re growing and that produces better flavour and nutrition,” Ms Palmer said.

“I’ve developed a passion in this area as I’ve moved through life and that’s very important to me. More people need to be looking at regenerative farming to get help heal the Earth.

“I’m a strong believer in cooking everything from scratch.

“We need more chefs and restaurants looking at food in this way, not in other ways like how to cut costs and how to make it easier.”

SkyCity General Manager Hospitality Avril Baynes with Madam Hanoi venue manager Yen Chang and The Kitchen Head Chef, Kel Delaney. Picture: Dean Martin

Sky’s the limit for hospo leader

Avril Baynes is reaching great heights as SkyCity Adelaide’s general manager of hospitality because she knows success boils down to providing world-class customer service.

While Ms Baynes also has a legal background, the tourism and hospitality sector is her passion.

A longtime leader in her field, she featured in The Advertiser’s recent coverage of South Australia’s top 50 influential inspiring women over 50.

Born in Millicent, Ms Baynes returned to SA last year after working in the Northern Territory – in law and hospitality – for34 years.

“Adelaide had grown up a lot since I had been gone,” she said, referring to its hospitality offerings. “It’s now a sophisticated cosmopolitan food and beverage city.”

Particularly impressed with how the CBD had been invigorated by “little side streets” with restaurants, bars and speak-easies, Ms Baynes was keen to rise to the new challenge she had set herself when she joined SkyCity Adelaide.

Her role includes overseeing its luxury Eos hotel, spa and wellness centre, conference and events, 10 bars and restaurants and operations such as surveillance and security.

Taking it all on was a “no-brainer”; Ms Baynes had previously worked for SkyCity when it owned Darwin casino.

“SkyCity is known for being a top provider in the in international resort space,” she said.

Ms Baynes says hospitality is crucial to tourism because “creating memorable moments enhances the travel experience”.

As a result visitors stay longer and spend more, which creates a ripple effect for the state in terms of jobs and economic growth, she said.

“One of the things I love about hospitality is that if someone’s having a bad day you have the perfect opportunity to turn that around by exceeding their expectations,” she said.

While the rising cost of living has put pressure on the industry, Ms Baynes says SA hospitality has two things that set it apart – value-for-money local produce and “genuinely friendly” service.

Ms Baynes said she was looking forward to presenting the SkyCity Hospitality Hero award at The Advertiser Sunday Mail SkyCity Woman of the Year event, on Thursday, the eve of International Women’s Day.

The awards and SkyCity were a good fit, she said: “We have a strong culture of inclusion and diversity and are one of the most progressive employers (for women).”