Adelaide MasterChef favourite Callum Hann to open his first restaurant in the Barossa Valley
MasterChef favourite Callum Hann is heading home to the Barossa Valley to open his first restaurant this week – and there’s already plans for a second venue on the way.
Food & Wine
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MasterChef favourite Callum Hann is heading home to the Barossa Valley to launch his first restaurant.
And before doors open to the public on Friday, Hann and his Sprout business partner Themis Chryssidis have also revealed plans for a second venue in Adelaide’s CBD, in the ANZ building on Waymouth St.
But first, Hann and Chryssidis have teamed up for a new Mediterranean eatery, Lou’s Place, at the Lou Miranda Estate cellar door in Rowland Flat.
“It’s something we’ve thought about for a long time. Themis and I were pretty close to tears the other day when we realised we were opening for real … it’s pretty special,” said Barossa Valley-born Hann.
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather do it. The fact it is in a place where I grew up … and where I have so many family and friends, it just feels perfect.”
Coming off a fourth-place finish in this year’s MasterChef Back to Win series, Hann admitted he was initially a “bit hesitant” to take on a new venture, let alone two of them, in the wake of COVID-19.
“But Themis listed off about 100 reasons why now was a good time and pitched this vision that combined family, friends, good food, good wine, and a family owned and operated Italian winery that I just couldn’t say no,” he said.
Dietitian Chryssidis, who co-founded Sprout Cooking School with Hann in 2011, said working with a family-owned boutique winery was a “match made in heaven”.
“It just felt right. The Lou Miranda Estate family have been amazing to work with and they share our vision,” said Chryssidis of the venue, which will initially be open for lunch Friday-Sunday.
“For us food, wine, family and friends are the most important things in life so Lou’s Place will be a collection of these things.”
Chryssidis also confirmed they have taken up a vacancy on the ground floor of the ANZ building, and plan to open up an outdoor bar and a “refined” modern Australian restaurant by the end of January.
“Right now the Adelaide CBD is in struggle town. We want to bring some life back to the CBD, we want to bring people back there and make Adelaide a vibrant, bright city,” Chryssidis said.
“It’s going to be a place where you can come together, have a coffee or a glass of wine, or catch up socially with friends for a meal.”
It’s going to be a busy time for the duo but Hann said they’ve “never shied away from a challenge”.
“From almost ten years of being in the industry now, I think we know a little bit about food and what people like … and we’re looking forward to putting all that knowledge into these two venues,” he said, adding it will be business as usual at Sprout.
Hann’s new projects come two months after Laura Sharrad, who finished runner-up on MasterChef earlier this year, announced she was launching her second restaurant in the old Rigoni’s site on Leigh Street.
Sharrad and her chef husband Max will expand their Nido brand with a new 185-person Italian restaurant called Fugazzi Bar & Dining Room next year.
2018 MasterChef winner Sashi Cheliah also opened his first eatery, Gaja, on Pirie St in the city, last year.
For more information, visit lousplacebarossavalley.com.au