Hills town Uraidla will soon be a foodie must-see

URAIDLA is best known for its bountiful orchards and vegie patches, but soon the little Hills town will have other big attractions for food lovers.

Amber Ochota and her husband Taras.

URAIDLA is best known for its bountiful orchards and vegie patches, but by the middle of this year, the little Hills town will have other big attractions for food lovers.

Renovation work continues at the Uraidla Hotel, the new project for Julieand Ed Peter, who have already done amazing things to the pub at Crafers. When finished, if all goes according to plan, the hotel and its surrounding properties will include vegetables patches, a brewery, a distillery and a cellar door for regional wineries, particularly the mob from Basket Range.

Now comes news that one of those winemakers, Taras Ochota, is behind a plan to open a wood oven pizza restaurant in an old church right across the road.

Lost in a Forest is a collaboration between Taras, his mate and label designer Charles Lawrence and chef Nick Filsell (Red Ochre, Jamie’s Italian). “We’re building a wood oven and we’re going to be making delicious pizzas topped with the stuff we get from our own vegie garden, mushrooms from the forest — things like that,” says Taras. “We want to grow everything — eventually even the wheat to make the (flour for the) dough.”

Fresh, sulphur-free Ochota Barrel wines will feature, along with labels from other friendly locals and light reds from around the world, plus beers.

“It will be cosy inside,” he says. “There’s a mezzanine floor for 15 people that is a bit separate. And another 35 people down the bottom. And during the nice weather there will be more seats outside.” Meanwhile, the first stage of the Uraidla Hotel renovation, which includes the front bar and a dining room, is well under way.

Layers of render and plaster are being stripped off to reveal the building’s original stonework and timbers.

Julie Peter says the look of the hotel will be “rustic, vintage, shabby chic” with second-hand furniture, old pictures and bits and pieces collected from local sheds. “We want to embrace the surrounding community, including the market gardeners,” she says.

Lost in a Forest and the first stage of the new Uraidla Hotel are expected to open in June