Chef Tom Reid leaves Coriole restaurant and winery in McLaren Vale after four years

CHEF Tom Reid has left Coriole winery in McLaren Vale, where he oversaw the food for an acclaimed restaurant as well as a growing weddings and event business.

Chef Tom Reid has departed Coriole in McLaren Vale. Photo: Tom Huntley

CHEF Tom Reid has left Coriole winery in McLaren Vale, where he oversaw the food for an acclaimed restaurant as well as a growing weddings and event business.

Rated two forks in The Advertiser Food Guide 2018, Coriole was lauded for the “delicate, thoughtful plates” that Tom created and the idyllic garden setting.

The chef joined Coriole more than four years ago and says he is going “with a heavy heart”.

“I feel like I’m leaving a baby behind,” he says. “But sometime a change is needed on both sides.

Departing Coriole chef Tom Reid’s beetroot and goat's curd salad. Photo: Tom Huntley

“The numbers now are huge — not just in the restaurant, but also the wedding business, which has become massive.

“I think that Coriole needs to have a good look at what it wants to be.”

Tom says he has taken on a variety of consulting roles while considering his future.

Coriole general manager Mark Lloyd says the company is having discussions with a number of chefs.

He says he expects the dining to take “a more rustic approach”, with an even greater focus on seasonal ingredients.