The new owners of the historic Burnham Beeches estate say that consulting with the Dandenong Ranges community is a top priority before redevelopment works begin. Celebrity chef Shannon Bennett and business partner Adam Garrisson last week sold the Art Deco landmark to a consortium led by Trenerry Property after 12 years of planning headaches.

Bennett and Garrisson tried to develop the 1930s estate in Sherbrooke into luxury accommodation and dining under several different guises, but the pair continued to hit stumbling blocks with planning authorities and the local community, and the property has sat mostly vacant since 2010.

The consortium of Trenerry, Victor Smorgon Group and Kanat Group – which is also redeveloping Sorrento's Continental Hotel – said in a statement that they hoped to have the property open in some form by the end of 2022.

The group claims it will be undertaking a full review of the redevelopment plans and seeking community input early on. They have engaged place-making agency Village Well to assist them.

"We know there's a really strong community sentiment around Burnham Beeches and we want to work with Council and the community together with Heritage Victoria and Parks Victoria to ensure this is a place to be enjoyed for generations to come," said Trenerry director Robert DiCintio in a statement.

Burnham Beeches Development Community Group shared an upbeat post on their Facebook page on Sunday.

"We're extremely pleased to hear that Burnham Beeches is now in new hands.

"As a community that has sadly become accustomed to feeling jaded and cynical at the seemingly endless claims and unfulfilled promises from the previous property owners, we genuinely hope that Trenerry Property and the Kanat and Smorgon families consult with the local community to develop a plan that respectfully restores this magnificent site to its former glory before it's too late."

Bennett, who established Vue de Monde, launched The Piggery cafe at Burnham Beeches in 2014 using an existing permit, but the rest of the chef's ambitions for the site went unrealised.

An initial plan to create a sustainable resort with hotel, spa, wellness centre, villas, café, bakery, function areas and restaurant was knocked back due to concerns about the size of the accommodation and impact on local residents.

A subsequent $40-million plan for a 55-room hotel, function centre, shop, brewery and two food and drink venues was approved in late 2018, with work to be complete by mid-2020.

Bennett no longer owns shares in Vue de Monde group, after selling his remaining stake in April 2020. He was unable to be reached for comment.

The sale, which was negotiated directly with Bennett and Garrisson, included a permit for stage one of the redevelopment, which includes a 415-person hotel with dining, a separate 140-person restaurant, a brewery with attached eatery, a shop and staff accommodation buildings, plus the existing Piggery cafe.

The consortium intends to proceed with this plan but with community input on its amenity and operation.

Maintenance works are the first priority, however. Reports state that the property is in disrepair and Heritage Victoria issued a works order last April that has not been fully complied with.

"There's a lot to work through even in this initial stage, and years of work ahead," said DiCintio. "We are both respectful and excited, if not somewhat daunted, by the journey ahead but I believe with the support of Burnham's passionate stakeholders together with our proven track record, we can see it operating in some capacity later this year."

Good Food understands that Scott Pickett, the chef overseeing dining at The Continental Sorrento redevelopment, is not involved in this endeavour.

The site includes the Alfred Nicholas mansion, built in 1933 for a pharmaceutical entrepreneur, two newer buildings, manicured lawns, gardens and its namesake beech trees.