New city winery takes top Granite Belt chef
Granite Belt fresh produce has followed Travis Crane to his new Fortitude Valley haunt
Stanthorpe
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FORMER Barrelroom chef Travis Crane and partner Arabella Chambers are both now working at a new urban winery in Fortitude Valley.
Mr Crane is head chef and Ms Chambers as front-of-house manager at City Winery, which opened two weeks ago and is the first microwinery to launch in Brisbane since 1860.
City Winery sources grapes from the southern states and some from west of Stanthorpe, and fresh produce from the Granite Belt stocks its restaurant.
Most of the restaurant's vegetables are sourced from Mirbelia Farm, while pork and beef are grown in Storm King and Killarney, supplied by Boss Meats. Sheep come from Mallow Organic Lamb.
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"We loved their food ethos more than anything,” City Winery managing director Adam Penberthy said.
"Down at The Barrelroom, everything was sourced within a three-hour radius of the kitchen.”
While his restaurant is not as strict on this principle, using seasonal produce and supporting smallscale growers and producers was a big part of the vision, he said.
All of Mr Crane's meals are cooked over an open fire and the dry-ageing process is used to create more tender, slowly aged meats. A whole-animal butchery is also in action.
Mr Crane said he and Ms Chambers are happy in Brisbane where they are closer to both of their families, but miss the Granite Belt scenery and laid-back lifestyle.
"The drive to work, driving past cows...it was just a very pretty place where we were at Ballandean,” he said.
"But we're happy where we are because we still have that connection with local farmers, and when we go back to Ballandean we'll still see everyone.”
Mr Penberthy said he was pleased with the team and the response from the community since the establishment opened in mid-March had been "overwhelmingly positive”.
Two former Barrelroom staff, Tristan Pabst and Damon Johnston also joined City Winery.
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