Chef Shannon Bennett talks about his plans for Sherbrooke’s Burnham Beeches site
SHANNON Bennett and Adam Garrisson have big dreams of breathing new life into the crumbling Burnham Beeches mansion.
Outer East
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SHANNON Bennett and Adam Garrisson have big dreams of breathing new life into the crumbling Burnham Beeches mansion and turning it into a world-class tourist destination, without chopping down a tree.
Mr Bennett said when they bought the property in 2010, they knew immediately something “truly special” needed to be done with it.
“We knew the hotel had great bones, great structure and we knew the sort of market that we wanted to attract,” he said.
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Mr Bennett said he wanted to make Burnham Beeches the “best hotel experience you can have worldwide” and once built, the property would create more than 300 local jobs. “We have a dream and we’re risking everything to see it come true,” Mr Bennett said.
The dream includes a microbrewery, a Japanese steakhouse, a providore to sell local produce, 1.2ha of organic vegetable plots, a 2ha truffiere, an organic dairy and a training centre to promote sustainability.
The historic Norris building would be reimagined into a 46-suite luxury hotel which would include a pool, cinema, bowling alley, food and wine cellars, and a signature restaurant.
Showing Leader through the dilapidated building, Mr Bennett said he and Mr Garrisson had a “very special vision” for the 1930s property.
“We want to open the site up to new generations to fall in love with it – most people under the age of 50 would struggle to know what Burnham Beeches is,” Mr Bennett said.
The site would also include 68 hotel villas of varying sizes and 20 camping “eco-pods” – made from recycled pipes – and a spa and wellness centre.
The pair said the focus for the development was on sustainability, with recycled materials to be used where possible.
Mr Garrisson said the villas would be built offsite to minimise the impact on the Sherbrooke environment.
Mr Bennett said food scraps from the Piggery Cafe and garden waste from around the site was being turned into mulch to be used on the property.
Mr Garrisson said the site needed “that something special” to make it viable, with a number of previous owners failing to restore the heritage listed building to its former glory.
There are two public meetings tonight to discuss the plans — at Burnham Beeches at 5.30pm and at the Ferny Creek Hall at 7.30pm.
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