Curtis Stone is opening a new restaurant on the Riviera Maya in Mexico named after a Victorian town that has a special place in his heart.

The Los Angeles-based Australian chef has named the beachside restaurant Woodend, honouring the Macedon Ranges town where he spent his childhood holidays.

“Mum grew up in Woodend. I spent my holidays at my nan Gwen’s house and my dad now lives there, so it’s a special place to me,” Stone says.

The eatery is one of four dining options at the revamped luxe Belmond hotel Maroma, near the resort town Playa del Carmen.

“Where the hotel is, the jungle meets the ocean, so it’s literally where the wood ends.”

“Mum grew up in Woodend. I spent my holidays at my nan Gwen’s house and my dad now lives there, so it’s a special place to me.”

Curtis Stone

Multiple meetings with the Belmond team, who said they planned to open “the most beautiful hotel in Latin America”, convinced Stone to add another restaurant to his portfolio, which already includes LA fine diners Gwen and Maude.

“It’s fancy. It’s on the Caribbean Sea. It’s got that sort of very rustic feel, but it’s pretty well put together.”

Stone’s crew has been meeting with local foragers, fishers, vendors and producers.

“We’re not trying to cook Mexican food, but I always think a good restaurant pays attention to its environment because that’s where you get your ingredients. So I’ve had a team out there for months now.”

“We’re going to cook gorgeous vegetables that we find in Mexico, beautiful seafood and great-quality meats.”

But there’s one prime ingredient that Stone hasn’t been able to source locally.

“I’m bringing David Blackmore’s wagyu [from Benalla, Victoria]. We’re flying it in.

“We cook over wood-fire. We turn the wood into embers and then we create something delicious out of it. So, there’s something around that transformation for me that’s pretty cool … I think that’s kind of nice.”

Woodend by Curtis Stone is due to open in August.