Sunshine Coast restaurant Spirit House welcomes head chef Tom Hitchcock

A Sunshine Coast restaurant has a new head chef and continues to book out after facing many hurdles in recent years including death, destruction of the kitchen and more.

After the death of their mother, the destruction of part of their restaurant, a rain bomb – plus Covid-19 – there were times over the past three years when Acland Brierty could have thrown in the towel.

But the Spirit House owner said belief is what pulled him and his brother Blake Brierty through.

Belief they could bring about a new era for the Spirit House.

Belief their staff had in them, especially the ones who stuck with them throughout the past three years.

And belief the customers had in the restaurant started by their mum and dad 24 years ago.

Acland and Blake Brierty at the Spirit House in Yandina.

“The staff were amazing and hung in there,” Acland said.

“Sure they were getting paid but they hung in there and stood by the Spirit House, that legacy that’s been there 20-something years.”

Their mother, Helen Brierty, died in 2019 and Acland and Blake now run the family restaurant they hope their children will also eventually take over.

Helen Brierty at the Spirit House in 2016.

The owners have also welcomed a new head chef to the kitchen as the Spirit House farewells Aaron Tucker and welcomes Tom Hitchcock, who had his latest stint at The Long Apron in Montville.

The 28-year-old won Queensland Chef of the Year earlier in 2022 and will compete in the prestigious national cooking competition, Chef of the Year, by Foodservice Australia later this year.

Customers can expect a new menu in September, once the new head chef has settled in.

Tom Hitchcock has started as the head chef at the Spirit House in Yandina after winning the 2022 Queensland Chef of the Year.

In August, 2021, the Spirit House kitchen and the cooking school were destroyed during a break-in.

Finding new gear for the kitchen and supplies for other renovations proved difficult during the pandemic.

“They were flying fridges and stoves from New Zealand to here,” Acland said.

Then came the rain at the beginning of 2022, which held up the renovations they decided to do along with the kitchen repairs.

Spirit House had their kitchen "totally destroyed" during a break-in which forced the restaurant to close.

Customers stayed loyal even when the reopening date kept changing.

The restaurant reopened in April with a renovated wing and a new kitchen and bookings have flooded in.

Acland said although uncertainty still swirled for restaurant owners in terms of electricity prices, fruit and vegetable prices, and the minimum wage price increase, he found the best thing to do was to take action.

The Spirit House at Yandina. Picture: AAP/David Clark

“I think it’s leading into interesting times, but those who are good at what they do will succeed,” he said.

“You’ve got to do something, you can’t just sit and look in the rear vision mirror.

“It’s like anything in life, you’ve got to keep soldiering and moving on and getting better.”

Originally published as Sunshine Coast restaurant Spirit House welcomes head chef Tom Hitchcock