Karridale's Glenarty Road is celebrating a big win at the 2021 WA Good Food Guide Awards, where the South West has once again shone against strong competition from metro venues.
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The family-run venue was named Regional Restaurant of the Year, which owner-operators Ben and Sasha McDonald said came as a complete shock.
"We were absolutely blown away," Sasha McDonald said.
"There are so many amazing venues in the South West, as shown by the incredible regional representation. We hoped, but we didn't we expect to be sitting up the top amongst them."
The pair run the winery and restaurant alongside a dedicated team of employees, family and friends with a strong emphasis on the land, and sustainable operation. The farm boasts 10 varieties of grapes,16 varieties of hops, and more than 250 fruit trees.
"Every day we harvest two veggie patches which produce approximately 40 percent of our kitchen needs and raise 1300 sheep, plus a few cattle," she said.
"We often have pigs in the winter to plough up new veggie patches and take care of kitchen waste."
Ms McDonald said the restaurant pays homage to produce grown on and around the farm.
"To be honest, we never set out to chase accolades or reviewers, we have just always wanted to grow delicious produce, in the most sustainable way that we can," she said.
"We have been incredibly lucky to have attracted some talented staff who are dedicated to the same cause."
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Unaware that they were set for a win on the night, the McDonalds found themselves on stage at the Optus Stadium gala event.
"We were all quite speechless when they called us up... I forgot English - my first language - for a moment, hopefully no-one remembers that!
"Ben then pulled out his party trick and successfully 'sabred' a bottle of bubbles with a champagne flute at the awards after party."
With summer on the way, Glenarty Road is preparing for the peak visitor season.
"We are looking ahead to what was always going to be a busy summer, we are excited to have a great team in place and a few new options to extend the experience.
"We will be opening up our farm tours daily and launching a new garden tour, which is a fun way to start lunch for those interested in where and how their food is grown."
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Nicky Lefebvre
I am a journalist, photographer and content creator based in the beautiful Margaret River wine region, covering all aspects of our community including local news, sport, entertainment and events, as well as providing a platform for our readers to share their voices direct from regional Australia.
I am a journalist, photographer and content creator based in the beautiful Margaret River wine region, covering all aspects of our community including local news, sport, entertainment and events, as well as providing a platform for our readers to share their voices direct from regional Australia.
