No slowing down for former Masons owners

HOSPITALITY stalwarts Nick and Sonia Anthony have barely taken a breath since closing their multi award-winning fine diner, Masons, in early February.

They’ve both embarked on individual projects as a way of keeping connected to organisations and businesses they were associated with while operating what was considered one of Australia’s most ambitious restaurants from the 2010s.

One of its hallmarks was sourcing seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables from the Gravel Hill Community Gardens, 600 metres as the crow flies from their venue.

Nick is continuing this relationship with his idea to produce value-added seasonal salads with ingredients sourced from the gardens to sell at the Bendigo Community Farmers Market every month, starting from April.

He said the Gravel Hill Gardens idea has been a long time coming.

“The garden is so underrated and the quality of the produce coming out of it is fantastic,” he said.

“It’s a win-win – we’re raising money for the garden and the customer is getting really interesting produce picked on the Friday morning, washed, prepped and ready to go for the market the next morning.”

“We’re really pumped and people are loving the idea.”

Meanwhile, Sonia was involved in the reopening of Blumes Historic Bakery in Harcourt last weekend as part of the Lost Feasts program, in conjunction with the Lost Trades Fair.

She said her association with Blooms is a match well made.

“Our values and ethos are very similarly aligned and we like the same things, we like good local produce and to work with good food,” she said.

“We try to keep food real, using proper ingredients and working a lot with our hands.”

There’s no doubt about her determination to give back to a local hospitality industry she’s been a big part of for years.

“I’m very lucky to have found something that I feel so deeply about, and I’m so lucky that I’m surrounded by incredible people,” she said.

“We couldn’t have done Mason’s without the help of so many people and this is our opportunity to pay it forward.

“That feels really good for me.”