Potager gets new owners – with big plans

THE Northern Rivers’ most awarded restaurant, Potager – A Kitchen Garden, located in the Tweed hinterland, is entering a new chapter under fresh ownership.

John and Donna Spedding, owners of the nearby wedding venue Summergrove Estate, have taken over the acclaimed Carool destination. Long-time locals and loyal patrons of the restaurant, the Speddings have vowed to preserve Potager’s signature garden-to-table experience.

The couple also plan to introduce overnight accommodation at Potager House, a four-bedroom residence on the property with a pool, infrared sauna and views over the hinterland towards the ocean.

Founded in 2016 by Peter Burr and Gareth Leslie, Potager has earned five Chef Hats from the Australian Good Food Guide, a place in the NSW Tourism Awards Hall of Fame and most recently won bronze at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards.

“We were in our 10th year with the restaurant and I was looking for something for the next chapter of my life, so it made it a very easy transition when the people who wanted to purchase the business were known to me,” Burr said.

“It’s great that Donna and John are Carool locals who have been regulars at the restaurant for years. They wanted to honour the legacy that Gareth and I created and continue to build it from strength to strength.

“I’m very proud of what we have been able to achieve and what we have done to contribute to the local visitor economy and helped put the Tweed on the map as a food and agritourism destination.

“We’re the most awarded restaurant in the Northern Rivers and that has really had a significant contribution to the economy but also our reputation.”

Burr will stay on in a marketing support role and remain involved in key events, including Potager’s popular Bastille Day celebrations.

The restaurant now joins The Hinterland Collection – the Speddings’ curated portfolio of premium wedding, event and accommodation venues throughout the region.

The group includes Summergrove Estate (recently voted best wedding venue at the Australian Bridal Industry Academy Awards), boutique retreat Elysian Hills, rustic hideaway Cascade Springs and working cattle property Bellingdale Farm.

John Spedding, a fourth-generation Tweed local born in Murwillumbah, said he and Donna had been dining at Potager since it opened and knew it was special.

“We were a little concerned that if someone else bought it they may not continue to run the restaurant, and we thought the experience you can get there really fits into our collection in the surrounding areas,” he said.

“It just made sense to add it to our group of venues.

“This enables couples and their families to get together for dinner the night before or have lunch the next day, which is not always possible at Summergrove, because we often have back-to-back weddings.”

Potager will continue to operate with its existing team, including Portuguese head chef Luis do Carmo, who has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants across Europe.

Some new touches are also in the pipeline, including the addition of Bellingdale Beef – ethically raised in Carool and nearby Nunderi.

Celebrated for its marbling, the beef has gained popularity in top restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne.

“It’s going to become even more of a paddock-to-plate experience,” Spedding said.