Lunch at du Fermier ~ Trentham, Victoria

Black tuxedo, sweaty palms and captivating brown eyes. Puffy sleeves featured on an ivory gown, voluminous hair and a grateful smile. On a uncomfortably warm February day we stood together at the altar and said 'I Do!' It was the ninth day of February, thirty five years ago.

Holding hands seated on a timber bench inside a Vineyard Chapel, with soaring floor to ceiling windows, in regional Victoria. It's the first day of February, thirty five years on. The weather blustery with bursts of rain showers leaving a glistening display across the grape vines of the Yarra Valley. He's dressed in navy, a bushy moustache and a joyful smile. She's in an elegant, sleeveless ivory gown, dark soft curls and excitement in her step. We are here watching our eldest son Tom and his girl Kaity say 'I do!' 

On our drive home from the wedding celebrations and our week long stay in the Yarra Valley, we detour to the tiny, historic town of Trentham for lunch at du Fermier...from the Farmhouse. It's the restaurant of respected chef and paddock-to-plate pioneer Annie Smithers, hidden away in country Victoria but very much known and loved by a regular clientelle and others like me making the pilgrimage to sit and partake of Annie's food.

du Fermier is a small country restaurant based on the small restaurant you would find in villages over Eurpoe. Annie cooks on her own in the kitchen as the proprietor, ably assisted by her small team in the dining room. In nearby Lyonville is Annie's home and farm, Babbington Park. Here the fruit and vegetables used in the menu are grown as are the beautiful flowers that adorn the dining room. It is said eating here is a little like eating in Annie's home. We agree wholeheartedly.

Reservations are essential and online bookings open two months in advance. Pretty much as soon as the wedding date was decided, I was online to secure a booking for two at du Fermier for us to celebrate our thirty five years. We arrived right on twelve noon and were warmly greeted by Bronwyn the sommelier and Katie taking care of our table. The menu is set, Menu du jour; meaning you are in Annie's hands on what arrives at the table, there is four courses, a choice between dessert and cheese or if you have the stomach space...for an extra spend you can have both! 

We started with a glass of Annie's Cordial and a Babbington Park Shrub* and then I had Bronwyn guide me on matching wines and Mr G stay with the shrubs. The notes on our menu read as follows;  we serve a lot of pasta at du Fermier. Pasta is often eaten by the French, particularly in the southern warmer regions. But the real reason we have it on the menu so often is my ducks lay so many eggs. The duck egg makes exceptionally strong pasta. A joy to make and a joy to eat.
Our first two courses:

Beetroot Salad ~ Boldor golden beets, reaming goats chevre, roasted walnuts,
sherry vinaigrette, dill, horseradish
Duck egg spaghettini ~ Hand made spaghettini, zucchini, capers, winter savoury,
Mt Zero lemon olive oil, grana padano

* A shrub is a combination of vinegar, sugar, and fruit—typically in a 1:1:1 proportion (though it can get far more complex, if you so choose). You combine all three ingredients, and let it sit for 2 days or more. Then you strain, and you’ve got yourself a shrub. Before refrigeration became a household luxury, vinegar was used to preserve fruits and vegetables to keep them fresh through the winter. Eventually, this mixture (sweetened with sugar) would become its own beverage. 

Further menu notes; The lamb that we use comes from Annie's neighbour Bruce. He breeds Suffolk sheep for the show and stud market, but butchers some every so often for us. His paddocks can be viewed from Annie's home kitchen window. This means that except for dairy and dry goods, all meat and fruit and vegetables featured on the menu come from two farms on either side of the Loddon River. A truly hyper local experience.
Our next two courses:

Oberon Stud Suffolk Lamb, two ways ~ Young Suffolk lamb, stuffed, roasted saddle,
breast slow cooked with white wine.
Summer vegetables from the garden. new seasons carrots, turnips, potatoes, herbs
Summer Pudding ~ Berries harvested from Babbington Park, sponge fingers, Schulz pure cream

The food from the freshly baked bread to start and through all four courses, the beverages, the wines and the service, including the beautiful handwritten bill presented at the table, were all exceptional. My only regret I didn't leave room for the cheese trolley, it was a sacrifice by choosing the Summer Pudding dessert which I'll will certainly never regret. Maybe next time I'll find room for both!

As we departed the dining room, past the beckoning cheese trolley, Katie showed us to the door and encouraged us to return in a different season to experience more from du Fermier and the Farmhouse. And although Trentham is approximately nine and half hours drive south from our home, we do like to road trip and will find a way to return in another season and maybe you should too.

Final photo by wedding photographer Bec Matheson