The Three Blue Ducks restaurant at Burradoo Park Farm in the Southern Highlands is redefining the farm-to-table dining experience through a close integration of regenerative farming and seasonal cooking. Head chef Rhys Connell collaborates closely with gardener Lindsey Rogers and livestock manager Nick Tallas to create menus that reflect the farm’s produce and sustainable practices.

Connell and Rogers plan the menu six months in advance, adjusting regularly based on what is actively growing on the farm’s two-acre garden. The farm provides ingredients harvested twice weekly, with a focus on freshness and seasonality. When certain items, such as sorrel, begin to wane, Connell adapts by incorporating alternative local ingredients like watermelon radish or lavender, which replace unavailable options such as rose. This approach aims to trigger innovation while maintaining a strong connection to the land.

Connell highlights that ingredients picked directly from the garden offer a different sensory experience compared to those stored in refrigerators, noting their sweeter flavor and higher nutrient density, attributed to regenerative farming methods. The current menu includes items such as pickled puntarelle with royal red prawn, smoked raw beef with parsley and kombu, and a dessert combining quince, rhubarb, and lavender—a substitute for rose due to local growing conditions.

Burradoo Park Farm, which opened over the Easter weekend after two years of preparation, spans 600 acres across three farms and represents the vision of philanthropist Annie Cannon-Brookes. Seeking to invest in the Southern Highlands community following her relocation from Sydney, Cannon-Brookes established the farm as a regenerative agriculture project with an educational mission. The site features a Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden for children, alongside incubator programs and internships designed to support aspiring farmers.

Cannon-Brookes underscores the importance of attracting visitors to the farm to showcase the region’s agricultural potential and sustainability efforts. She said the ethos promoted by Three Blue Ducks—emphasizing seasonal ingredients and provenance—aligns closely with the farm’s objectives. The restaurant’s hospitality offerings have been developed collaboratively to reflect the farm’s production and translate it into a dining experience.

Public access to Burradoo Park Farm is managed through timed bookings to control visitor numbers, but entry to the grounds is free. Visitors can explore the farm’s regenerative practices, including composting, solar energy systems, and innovative recycling initiatives such as converting coffee cups into road-building materials. Onsite amenities include a bakery offering coffee and pastries and a gelato stand featuring vegetable-based flavors like beetroot and vanilla or spinach and matcha. The newly planted citrus orchard and wildlife initiatives, including owl boxes, contribute to the farm’s ecological efforts.

Dining options vary from casual café lunches at the Farmhouse to fine dining with five- or seven-course degustations at the Three Blue Ducks flagship restaurant. While the menu evolves with the seasons and on-farm availability, freshly harvested ingredients remain central to the culinary experience.