The Neighbours
Allow me to introduce you to some of my wonderful neighbours.
These Goulburn Valley folk are passionate growers and producers of 'home-grown' foods and seasonal produce—think freshly harvested vegetables, delicious summer berries, rare heritage meats and beautiful hand-made salumi, just to name a few.
So next time you're visiting The Osteria, pop in on our neighbours too—hear their stories, sample their wares, and take home the amazing flavours of Avenel, Seymour and Nagambie.
get to know more than our wine
The Meat Room
The Meat Room makes small-batch, Italian style salami from deicious free-range pork sourced from locally-grown pigs.
Owner, James Mele, is passionate about his craft and also runs hands-on workshops on how to make salami and sausages at home. He comes from a long line of Italian meat-smiths, but wasn't a butcher by trade when decided to follow the family tradition to become the Salami King.
If you've visited the Osteria or attended one of our annual Spring Lunches here at the vineyard, it’s likely you’ve tried some of James' delicious cured meats and other antipasti.
The Meat Room Providore is open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays. Drop by on your way to the Osteria for some of the best salamis and sausages available on the planet as well as other delicious local produce, including our Italian varietals and Verjus.
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themeatroom.com.au
+61 419 850 731
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26 O’Gradys Road, Kilmore East
40 mintues from Box Grove Osteria
McIvor Farm Foods
McIvor Farm Foods produce delicious and tender pork from Berkshire pigs, raised in a free-range enviornment in the beautiful hillside at Tooboorac, just 10 kilometres south-east of Heathcote.
Husband and wife Jason and Belinda Hagen returned to the family farm a decade ago to revive the business into a thriving grazing property for pigs and cattle. The pigs turn over and fertilise the soil while the Hagens re-sow the ground with over a dozen different types of pasture that create nourishing feed for the cattle and the pigs.
Although Berkshire pigs are known for their thick layer of fat, the Hagens produce pork with leaner fat content, cripsier skin and delicious, tender flesh.
To say these pigs are happy living an entirely free-range life is an understatement.
McIvor pork is available direct from the farm gate shop by appointment or from Avenel Meats.
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mcivorfarmfoods.com.au
+61 419 422 238
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2920 Lancefield-Tooborac Road, Tooborac
37 mintues from Box Grove Osteria
Bluetongue Berries
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A twenty-acre, organic blueberry farm owned
and operated by Cynthia Lim and Nick Bray.
They moved to the property twenty years ago and began to improve and regenerate the land
through revegetation, setting up swale like terracing and incorporating organic matter back
into the soil. It was the most unlikely place to grow the best blueberries in the world but that's exactly what this inspiring couple set out to do.
During the blueberry season, visitors are welcome to drop in for some fresh, seasonal
produce and to share in Cynthia and Nick's love of the region, its people and natural beauty.
While you’re there, consider spending a few days in the couple's cosy eco-stay. Recently named as one of Victoria's best weekend getaways by The Age travel writers, this wonderful retreat is a great base for exploring Seymour's hidden gems.
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bluetongueberries.com.au
+61 438 320 049
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445 Northwood Road, Seymour
23 minutes from Box Grove Osteria
Strathbogie Brewing Company
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The beautiful rolling hills of Strathbogie is home to a truly artisan nanobrewery. David and Sandy Joyce produce a wonderful array of boutique beers crafted from barley, wheat, oats, maize and hops grown on their brewery farm.
Strathbogie beers are produced in the purest way possible using many organic raw materials, in a chemical and additive free process.
Their beer can be found at the Harvest Home Hotel, Euroa and Violet Town markets as well as speciality local cafes and retail outlets.
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strathbogiebrewing.com.au
+61 3 5790 5235
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Harvest Home Boutique Hotel, 1/3 Bank St, Avenel
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Eighteen Sixty
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One of the secrets of a really good restaurant, apart from a great selection of the wines and lovely food of course, is the stability of its work force. Eighteen Sixty has had the same chef and floor staff since the beginning, meaning you develop a relationship with Bernie on the floor (the owner) and Adele the chef in the kitchen.
Eighteen Sixty is an intimate and wine bar in the heart of Nagambie. The menu features seasonally inspired Italian dishes using produce from local artisanal growers and makers. The bar showcases a wide range of Italian varietals, most grown within 50 kms of the town. The team have lovingly embraced Box Grove wines. A glass of our Prosecco is always ready to refresh as you arrive; our fragrant Vermentino is served super chilled over summer with a light zucchini flower entrée, the perfect delicate partnership on a hot day.
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eighteensixty.com.au
+61 3 5719 2015
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312B High Street, Nagambie
19 minutes from Box Grove Osteria
Next Door
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The team at Eighteen Sixty took over the shop next door and set up a 7 day a week café selling local produce and wines, lovely coffee and really tasty toasties. Appropriately called Next Door, it is well worth a stop on an early morning walk around the lake or before embarking on a shopping spree in the shops on the High Street.
People drive for miles to pick up provisions like pasta and Avenel pizzas when the pizza place is closed. It is a big toss up as to the which is the favourite toasty – the mushroom with truffle oil or the ham and cheese.
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eighteensixty.com.au
+61 3 5719 2015
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312B High Street, Nagambie
19 minutes from Box Grove Osteria
CHĀAR LONG
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Chāar Long literally means slow down in Thai. And we are very lucky that successful Thai restaurateurs Yao and John Donoghue chose to do their slowing down in Avenel when they sold their busy restaurant in Shepparton.
Describing themselves as owners, managers, chefs, floor staff, bar staff and cleaners, John and Yao designed and built the little restaurant themselves, to feel like an extension on their own home. In spirit with the vibe of slowing down, the restaurant is open from Thursday to Sunday for lunch only. They serve up a delicious 5 course set menu that varies with the seasons using local ingredients (like my Kaffir limes and leaves!!) All reservations are made via the website so tying in lunch at Chāar Long with a visit to Avenel needs to be planned well ahead.
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18-22 Scobie Street South, Avenel
20 minutes from Box Grove Osteria
BARACCA LANE
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Down a lane off Station Street in the heart of Seymour lies Baracca Lane. Step through the front door and you could be somewhere in Italy. Lively Italian radio is beamed in direct. Shelves crammed with different types of pasta and local and imported wines, deli crammed full of prosciutto, salami, home made lasagna and four cheese gnocchi.
Shade in the back courtyard in summer, colourful crocheted rugs for your knees over winter and a sweet treat from the cabinet or a tasty panini or steaming hot bowl of pasta.
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+61 411 619 137
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52 Station St, Seymour
10 minutes from Box Grove Osteria
The Osteria
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The Osteria at Box Grove Vineyard is a place of good wine-made with passion on our vineyard—and simple food from the farm or sourced locally. The views change with each season—fresh greens in Spring, golden hues and gentle breezes in Summer, reds and russets as the leaves start turning in Autumn—and there’s always a roaring fire in Winter.
Open by appointment, or to host lunches prepared by visiting chefs, for demonstrations and workshops or for small weddings and private functions, I look forward to welcoming you to The Osteria soon.
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osteria@boxgrovevineyard.com.au
+61 409 210 015
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955 Avenel-Nagambie Road, Avenel
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Bluetongue Berries
bluetongueberries.com.au
+61 438 320 049445 Northwood Road, Seymour
23 minutes from Box Grove Osteria—
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Strathbogie Brewing Company
strathbogiebrewing.com.au
+61 3 5790 5235Harvest Home Boutique Hotel, 1/3 Bank St, Avenel
5 minutes from Box Grove Osteria—
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Di's Rhubarb
facebook.com/disrhubarb
+61 412 903 533Tahbilk Estate, 254 Oneils Road, Tabilk
22 minutes from Box Grove Osteria—
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The Butcher's Plate
+61 412 734 509
10 Bank Street, Avenel
5 minutes from Box Grove Osteria—
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Ruffy Produce Store
+61 5790 4387
26 Nolans Road, Ruffy
40 minutes from Box Grove Osteria—
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Avenel Meats
+61 3 5796 2491
10 Bank Street, Avenel
5 minutes from Box Grove Osteria—
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McIvor Farm Foods
mcivorfarmfoods.com.au
+61 419 422 2382920 Lancefield-Tooborac Road, Tooborac
37 mintues from Box Grove Osteria—
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The Meat Room
themeatroom.com.au
+61 419 850 73126 O’Gradys Road, Kilmore East
40 mintues from Box Grove Osteria
We have some other wonderful wine and food experiences locally:
Held on the second Sunday of the month between 9am to 1pm, the Avenel Farmer’s Market is located at the luscious green grounds of Jubilee Park in Avenel. Come and meet local makers, artisans, musicians and farmers.
Like me, Nina Stocker has a tiny tasting area and hosts tastings by appointment. Give her a call and make a time to visit and try her rose or Viognier or Shiraz.
Fowles’ Cellar Door is relaxed and modern. Try a tasting and some charcuterie platters of accompanying food in the Tasting Room or sit down in the restaurant for a big country breakfast or lunch. The restaurant is also open Friday nights.
Many of our visitors come and stay at the Mitchelton hotel. When not dining at the Muse or the Providore at Mitchelton, they are out locally exploring some of our wonderful local restaurants and some of our smaller wineries.
A creaking living museum of winemaking. Pick your variety — Marsanne, Rhone reds — and do a deep dive at the Cellar Door. They also have a restaurant open daily.
Narelle King makes a wide range of Italian varietals from vineyards in the hills, around Nagambie and over to Heathcote. Her small Cellar Door is open the first weekend of the month only. Call Narelle to book a tasting: +61 3 5794 1811
