It's always reassuring to meet a fine dining chef who isn't above himself. Especially one who can't go past a schnitzel.
Lachlan Colwill loves to travel. "I live for those moments when you're away from home and experience hospitality that makes you feel as if you've found a new family," he says. But for all his recent globe-hopping in Japan, Hong Kong, the UK and US, one of his favourite spots for a cheeky night out remains on home soil in South Australia's Barossa Valley.
"There's bloody good beef schnitty and weekly pool competitions at the local Greenock Tavern," he reveals. "By day, grab a coffee from Maggie Beer's Farm Shop and feed the turtles. I go there to get some office work done and end up Snapchatting turtles all afternoon."
Colwill lives in a cottage on Hentley Farm in Seppeltsfield. Surrounded by an abundance of stone fruit, poultry, eggs, and milk from 12 Jersey cows "just down the road", it's produce heaven. He was born in the Barossa and "knows the local families and farmers. I know their stories and love that I can tell these stories on the plate with confidence and personal emotion."
Under Colwill's guidance, Hentley Farm – a boutique, single-estate winery owned by Keith and Alison Hentschke – recently won both the Best Restaurant in South Australia and Vittoria Coffee Restaurant of The Year awards. Now, a major part of Colwill's brief is to surprise the rest of the world with the food and wine from Hentley Farm.
"This year, we've done three huge showcase events – in California and Philadelphia in the US and London," he says. "I like showing the world what we can do."
When Hentley Farm Wines won the 2016 Thomas Jefferson Award, Colwill and others were invited by the awarding Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts to cater for the gala dinner.
"It was my first trip to Philly and I was impressed – it really is the city of brotherly love [the city's motto derived from the meaning of its Greek name]," he says. "My sous chef, and good friend, James and I were feeling the city's vibe so much we got ridiculous matching tattoos one afternoon."
When he wasn't being inked, Colwill wasted no time sampling the city's culinary offerings.
"When in Philly, you must eat at Zahav, Michael Solomonov's Israeli restaurant, for simple food with layers of flavour," he recommends. "Go to Federal Donuts for coffee, fried chicken and of course, doughnuts. Vernick Food & Drink is excellent for large and small new American dishes in a brownstone near Rittenhouse Square. And there's a great Italian tasting menu to be had at Marc Vetri's brilliant Vetri Ristorante."
His last word goes to Hong Kong, where he "experienced some of the most honest and inspiring hospitality" he's ever encountered. He cites the growing number of small and highly individual, chef-driven restaurants there, such as James Henry's Parisian-style bistro Belon, Jason Atherton's contemporary tapas bar 22 Ships and Jowett Yu's modern Chinese diner Ho Lee Fook.
"That's the best part of a holiday, in my opinion, and it's magic when it happens."
AFR Contributor
