Our small family business started over 28 years ago, has been built around our love of good food and sharing with family and friends. From simple beginnings as an artisan smokehouse, we have grown to include the Smokehouse Restaurant, the Wily Trout Vineyard, farm shop, cellar door, country wedding and event destination.
As a family business we are driven by an enduring passion for our region that now has the fourth generation growing up on the farm and playing in the gardens. But it is the brilliant group of people that are on our team, that make Poachers Pantry and the Wily Trout Vineyard an exceptional operation.
Vineyard and farm manager – He’s the one in the vineyard making sure that the next vintage will be the best.
Events Manager – The one who will welcome you at the door and be responsible for overseeing the efficient running of the restaurant. His front of house team will be sure to help you have a great experience.
He will also be the one that will make your wedding / event an extremely special day, from the first meeting til the end, ensuring it to be simply perfect.
Business owner who tries to make sure everyone is pulling together and in the same direction!
Head Chef – The guy that manages the creative team, he harnesses their passion to deliver exceptional dishes every time.
Office Manager – She makes sure that the money keeps flowing and the orders keep rolling.
General Manager – Our numbers man, who makes sure our plans and goals are turned into day to day reality.
Poachers Pantry is located on land that was traditionally owned by the Ngunnawal tribe, the first European to settle here was in 1850 by a Major Johnston, a member of the Rum Core. He built a slab homestead around 1870 and then the woolshed about 1895. He regularly mortgaged and remortgaged the property due to gambling debts and sold the farm in 1919 to the Mundy family. They built the current homestead in 1920 and ran a grazing operation. The farm then changed hands in 1959 to the Kelly family who build the 70 acre dam with the plan for a dairy farm to supply Canberra’s growing population.
Rob’s father, John Bruce, bought the farm that is now home to Poachers Pantry in 1973. The magnificent Golden Elm the centre piece of the Homestead lawn was planted in 1975 and we moved here nine years later so that Rob could manage the family’s grazing operations both here and in the ACT.
In 1991 Poachers Pantry was built to supply hotels and restaurants with a range of smoked meats that would impress chefs and foodies. We didn’t open to the public until 2001, firstly just out of the back of the factory and then in 2002 we converted the old cottage into the Smokehouse Cafe. From there our retail following grew, and our retail range was started.
Since then the factory has been extended, rebuilt and renovated; the restaurant went through a major renovation in 2016 and the grounds have gradually grown up around us. Amazing what can happen over 30 years!
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@wilytrout