At the foot of the Great Western Tiers mountains in the central highlands of Tasmania lies Western Tiers Distillery Café, known among local and tourists alike for its spirits and high-quality espresso.
Created by Mark Kolodziej and Tim Freeman, the distillery is located in the historic town of Westbury and is an extension of their 2016 business Stillsmiths Tasmania, which supplies distillery equipment across the region.
“They initially designed the distillery to showcase the equipment and workmanship, then they thought that customers might want to have something to eat while tasting spirits, and even have a cup of coffee,” says Debbie Down, Café and Restaurant Manager of the Western Tiers Distillery Café.
With this thought, the café was born in February 2021. The surrounding landscape and mountains have inspired the café’s design from the distillery’s copper stills to the industrial interior and “fine Tasmanian craftmanship”.
“Our tables are handcrafted from Tasmanian timbers and most of our décor was made locally,” Debbie says.
“We can also see the Great Western Tiers mountain range from the café, which inspired the names of the spirits that we make in our distillery, such as Dry’s Bluff Gin, Nells Bluff Gin, and Quamby Bluff Sloe Gin.”
These spirits are served along with Mocopan’s Pasquale blend, which has full-bodied flavour and is made from a blend of Arabica beans.
“We have a terrific relationship with Shane Delanty, Co-Founder of Doppio Foods who supplies us with all things coffee and services our equipment,” she says. “We serve our coffees on our [Nuova] Simonelli espresso machine and grinder.”
Since 2013, Doppio Foods has partnered with Mocopan to distribute its coffee range to Tasmania’s food and coffee industry.
Western Tiers Distillery Café is also focused on promoting local produce in its menu, offering small meals to share, or grazing platters.
“We source our ingredients from local businesses and have built great relationships with these small boutique suppliers,” Debbie says.
The result is evident in the menu with items including pork and pistachio terrine with toasted fig, walnut bread and rhubarb relish, parmesan and truffle baked souffle with leek fondue, and coffee panna cotta with chocolate caramel sauce.
“I think it’s a great place to meet with friends for lunch on a lazy weekend and talk the afternoon away,” she says. “We see all kinds of customers, from tourists to locals and visitors from interstate.
“Tasmanians have especially supported local businesses travelling within the state over the past six months. We have been very fortunate compared to other states and our trade has been excellent.”
Throughout October, the café plans to extend its opening hours to seven days a week plus Friday evenings, with a cocktail hour to provide guests with a great way to start the weekend.
“The most rewarding part of opening this café is seeing the dream come to life. The café has exceeded our expectations with visitors and locals supporting us during a crazy time,” Debbie says.
67 Meander Valley Road,
Westbury, Tasmania, 7303
(Winter hours) Open Wednesday to Friday 10am – 4pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am – 5pm
0487111781
This article appears in the OCTOBER 2021 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.