Kingsford gourmet events to showcase the best of South Australia

Heading for the Barossa? 

Kingsford The Barossa has launched a new nine-part events series showcasing some of South Australia’s leading producers, winemakers, and culinary talent. 

Throughout the year, guests at the luxury homestead will be invited to enjoy immersive experiences, regional flavours and local stories. 

Located under an hour from Adelaide, Kingsford The Barossa is a luxury retreat set on 225 acres of along the banks of the Para River. 

The 2026 program will span two event styles: Gather and Graze Sessions, designed as relaxed 60 to 90 minute pop-in experiences offering the chance to meet local producers, and Signature Events, which are more immersive, sit-down experiences running for two to three hours.

The series will launch on Saturday, February 21, with a relaxed Gather and Graze Session: Peppertree Pizza Party with The Dairyman Barossa’s Michael Wohlstadt alongside Latteria Fresca’s Vincenzo La Montagna. 

To be held in Kingsford’s Peppertree Bar Courtyard from 12.30pm, the session will bring together two respected Barossa makers in an informal setting designed for guests to eat, drink and connect. 

For $60 per person, guests will enjoy a snack on arrival followed by a rolling selection of hand-stretched, wood-fired pizzas made on Kingsford’s house sourdough base and topped with cheeses from The Dairyman and Latteria Fresca. 

On March 7, Kingsford The Barossa will host the first of its Signature Events, an immersive, sit-down dining experience designed to unfold over two to three hours. 

The Wine Vault will host a six-course menu created by culinary director Jake Kellie with a curated selection of Jim Barry wines, including a number of back vintage releases. The cost will be $350 per person. 

Further Gather and Graze sessions will roll out across the season, offering relaxed, producer led experiences designed for casual, meaningful connection (tickets will be $60 per person):

On Saturday, April 18, Kingsford will host a Gather and Graze lunch with Abelsway Farm in the Peppertree Bar. Think a drink on arrival, a snack to start, and a main course featuring the farm's chicken. 

As winter arrives, the series continues on Friday, June 26, a fireside Gather and Graze afternoon in collaboration with Yalumba will be hosted by Jess Hill-Smith to share the family’s 175-year Barossa legacy alongside a selection of Yalumba wines. 

Culinary director Kellie said: “Our goal for 2026 is to create experiences that feel personal, generous, and deeply connected to the Barossa. 

"These events give us the chance to collaborate with incredible local producers and craft moments that people will remember. Whether it’s a relaxed courtyard session or a more refined signature dinner, each event will celebrate the region in its own way, and I couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead.”

Tickets for the Peppertree Pizza Party are on sale now: https://www.worldsapart.club/independents/kingsfordbarossa/experiences/gather-and-graze-at-kingsford

For future events see kingsfordbarossa.com.au

Image: Jack Fenby 

Star chef rings in the changes in the Barossa

 

Star chef Jake Kellie has rung in the changes following his recent appointment as culinary director at Orleana, the signature dining space at historic country house estate and hotel Kingsford The Barossa. 

Kellie's first à la carte menu invites diners to explore the next chapter in the estate’s story with Kellie showcasing some of South Australia’s best growers, farmers and producers.

Open to both the public and residents, the restaurant features floor-to-ceiling windows and a modern, elegant interior.

“At Orleana, our approach is deeply rooted in South Australia’s seasonal ingredients, and our menu showcases the distinctive flavours of the Barossa," Kellie says. 

"By celebrating the incredible produce on our doorstep and creating an immersive dining experience, we’re able to share the story of this beautiful region. 

"I’m proud of what we’ve created for our guests and excited to continue evolving our offer with new wedding menus, special offers for locals and so much more."

The chef honed his craft at Burnt Ends in Singapore before founding arkhé in Adelaide in 2021.



Think starters offerings like Barossa crudité with smoked eggplant and macadamia; zucchini flowers with Spencer Gulf prawn and sauce diavolo; and Two Gulfs crab with brown butter sauce and warmed brioche. 

Highlight mains include Mayura Station Wagyu rump cap with house-made mustard; roasted Lyndoch duck with caramelised orange and choux farcis; and Ferguson Rock lobster with shio koji beurre blanc and shellfish oil.

Desserts, meanwhile, include a chocolate macaron filled with pistachio ganache and pickled cumquats, and a Comté cheese tart (although the Jura is not exactly local).

Orleana’s beverage program features Barossa wines alongside wider Australian and international favourites. So names including Seppeltsfield, Penfolds, Henschke and Langmeil.

“This menu showcases Jake’s technical expertise and creativity, grounded in a deep respect for the region’s finest offerings," says General manager Martin Hamilton said:

" We’re excited for what’s ahead in 2026, with the team already preparing a raft of special events across the estate, which we look forward to sharing with both locals and visitors to South Australia.

Orleana is open for lunch Saturday to Sunday and dinner Wednesday to Sunday.

If Kingsford Homestead looks familiar, it was known as Drover’s Run over eight seasons of popular Australian TV series McLeod’s Daughters.   

See www.kingsfordbarossa.com.au

Double duty for star chef Kellie

There are some busy times ahead for star Adelaide chef Jake Kellie.

Kellie, who guides star eatery arkhé, has this week also taken the reins as culinary director at luxury Barossa estate Kingsford The Barossa.

Kellie will lead Kingsford’s Orleana Restaurant as well as the broader food offering across the boutique hotel.

He is charged with re-shaping the restaurant’s offering that promises to be a celebration of the region's rich produce. 

"Kellie’s bold cooking style and immersive approach to dining is in perfect synergy with the vision for Orleana, a restaurant designed to showcase the depth of produce in the region and complement the legacy and landscape of the Kingsford Estate, says Salter Brothers Hospitality Chief Operating Officer, Andrea Richards.

"He’s built an outstanding reputation with some of the world’s best chefs including Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal, honing his craft at revered restaurants including The Fat Duck (UK), The Ledbury (UK), Estelle (Melbourne), Aria (Sydney) and most notably as head chef at Michelin-starred Burnt Ends in Singapore that also inspired his own restaurant, arkhé.

“As one of Australia’s finest chefs, his approach to food is fearless, refined, and grounded in deep respect for produce and technique. He pushes boundaries without losing sight of authenticity, which is exactly why he resonates so strongly with today’s guests.”

The dining space at Orleana sits within Kingsford’s luxury lodge, surrounded by 225-acres of native Australian landscape.

The restaurant serves both a la carte and a chef’s selection with ingredients harvested either on-site from the estate’s kitchen garden or sourced via a network of local growers.

A big task given he will also continue to oversee arkhé, his Norwood restaurant.

“This is a place where food is grown with care, cooked with purpose, and served with humility," Kellie says.

"It's a place where guests are invited to connect - with the region, the producers, and the stories behind each plate. I believe that modern Australian cuisine is not defined by trend, but by terroir - and that thoughtful food, grown and cooked with integrity, creates meaningful hospitality.

“For me, Orleana is a chance to bring something fresh and grounded to the Barossa, a restaurant that’s shaped by the seasons, the producers we work with, and the amazing team behind it. I want to create food that feels honest and generous and build a culture that supports that at every level. There’s so much potential here, and I’m keen to bring it to life.” 

See https://kingsfordbarossa.com.au/ 

Adelaide gears up for fire and whisky

Jake Kellie, star chef at Adelaide’s arkhé, has unveiled a series of pop-up collaborations with other top chefs from Australia and around the world.

arkhé & friends, presented by Laphroaig Whisky, will be a series of events that will feature 12 chef collaborations over 12 months, with the year of food over fire commencing in April.

Adelaide’s first open-flame restaurant, arkhé, opened in November 2021 and co-owner and executive chef Kellie said: “We are so excited to be bringing arkhé & friends to life in 2024.

"Collaborations such as these expose us to new audiences and different ways of cooking, keeping us at the top of our game. 

"Following the success of our collaboration events with Michelin-starred chef David Thompson, Martin Boetz and Louis Tikaram in May last year, we understand the appetite for visiting chefs and look forward to bringing a series of rare, world class experiences to the people of Adelaide and Australia.”

Each month will see a different guest chef appear at arkhé over the course of a year.

The first three events to take place in the series will be:

# Ben Milgate and Elvis Abrahanowicz, Porteno (Sydney): Thursday, April 11

# Jemma Whiteman, Ante (Sydney): Thursday, May 9 

# Mat Lindsay, Ester (Sydney): Thursday, June 27 

The full line up will be announced over the coming months, and will include big chef names like Vaughan Mabee of Amisfield (NZ), Rosheen Kaul (Melbourne’s Etta) and James Lowe of Lyle’s in London.

Each event will showcase Scottish whisky through cocktails, tasting flights and culinary creations and Laphroaig will extend the chef collaboration series with Jake Kellie by hosting a series of events at partner restaurants in Agnes (Brisbane), Matilda (Melbourne) and Ester (Sydney) from July to September 2024.

For tickets see arkhe.com.au/arkhe-friends