The fruits OF LABOUR

AFTER DECADES OF PASSION AND PERSEVERANCE, THE WOLF-TASKER FAMILY, ICONS OF REGIONAL AUSTRALIAN DINING, IS BREAKING NEW GROUND 

- BRITTANY SMITH

Some 40 years ago, Allan and Alla Wolf-Tasker, an artist and chef respectively, looked out across more than two hectares of wild bushland in Daylesford, near the Macedon Ranges in rural Victoria. Redback-infested car wrecks, a dying eucalyptus, sparse native grass and a swamp were all that greeted them. But they had a vision that could not be deterred. They were inspired by Alla’s experience working in France as a young cook. It was steeped in high-quality regional produce,” their daughter, Larissa, shares. They wanted to recreate that kind of magic in regional Victoria.” At that stage, in the early 1980s, fine dining in Australia was limited to the cities and when people chose to travel they almost always opted for urban areas or overseas destinations. There was a beauty in our own backyard that was being missed.