Inside Dairy Flat Farm: one of Australia’s most indulgent country escapes

Pioneers in Australia’s farm-to-table culinary scene, the Wolf-Tasker family deliver impeccable dining and relaxation in equal measure across their two Daylesford spa-country properties

When life gives you lemons, they say, make lemonade. But in tumultuous 2020, Dairy Flat Farm in Daylesford did one better – they took lemons… and they made bread. More specifically, the recently-opened farmhouse property converted the existing basement into a bakehouse. And they made slow-fermented sourdough, and croissants, and pain-au-chocolat…

The indefatigable Wolf-Tasker family behind iconic Victorian gourmet hotel, Lake House in Daylesford spa county, added the 16-hectare Dairy Flat Farm and accompanying, exquisitely-renovated, six-bedroom house to its portfolio in December 2019, just months before Covid struck. Thankfully, the bad luck ended there. Together with the team behind Lake House, they used the ensuing lull period during Victoria’s seemingly never-ending lockdowns to establish and solidify the new bakehouse, where the skilled bakers mixed, kneaded and rolled sweet and savoury delights that could be sold at Daylesford’s Sunday Market (and supplied to Lake House, Dairy Flat Farm and Wombat Hill House Café kitchens post-lockdown).

“It gave us time to work on the Dairy Flat model, establish the gardens more, clean it all up,” explains Larissa Wolf-Tasker, brand manager and daughter of Lake House matriarch and culinary director, Alla Wolf-Tasker AM. They also turned their attention to the ‘OG’: Lake House – celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2024 – and planned for its July 2023 renovation.

As we chat in the hotel’s refreshed, sumptuous library on a frigid evening in early winter, Larissa tells me 46 per cent of their current clientele are returning guests. I don’t get to say what a wonderful birthday present that is, though, because a flavour explosion is unfolding in my mouth: a mini doughnut that melts on the tongue, its centre filled with popping pearls of salty caviar. I know I am in for a delicious weekend.

Farm to fork

This is a team as resourceful in business as they are in gastronomy – and, if you know Lake House’s history, this will come as no surprise. After all, Alla Wolf-Tasker AM, along with her late husband, celebrated artist Allan Wolf-Tasker, not only put the sleepy mineral springs town of Daylesford on the map – she also put Australian regional dining on the map.

Inspired by the restaurants of provincial France, where she trained, Alla pioneered refined farm-to-table dining when she and Allan opened Lake House Restaurant in 1984. The only thing that was still missing after 35 years of Lake House Restaurant, was the farm – where the fresh produce used in each delectable, seasonally-driven dish could be grown, harvested and cooked.

Located just 10 minutes from Lake House in the hamlet of Musk, Dairy Flat Farm follows regenerative and organic practices, with two hectares dedicated to vegetable, herb and cut flower gardens. Heirloom carrots, beets and pumpkins are pulled straight from the soil; there are hoop houses filled with tomato vines; and rows of lettuce greens and herbs of all varieties are ready to be plucked and turned into dishes that give all new meaning to ‘farm fresh’.

The orderly, 300-tree orchard of apple, pear, stone fruit, quince and medlar trees are burdened with fruit each season, and this year’s first apple harvest was turned in cider. The team, embracing a ‘waste not, want not’ ethos, also frequently pickles, ferments and makes jams with their bounty. 

There are a few British White cows from regenerative farm, Brooklands, who supply Lake House Restaurant (and whose owner once worked at Lake House), along with chickens, geese, guinea fowls, alpacas, sheep, peacocks and bees buzzing in their seven hives, busily making honey for their queen.

Not to mention, the established 250-tree olive grove – fresh from its first batch of olive oil when I visit, plus the two-hectare vineyard with its pinot noir and chardonnay plantings, and the spring-fed dam where guests can fish for fresh-water trout. And then there’s the wildlife – wombats, kangaroos, wallabies and around 26 species of native birds call Dairy Flat Farm and surrounds their home.

As if that wasn’t enough, the hedgerow ornamental gardens add a sprinkle of fairytale whimsy, with stone cherubs and ornate iron gates-to-nowhere making me feel like I’ve entered The Secret Garden of my childhood dreams.

Heart in the home

As for the lodge itself, if you’ve ever had dreams of doing up an old house and turning it into a country estate, there’s no need to do any research: simply call Larissa, who apparently wrote the manual. The property is magnificent – grand and cosy, refined and relaxed, comforting and luxurious all at once. It’s the type of place that would be as breathtaking in the summer (verdant views, open windows, hot-tub time in the evening) as it is in the early winter (roaring fireplace, cosy reading nooks, relaxing baths).

Deep lounges by the crackling fire invite me to take a beat in this embracing retreat the moment I step through the doors. I’m drawn to the fabulous turquoise country-style kitchen and Allan Wolf-Tasker’s optimistic, vibrant artworks of the Australian landscape adorning the walls. The William Morris-esque wallpaper in the little library and plush patterned rugs underfoot add an air of vintage romance, and each king bedroom emanates a country elite-style sophistication with its expansive proportions, layers of elegant textiles and a luxurious ensuite. Everything is brand-new and immaculate, with furniture commissioned by local artisans. And yet the feeling is of being right at home in a good friend’s treasured abode.

If you love someone, feed them

Alla grew up in Melbourne during the 1950s, the daughter of Russian immigrants. “She grew up in a household where they didn’t have an awful lot, but it was quality over quantity, and you contributed to the table,” says Larissa. “You were invited to dinner whenever you wanted, but everybody contributed. You either baked or you brewed or you pickled or you made something. If you love someone, you feed them.” 

This idea, that you should treat your guests like family, is what makes the experience of staying at Dairy Flat Farm so special. The live-in Lodge Concierge embodies the Wolf-Tasker family’s unique style of authentic and heartfelt hospitality by tending to my every whim: Fetching the delicious meals from the Lake House kitchens and serving them family-style at the communal table, whipping up a full country-style breakfast each morning, pouring wine, mixing cocktails and lighting the fire. If Lakehouse Daylesford is where you go to dine on some of the most exquisite seasonally-driven food in Australia, then Dairy Flat Farm is, I decide, where you go afterwards, to rest and retreat – just as one desires a lie-down following an unforgettable Christmas lunch. Staying at both properties during a single visit to Daylesford is a no-brainer for those seeking an indulgent country escape.

Luxury by the lake

Not that Lake House Daylesford is lacking in opportunities to rest or retreat, either. During my stay here I experience an excellent massage in the Lake House Spa by therapist Michael, who Larissa tells me is a healer (many are drawn to Daylesford by its therapeutic mineral waters). At the end of my treatment Michael hugs me and tells me I have a lovely energy. I don’t tell him that it’s probably Lake House Daylesford that is making it thus.

My Atrium Villa – one of the most exclusive lodgings on site – boasts apartment-sized proportions, with a separate living and dining area, gas fireplace, kitchen, deck and an oversized ensuite with bath and underfloor heating. Tucked behind a gate on the grounds and with glimpses of the lake beyond, it is also one of the most private rooms available.

But as beautiful as my room is, it’s my stomach, not my eyes, taking charge on this particular trip. I have heard about multi-award-winning, Two Chefs-Hatted Lake House Restaurant for longer than I can remember. Now, finally, I understand what all the fuss is about and why the Wolf-Tasker family is so highly regarded and respected in the Australian gastronomy scene. 

Over two decadent evenings, head chef Brandon Walsh delivers what seems like every succulent protein available on Earth over four courses, always balanced perfectly with in-season vegetables, herbs and greens from the farm. Hand-picked Cooktown mud crab, Jamon paleta, aqua Murray cod, Sher wagyu F1 tenderloin… and so much more. All are cooked to perfection, and by the end of the second course I’m certain Lake House Restaurant has delivered two of the most memorable meals I’ve ever had. As for the wine – with 13,000 bottles to choose from, it helps to have a sommelier. Claude’s expertise is at hand, and he matches the perfect drop with every course from a stellar list of new- and old-world vintages, many of them from boutique Australian producers.

“The hedgerow ornamental gardens add a sprinkle of fairytale whimsy, with stone cherubs and ornate iron gates-to-nowhere making me feel like I’ve entered The Secret Garden of my childhood dreams.”

Sweet dream

Back at Dairy Flat Farm, there are fluffy pink roses, strands of aromatic lavender and golden discs of calendula floating in my ensuite’s clawfoot bath. It has just been run by the massage therapist who has dedicated 60 minutes to unravelling the knots in my shoulders (again) in the privacy of my suite. There is a bottle of champagne chilling on ice, with a crystal coupe that appears all the more indulgent for its singularity; out the window is a bucolic view straight out of the pages of an English storybook. It is whisper quiet.

I need to get out soon to do some work before dinner. But, if I have learnt anything from my time at Lake House and Dairy Flat Farm, it’s that nothing should go to waste. So another champagne it is. The emails can wait.

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Hotel Notes

Time Out packages at Dairy Flat Farm start from $2,000 for two guests for two nights in one of the six suites, including a tour of the productive farm and gardens, cooked farmhouse style breakfast, items from the on-site bake house to enjoy throughout the day, all non-alcoholic beverages and a farm-house dinner in the lodge on one night. Exclusive use starts from AUD$10,800 for up to 12 guests with the same inclusions. dairyflatfarmdaylesford.com.au

Signature packages at Lake House Daylesford start from A$1,990 for two guests and include two nights’ accommodation, breakfast, daily pastries and sourdough from Dairy Flat Farm, a multi-course a la carte lunch or dinner in the Lake House Restaurant, complimentary minibar and a complimentary visit to Dairy Flat Farm on Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday. lakehouse.com.au

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While You’re Here

Be sure to visit the Wolf-Taskers’ other dining destination, Wombat Hill House Café in the picturesque Wombat Hill Botanic Gardens. Order the grilled-cheese sandwich with truffle ­for yet another indulgent experience.

Good to Know

Lake House is the winner of the Luxury Hotel Restaurant or Bar category in the 2024 Luxury Travel Gold List Awards.