April 30, 2015
The South Burnett’s most iconic restaurant has re-opened its doors after being closed for several months for renovations.
It has new owners, a new name, a bright new look and a bold new menu … but the breath-taking views across the Booie Range that made it famous are still the same.
The building that houses Cassis at Booie – formerly known as either the Belltower Restaurant or the Booie Bello Vista – was purchased by new owners Wayne Smith and Emmanuelle Delaunay earlier this year.
The couple have almost six decades of restaurant experience between them.
They relocated from Tasmania after Wayne’s former apprentice alerted them the unique property was on the market.
Wayne’s “former apprentice” is multi-award winning chef Jimmy Stephen, from Accents Catering, who has become the third partner in the new restaurant venture.
The trio share a passion for good food and wine and say they’re determined to bring an entirely new level of fine dining to the South Burnett.
They want to make their restaurant a byword for showcasing the very best of what the region has to offer in food, wines and customer service.
Cassis is now open five days a week from 10:00am for coffee, cake and light snacks.
It will offer a-la-carte lunches Wednesdays to Sundays from noon, and dinners Wednesdays to Saturdays from 6:00pm.
The restaurant’s menu will change often to reflect whatever is in season.
“The upside of this is that you won’t always see the same dishes on offer,” Wayne said.
“The flipside is that if you have a favourite dish, we can’t guarantee it will be on the menu next time you visit, but I’m sure we’ll have something else that will tempt you.”
Local ingredients will be used wherever possible – especially beef, pork, poultry, fruit and vegetables – but seafoods will be sourced from the Sunshine Coast.
The restaurant’s wine list includes not only fine Australian wines but also award-winning South Burnett wines sourced from Clovely Estate, Crane Wines, Kingsley Grove and Moffatdale Ridge.
This is in keeping with the trio’s philosophy that the best foods are those that are grown and produced in the local area, not packed and shipped from far away.
Wayne began his career as a chef in Scotland 36 years ago before going on to operate successful restaurants in Sydney and Tasmania with Emmanuelle.
The couple still spend their holidays in Europe each year, sampling the cuisine and soaking up the “deeply entrenched” food and wine culture they want to see continue developing in Australia.
Jimmy learned his trade as Wayne’s apprentice in Scotland, and the pair soon struck up a friendship centred around their mutual obsession with creating memorable meals.
When Jimmy moved to the South Burnett several years ago to set up Accents Restaurant in Kingaroy, and later Accents Catering, the two stayed in touch.
Knowing that Wayne and Emmanuelle wanted to move to warmer climes and take up a new challenge, Jimmy invited them to inspect the old Belltower building when he heard its was on the market.
After settlement, the trio began the lengthy process of refurbishing the restaurant, installing a new kitchen and transferring liquor licences. They also plan to fit retractable blinds on the outdoor deck.
Servings at the new restaurant are slightly smaller than usual to help keep costs low and encourage diners to experiment, but all dishes can be served at a larger size if preferred.
“We want to make fine dining affordable, and we want to be able to offer something to suit everyone,” Wayne said.
“It doesn’t matter whether you just want a quick cup of coffee, a light snack or a three course meal.
“We believe a truly good restaurant should make every guest feel welcome and special, and good service is just as important to us as everything else.”
The trio also hope to offer communal dining experiences and other innovative approaches to dining as the weather cools down.
Cassis (pronounced “Cass-ees”) will get its first major public test this Friday when South Burnett Mayor Wayne Kratzmann holds one of his regular Charity Breakfasts at the new restaurant, accompanied by 60 paying guests.
The current menu can be found on the restaurant’s website, and bookings can be made by phoning (07) 4162-3465 or by email.
Footnote: Cassis is a municipality near Marseilles in the south of France.
Tried, tested and thoroughly enjoyed! Well done to all of you for promoting the South Burnett’s greatest assets – views, food, climate and wine! Looking forward to being part of upcoming weddings at Cassis.