Breaking Bread

It might come as a surprise to learn that Alla Wolf-Tasker, the one-woman revolution who created Daylesford’s iconic Lake House out of a weedy paddock more than 30 years ago, has anything left on her to-do list.

But despite running the lauded restaurant along with its boutique accommodation and spa, its sibling Wombat Hill House café and being an all-round champion of central Victoria - with the Order of Australia to prove it - Wolf-Tasker still longed for the authenticity of her own freshly-baked bread.

“It was a dream of mine to offer a larger variety of good bread to our guests at Lake House but our kitchens were operating to capacity,” she says. “With the Bake House we’ll be able to produce slow-fermented sourdough breads as well as beautifully laminated croissants, viennoiserie, donuts, breakfast buns and all sorts of deliciousness.”

eatLost Magazine6 November 2019eatComment

The Chai's The Limit

When Nina Isabella had her first taste of chai 20 years ago she knew it was good – but she also knew she could make it better.

“A friend made it for me the traditional way: he added the tea and spices to the pot, brought it to the boil, added milk and let it simmer,” says the founder of Atelier Botanica. “The spices were amazing. I loved the drink but the tea after that process was completely destroyed.”

Back then it was impossible to find a commercial version of the chai travellers tended to discover for the first time on their backpacking adventures in India. The appeal of the warming spices such as cardamom, cinnamon and cloves in a silken, milky warm tea was hard to deny, though - so Isabella set out on her own journey, experimenting with her own blends and quantities until she found the perfect recipe. What began as a small cottage industry (“basically I was peddling it in small packets to my girlfriends”) eventually turned into Atelier Botanica and a seven-strong range of all-organic artisan products.

drinkLost Magazine6 November 2019drinkComment

The Divine Maggies

In Andrew and Trevor’s property “Maggies at Trentham,” what reads like history on the outside blossoms with imagination within. The regal Victorian home neighbours St Mary Magdalen Catholic Parish Church and was dedicated to the local priest by the archbishop of Melbourne in 1906. Three years ago, the property was metamorphosed by interior designers Andrew Danckert and Trevor Salmon - the result has blossomed into a carnival of wonder.

Built in the late 19th century, Maggies was originally commissioned over one hundred years ago for the local parish Priest, who serviced not only Trentham, but also Kyneton and the surrounds. These days, the interior offers accommodation for up to eight guests in four bedrooms that dissolve the stately posture of faith with a quirky aesthetic that foregrounds fun.

propertyLost Magazine6 November 2019Lost PropertyComment

Practice Makes Peace

The Sanskrit noun yoga is derived from the term yuj, meaning to attach, join, harness or yoke. The spiritual resonance of the word yoga can be traced to Epic Sanskrit with the aim of uniting the human spirit with the Divine. For Adrian, yoga has helped strike his inner tranquility while simultaneously uniting a community of locals through curated posture and rhythmic breath work.

For Adrian, yoga was first and foremost about healing. “My family, genetically, has the tendency to suffer from hypertension and high blood pressure. So when I was about to hit my thirties I was really looking for something to manage it without medication.yoga seemed to be the key,” explains Adrian, with the enthusiasm of a new found discovery.

createLost Magazine6 November 2019createComment

Heavy Roots

On a sunny hill in Musk, a red Fiat idles beside the bucolic home of a larrikin raconteur and legendary winemaker, Graeme Leith—the founder of Passing Clouds winery. “I’m fascinated, every time, to see what this vintage will bring out.” Graeme’s backdrop is a painterly scene of rolling hills and vines.

“Every batch is fascinating. Every year is fascinating. The most surprising was picked in 1997. As I approach the end of my life, it’s interesting to think about how many things come back; a particular vintage or the songs that girls used to sing when they were skipping.”

drinkLost Magazine6 November 2019drinkComment

Lost Cocktail - MODELLO 34

Lost Magazine6 November 2019drink recipesComment