Alla Wolf-Tasker AM Culinary Director & Co-Proprietor · Culinary Director & Co-Proprietor...

Alla Wolf-Tasker AM

Culinary Director & Co-ProprietorAlla Wolf Taskerwolfinkitchen LakeHouseDFLakeHouseDaylesford

Lake House today…

The Restaurant

The food

Aperitivo Deck

Argyle Library Bar

The Terrace Room

The Waterfront Pavilion

Private Dining in The Cellar

A hotel of 33 rooms & suites

Including a luxury two key private Retreat

Fabulous views

The Cooking School

International guests

Our award winning Spa at Lake House

New projects – Lake House will always be a work in progress

The Pool

Awards and accoladesStill coming after over 35 years

2 Chef Hats (with over 70 accumulated) – Good Food Guide Australia

4 Chefs toques – Gault Millaut Australia

Australian Wine List of the Year & induction into the Hall of Fame

Top 50 – The Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide

Australia’s Best Food and Wine Property - The Luxury Travel Gold List

Australia’s Best Regional Hotel - Gourmet Traveller

The Gold List – Conde Nast Traveller

One of Tatler UK’s 101 Best Hotels in the World

Daylesford 1979

Little or no visitation (tourism)

18-21% unemployment

Traditional local industries, wool, timber, potatoes in demise

Young people wanting to leave

No economic or population growth

No available local staff

No local specialty producers

No local clientele

Daylesford not on anyone’s radar

Lake House 1983…

There I was dreaming of a beautiful

dining room, an abundance of flowers,

verdant gardens cascading down to

the water, battalions of knowledgeable

waiters in long white aprons, a cellar

of note – excellent sommeliers, a

discerning clientele, and above all a

raft of wonderful local suppliers

providing the most excellent produce.

Lake House today…

Daylesford Today

• Daylesford now a bustling Tourism Mecca showing significant growth in national

and international visitation

• Has the largest number of naturally occurring mineral springs in Australia and the

largest concentration of holistic therapists in southern hemisphere

• Is an acknowledged region for Good Food

• The tourism industry is now conservatively worth $160M annually to the immediate

Hepburn Shire

• Is showing population growth with young families as well as ‘tree changers’

• Is a highly regarded ‘icon’ destination in its own right

• Continues to show year on year growth in yield /visitation generally from all

markets

Learnings from the Journey

in Business

• Do your homework

• Seek help/mentorship, but be intuitive and trust your gut . You know your

business

• If personal relationships are involved, ensure there are strong divisions of

labour

• Persevere

• Be open to continued learning

• Don’t rest on your laurels

• Remain relevant rather than following fads

• Bring people along for the ride. Share the vision, develop people, destinations

• and communities.

Our suppliers and local food

Our suppliers and local food

The Lake House tribe

Producer Visits

Bring your Team along on your journey

• Create an agreed to purpose

‘Creating great memories for our clientele’

• Develop a strong vision and relevant goals

‘To become one of Tatler’s 101 Best Hotels in the World’

‘To maintain a minimum of 2 hats for our restaurant’

• Develop a lasting mission (this is not about business strategy)

‘Setting the international benchmark for bespoke hospitality’

• Develop and communicate a clear set of values

‘Everyone of our customers is a VIP’

• Identify and train in behaviours that back up the words

• Affirm at each opportunity

Developing the Region

Do you want Tourism?

• Is Tourism an important consideration?

• What is Tourism?

• What’s to be gained?

• Where does it rank for all members of the community?

• What should it look like?

• Bear in mind that it tends to happen of its own accord

Developing the Region and Tourism Community

• Ensure all basic Tourism 101 requirements are met. Make it easy for

visitors and would be visitors

• Agree on – desired outcomes; brand; selling proposition; markets.

• Develop the vision

• Develop a ‘tribe’ mentality. Tribes generally shares a vision, a religion and

a mission. What’s your mission statement?

• Educate, educate, educate tribe member and associated relevant tribes

• Tell stories. Who are the custodians and the teller of stories ?

• Encourage new members .Who/what is needed?

• Don’t kill the goose that lays the golden egg

New Projects

(Dairy Flat Farm)

My Journey

Good Food Matters

• The speaker circuit

• Three Decades On - the book

• Good Food Matters- Sustainability, Regenerative Agriculture, Nutrition,

Mental Health, the Hospitality industry

• Judge National Young Chef Award

• National Judge on the delicious Produce Awards

• Supporting regenerative Producers – The Alla Wolf Tasker Good Food

Matters Scholarship

Thank you

Alla Wolf-Tasker AMAlla Wolf Taskerwolfinkitchen LakeHouseDFLakeHouseDaylesford