Imagine a rustic country wedding venue near our national capital city Canberra, with beautiful grounds, scenic countryside, their own vineyard and wines and smoked meats from their very own smokehouse – well, that is wedding heaven! Add to that a cellar door where guests can take home their favourite drop to remember your day, and you could well be forgiven for wanting to settle in for a very very long weekend! So today we introduce Annika and Katie from Poachers Pantry – the team who will make sure your wedding is everything you hope for and more.
What was the inspiration for starting Poachers Pantry?
Living in such a beautiful location so close to Canberra but the property was not economic on farming alone, it was an incentive for Susan and Robert Bruce to start Poachers Pantry. Susan went looking for something that combined her love of good food and wine and enjoyment of sharing it with family and friends.
By bringing together the smoked meats produced on the farm, wine from our vineyard and beautiful rural location we have created the perfect venue for a country wedding.
Image from Michelle and Piero’s Vintage Country Wedding by Thorson Photography
Where exactly is Poachers Pantry situated?
Poachers Pantry is situated on a farm in Hall, NSW a 15 minute drive from the ACT border. Located in the Canberra Wine Region, we are surrounded by a variety of like minded businesses including wineries, restaurants, B&Bs and a beautiful day spa. The region really is the perfect place for a country wedding.
How would you describe your venue?
Our venue, being in the country has rustic charm. We offer ceremony, reception, photography and food in one stunning location. We have passion for quality regional food, wine and seasonal produce.
Is Poachers Pantry part of a working farm?
Poachers Pantry is part of a working farm. We have 1500 Merino Sheep that are bred for their superfine wool. The shearing occurs in our slab woolshed that was built in the 1890s. The vineyard was planted in the late 1990’s and today produces grapes that are making some of the finest wine in the region – the sheep and the vineyard keep the boys very busy!
Image from Michelle and Piero’s Vintage Country Wedding by Thorson Photography
Do you have an on-site wedding co-ordinator?
We have an onsite Wedding Manager, Katie who heads the wedding team. She has been dealing with our weddings for a number of years now and meets potential wedding couples who are looking at having their country wedding at Poachers. Annika, our wedding coordinator just adores weddings and provides our brides and grooms with answers to their questions and assists with arrangements for the big day.
What services do you offer the bride and groom?
We have a number of package options available to ensure our couples’ wedding day is simply perfect. A stunning marquee is on offer for those with a larger number of guests and the old Smokehouse Cafe offers a smart yet casual reception with room for 100 guests to sit down or 150 people canapé style. We have a range of menu styles including canapé, table d’hôte and degustation menus. All menu options are inclusive of beverage packages and feature our own Wily Trout wines.
Which vendors can a couple bring in when using your venue?
When using our venue, wedding guests are able to supply all of their own decorations, flowers and cake. We work closely with a number of wedding suppliers and we can suggest vendors if our couples wish.
Image from Chris and Audrey’s Autumn ‘Love Story Shoot by Sutoritera
What facilities do you offer for a larger wedding?
Our gorgeous marquee is available for larger weddings; 250 for a sit down wedding reception and 300 for a canapé style reception.
Poachers Pantry boasts a winery and a smokehouse. Can you describe your food philosophy and how that fits into providing food for a wedding?
Yes, we have our own smokehouse and vineyard. Our traditionally smoked meats are feature in our seasonal wedding menus to create stunning contemporary dishes. Our Wily Trout Wines are produced locally from grapes grown on the Poachers’ property.
What food is on the menu for a winter wedding?
We have a range of delicious morsels on the winter wedding menu including baked scallops with classic prosciutto, Morcilla almond crumb and sauce Jacqueline; slow cooked smoked lamb cutlets in a red wine sauce with winter vegetables, potato bacon dumplings and parsley salad; dark chocolate and hazelnut feuilletine mousse cake with raspberry.
Is there accommodation for wedding guests close by?
There are two lovely B&Bs close by – Country Guesthouse Schonegg in Murrumbateman, a 20 minute drive from Poachers, and Redbrow Garden just 7 kms down the road.
Image by Beata English Photography
A day in my life at Poachers Pantry would involve……..
Annika: includes responding to wedding enquiries from brides and grooms and answering all of their pre wedding questions; meeting with couples who have weddings coming up where we discuss menu options, final details and ensure they are on track with their wedding plans. At the moment I am busy organising a wedding photo shoot and preparing for wedding expos.
I spend a lot of time arranging a time for couple to come and see the venue and meet with Katie. It’s lovely to see newly engaged couples so excited about booking in their venue and deciding on a wedding date! I work closely with a number of local wedding suppliers who are just as committed as we are to making every wedding perfect!
On the day of the wedding either Katie or myself will be at Poachers to meet with the bride and groom, make sure photography is on track, make sure the ceremony runs smoothly, and make sure all the tables and set up looks perfect! It’s amazing to be able to see such a special day in someones lives, and to see the wedding you have been working on for so long come together so beautifully!
Katie: I am always busy meeting with potential couples and showing them around our venue. During the weeks before the wedding, I meet with the lovely bride and groom to finalise details for their big day. I’m always on the lookout for wedding expos and trade shows to ensure we’re on top of all the current wedding trends. Research is a huge part of my role.
My favourite dish from the Smokehouse café menu at the moment is……
Annika: the barberry salt rubbed smoked chicken breast with pumpkin, quinoa and green tahina sauce. It’s a delicious winter dish, and popular for all the Poachers events.
Katie: I love the slow cooked smoked lamb cutlets in a red wine sauce with winter vegetables, potato bacon dumplings and parsley salad. It’s one of those warming winter meals.
Image by Bryce Christensen of Esonica
When I’m not working at Poachers I love to……
Annika: When I’m not at Poachers I spend lots of time looking through wedding magazines and blogs to make sure I am up to date with all current wedding trends. It’s great seeing so many new and exciting colours and concepts developing, and seeing how our Poachers brides are mixing new trends with their personal tastes.
On a cold winter’s night there is nothing better than cuddling up on the couch with a cup of tea and watching ‘Say Yes to the Dress’ or ‘Amsale Girls Bridal’
Katie: When I’m not at Poachers I love hanging out with my family – my husband Cameron and 1 year old son Hamish. I love good food and wine and a visit to one of the wineries in the area is not uncommon! I also love the going to the Canberra Region Farmer’s on a Saturday morning; the fresh produce – fruit, veg and flowers are just amazing.
Thank you Annika and Katie for sharing your time with us. Doesn’t the food from the Smokehouse Cafe sound yummy? And I think the surroundings speak for themselves! To find out more about Poachers Pantry please visit their website.
Headshot courtesy of Lauren from Poachers Pantry
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