‘Never thought we’d be custodians’: Berwick’s beloved dining icon makes a comeback

Everyone who grew up in Berwick seems to have a story about Clover Cottage, a restaurant which operated between 1979 and 2016 on a three-hectare estate, 47 kilometres south-east of the city. To local delight, it’s soon to reopen under new owners Mark Protheroe and his wife, Katrina Bruckner.

“I never thought we’d be custodians of a property like this,” says Protheroe, a partner in Fitzroy North bistro The Recreation and Paradise Valley Hotel in Clematis. “This was the Florentino of Berwick. It’s a special project for us, and it seems for the community, too.”

On a recent Facebook post by a local realtor, there was much fond reminiscence about proposals “on one knee”, birthdays, anniversaries and a Brandy Alexander mousse “to die for”.

Clover Cottage is named for the 1890s weatherboard home towards the rear of the property. The restaurant is in a 1970s two-level building near the estate’s lavish iron entrance gates. It’s divided into a formal 80-seat dining room and casual brasserie with terrace. Both look onto mature gardens, sprawling lawns and fountains. Upstairs will later become private dining.

Protheroe and Bruckner bought the property in original condition, complete with grand piano on a parquetry dance floor and a table where roast meats were once lined up for a carvery. Renovations are a balance between history and modernisation.

Timber chairs have been reupholstered in stylish sea green. Gaudy curtains have been updated, but the carpets are original. Floral artwork has been retained, but there’s less of it cluttering the walls. In the brasserie, ornate chandeliers featuring flying cherubs oversee a split-level room with new bar, beer taps, banquettes and wallpaper with a Chinoiserie feel.

“There will be a strong classical European bent to the food in both areas,” says Protheroe. From July, the brasserie will be open seven days for brunch, lunch and dinner; omelettes and creme brulee French toast are locked in. Coffee is from Silva Coffee Roasters in the Yarra Valley, beer will be artisan.

Protheroe envisages mum and dad sipping spritzes while kids explore the gardens. “We’ll have search-and-find quizzes to keep them interested, and it will be priced accessibly.”

In the restaurant, there will be set-price two- and three-course menus topping out at $110, plus jazz on Friday nights and a Sunday lunch carvery. “Locals remember the carvery fondly,” says Protheroe. “But it will be a modern interpretation. People will come up to get their meat but vegetables and sides will be served at the table. It’s not a buffet.”

Canadian chef Michael Armitage-Fudge has been engaged to lead the kitchen, which includes a custom wood oven by local fabricator Sam Fraraccio, better known as The Brick Chef. Venue manager is Yossi Klein (ex-Anchovy, Bar Saracen).

There’s much joy in the gardens. Clover Cottage was home to tea baron Frederick Tuckfield, owner of Ty-nee Tips Tea, from 1955 until his death in 1973. Tuckfield had a special interest in camellia plants (tea is produced from the same genus), and he cultivated numerous unique camellias on this property. He was known to host open garden days during which he would pour visitors cups of Ty-nee Tips from an enormous teapot.

“The weight of the history of the estate is not lost on us,” says Protheroe.

The couple’s 10-year plan for the property includes restoring the cottage for accommodation and developing the art collection. “We hope to add to the gravitas of this incredible property, investing for the future and ensuring this is a key part of Australian dining for decades to come.”

Clover Cottage opens in July.

54 Manuka Road, Berwick, clovercottage.co