The Pialligo Estate restaurant and function business is understood to be fighting for its survival, shutting down its website and closing its doors to the general public, as it tries to stave off financial collapse.
Members of the Canberra and Queanbeyan hospitality industries have answered the call for help, so that weddings already planned for Pialligo Estate this weekend will still go ahead.
Pialligo Estate owner John Russell has been asked to comment on the future of the business but has so far not done so.
Brides and grooms who have future bookings at Pialligo have been trying to get information about whether their wedding will go ahead or not.
The family of one couple were told staff were just "trying to get through" weddings being held on Friday and over the weekend.
Another couple said earlier this week the price of their wedding was inexplicably increased, even though they had paid a deposit.
Staff were setting up the function room on Friday for a wedding, determined to make sure all those planned for this weekend went ahead.
Pialliago Estate has emailed clients confirming it was closing "temporarily".
"Despite five years of difficult trading conditions, including two fires, the bushfires, lost vintages, multiple lockdowns, and the extended impact of Covid-19 pandemic throughout the country, Pialligo Estate has continued to strive for and deliver excellence," the email read.
"Our team has worked tirelessly to build a business that supports locals and promotes Australian products.
"Despite of [sic] our best efforts, we have today, temporarily closed."
Those with knowledge of the estate said the business has been on the brink of receivership, but still expressed shock that the estate was closing.
Like most of the hospitality industry, Pialligo Estate has been hit by the events of the past few years including bushfire smoke in 2019-20 and COVID lockdowns.
It also had to contend with two devastating fires on its properties.
A fire in 2017 destroyed the main restaurant, the Farmhouse, at Pialligo.
Its smokehouse facility in Hume was also destroyed by fire, in 2016.
One person said if anyone could pull the business out of a hole, it would be the owner John Russell who had put his heart and soul into it.
The restaurant was still serving dinner on Thursday night but has closed for the weekend, with the website shut down.
Mr Russell bought out former partner Rowan Brennan in 2017.
Pialligo Estate opened in 2013, quickly becoming a popular fine dining spot with a unique location on the fertile banks of the Molonglo River.
It is a picture-perfect spot for weddings, with views out across the paddocks to Parliament House.
The business includes its own line of smoked meats and other products and runs its owns kitchen garden for its restaurant.
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