Amid stories of young couples left jilted at the proverbial altar and staff left shocked and out of pocket by the closure of Pialligo Estate, we shouldn't forget that Canberra has also lost one of Australia's most unique paddock-to-plate dining experiences.
In January, executive chef Mark Glenn escorted me around the estate, ahead of the launch of their Chef's Table experience. As we popped freshly picked cherry tomatoes and basil leaves into our mouths, driving through the orchards and around the garden beds, Glenn was still as full of enthusiasm for what the estate offered, for him as a chef and the diners of Canberra, as he was in 2021 when he arrived from Melbourne in the midst of lockdown.
