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Dairy Flat Farm by Lake House

Dairy Flat Farm Daylesford  is our own 38 acre regenerative growing facility 10 minutes down the road from Lake House.

So far the property includes five acres of dedicated newly developed vegetable gardens, a working barn for future classes and workshops, 3 hoop houses, a glass house; an orchard of 300 trees; an existing rejuvenated olive grove and a similarly attended to two and a half acre vineyard are now up and flourishing.

As a result we now have our own pristine and freshly picked produce coming into the Lake House kitchens on a daily basis.

We are not forgetting our local community of growers and farmers some of whom we’ve forged relationships with over decades. You’ll still find them noted throughout our menus when you dine. But we’ve always had to supplement what they’ve been able to provide. Dairy Flat Farm Daylesford will now serve that purpose, as well as allowing us to experiment with rare and interesting varietals for our menus.

We also have our eye on the opportunity to do far more preserving and fermentation with excess produce. An extensive cellaring space on The Farm will be stocked soon enough we’re sure!

The bake house
at Dairy Flat Farm

  • Located in the old tunnel and cellar at Dairy Flat, the bake house opens to the ornamental gardens and is dedicated to slow fermented sourdough and associated viennoiserie.

Driving this dream of proper slow fermented breads is the desire to fly in the face of industrialised bread production and to support the growers and millers of small local grain economies. In the process, the local community has gained added access to good bread. The mission was to supply guests of Lake House and the Lodge at Dairy Flat with not only the best, but also with product whose provenance is always known.

The Bake House is only open to guests staying at Dairy Flat Lodge, although you can find our beautiful sourdough in Daylesford: 

Devotees of our daily bake pick up at Wombat Hill House 5 days a week from 9am Friday – Tuesday.

Our stall at the Sunday Market Daylesford is also fully stocked each week (although the team often sell out fast).

Of course in house guests at Lake House will be treated to a selection from the daily bake each morning at breakfast and throughout lunch or dinner in the Restaurant.

Our Lodge

It is a working farm – there are always growers and gardeners around, often the beekeeper or viticulturalist. And then there are the bakers. After a quick ‘early riser’ coffee, you might be lured out on a morning walk by the birdsong and the mist lying in the gullies, but you’ll be spurred on by the smell of fresh bread and pastries baking. Make sure to stop by for a chat in the Bake House.

Through the formal gardens and the olive groves and onto the vegetable and herb gardens where the morning’s harvest will be in progress – destined for the tables at the Lake House Restaurant. Walk down the Manchurian Pear walk to the dam and stop for a few moments of silence – you may be rewarded, with the sight of a mother kangaroo and her joey, a water bird fishing and certainly the sound of many happy frogs.

By now the Lodge Concierge will be grinding fresh coffee beans in the kitchen and the house and its residents will be stirring in readiness for the country breakfast that awaits. Conversation flows and people make arrangements for their day. In the library, or peace and quiet somewhere in the extensive gardens with a good book; more strolls through the vineyard and across the pastures; or some local off-site adventures on foot or on one of our electric bikes. Pretty Leitches Creek Mineral Spring, Daylesford Cidery, and Passing Clouds Winery, down local country lanes, are all but minutes away.

The latter two both offer delicious tipples and relaxed casual lunch options. No need for your car. And then there’s nearby Istra as well, where you can fill your basket with local ham, salami, prosciutto or in season Musk Berry Farm. Bring it back to Dairy Flat Farm, cut up a loaf of our fresh sourdough and enjoy in the sunshine with a glass of wine. All that exercise and fresh air might require an afternoon nap – possibly interrupted by the jangle of the drinks cart as aperitivo hour expands the variety of libations available in the honour bar.

There’ll be laughter over backgammon or charades. Conversations will flourish. Some will take to the cedar hot tub overlooking the vineyard, others may wish to wait until the adjacent fire pit is lit and enjoy the inky star-strewn skies.

The Lodge Concierge will have discussed dinner options with you. A casual meal in Daylesford? A relaxed shared farm platter or a seat at the table at Lake House, one of the finest restaurants in Australia. Just let us know….

Relax, sleep tight and leave it to us.