4 November 2024

Enjoy a Spring Soiree high tea at Pialligo Fields

| Lucy Ridge
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A table with a three-tiered high tea display, teapots and bottle of champagne.

Tickets to the Spring Soiree include a glass of champagne on arrival, a high tea tower of cakes, scones and sandwiches, as well as access to lawn games, live music, and the stunning surroundings of Pialligo Estate. Photo: Supplied/Pialligo Estate.

Pialligo Estate reopened in June under the ownership of Create Catering’s Anthony Whitehouse, and with the arrival of warmer weather, things are looking sunny for the much-loved Canberra business. The team has announced a series of Spring Soiree events, showcasing the lawns of the estate – Pialligo Fields – in the first public events since their reopening.

“What I’ve found since operating Pialligo Estate is that Canberrans have a real affinity with the space,” Anthony said.

“There are so many special memories people love to share with me that took place at the estate: weddings, parties, special dinners and long brunches. I want to invite everyone back in to enjoy the gardens again and share in the wonderful Canberra spring weather with us.”

A table set for tea under a gazebo in a garden with flowering lavender bushes.

Enjoy high tea in the gardens of Pialligo Estate. Photo: Supplied/Pialligo Estate.

The Spring Soiree events will include champagne on arrival and a high tea tower with a beautiful selection of house-made cakes, scones and sandwiches. Bottomless tea and the option to purchase Aperol or limoncello cocktails will make it an afternoon tea to remember.

The road to rebuilding Pialligo Estate after the previous owners abruptly closed in 2023 has been long, but Anthony says the staff have pulled it all together.

“It’s been a lot of hard work to get the estate back on its feet, and we’ve assembled a wonderful team of Canberrans to run the business. It’s a real privilege to bring new employment opportunities to Canberra, and it’s so incredible how Canberra has embraced us.”

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Ireland-born head chef Aoife Sugrue and Brazilian executive chef Stefano Mondonico are overseeing a team of local chefs, while newcomer Luca Giacomin has taken over front-of-house management. Onsite gardens provide garnishes for drinks and ingredients for the Pialligo Pavilion restaurant, which has been a hive of activity since the June reopening. Other ingredients are sourced from within a 200 km radius.

The view of the lawns and marquee.

Pialligo Estate was bought by Anthony Whitehouse of Create Catering earlier in 2024. Photo: Pialligo Estate.

There will be live music throughout the afternoon, as well as lawn games and floral styling for a thoroughly Instagrammable backdrop. The grounds of Pialligo Estate make you feel like you’re in the middle of the country, yet there are views all the way through to Parliament House and the centre of the city.

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Tickets have been released for the weekend of 9 and 10 November, but the team is promising more dates in the future. The Spring Soiree promises to be a beautiful (and delicious!) occasion to celebrate the warm weather in the surrounds of Pialligo Estate.

Pialligo Estate is located at 18 Kallaroo Rd, Pialligo. The first Spring Soiree sessions will be held on 9 and 10 November, from 12 to 5 pm (last booking at 2.30 pm). Tickets $99 pp, bookings essential. Follow Pialligo Estate on Facebook or Instagram.

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