Pialligo Estate Farmhouse fire: business as usual for other venues as owners vow to rebuild

A day after the devastating fire that engulfed the Pialligo Estate Farmhouse Restaurant, owners Rowan Brennan and John Russell, and General Manager Charlie Costello vowed the business would be rebuilt.

They said that they were obviously devastated by the fire, which is believed to have started in the kitchen, but today was about getting back on their feet and rebuilding.

“We are thankful that nobody was hurt, and for the outpouring of support from the Canberra community,” they said.

“We want to also thank ACT Fire and Rescue and ACT Policing for their quick response.”

ACT Fire & Rescue was alerted to the building fire at Pialligo Estate on Kallaroo Road at 4.24 pm yesterday, with multiple fire crews attending including Aviation Fire & Rescue appliances from nearby Canberra Airport and ACT Rural Fire Service crews. An aerial unit fought the blaze from above.

They struggled with strong north-westerly winds that fanned the flames.

The cause of the blaze is not clear, however authorities said there were no suspicious circumstances at the early stages of investigation.

The owners stressed that the fire only impacted the Farmhouse Restaurant and that all other Pialligo Estate businesses were functioning unimpeded, including the Garden Pavilions, the Smokehouse, and the Glasshouse. They urged their patrons and customers to continue supporting these businesses.

“We are devastated by the fire yesterday, but today our team is focusing on returning to business as usual,” they said.

“Please come down for our normal weekly Sunday Roast Essentials, on as normal at 12 pm every Sunday at the Glasshouse.”

The Garden Pavilions will reopen for breakfast service tomorrow Saturday 14 October. Bookings for the Garden Pavilions and the Glasshouse remain unchanged. Farmhouse reservations will be moved to the Glasshouse from Wednesday 18 October 2017.

The restaurant had only reopened in August after it was closed for a number of months for renovations.

It was the second blaze to hit the business in less than two years, with the Hume smokehouse facility destroyed by fire in July 2016. The smokehouse operations, including Pialligo Estate’s award-winning bacon, were temporarily moved to Fairbairn.

The Estate asks all customers who have made bookings over the next three months to please contact reservations on 02 6247 6060 or reservations@pialligo.estate