The Calile Rooftop Garden Inspires Reimagined Lobby Bar
BRISBANE: The Calile Hotel, in Brisbane’s James Street district, is now home to an organic, rooftop garden and a thriving colony of busy bees that supply organic produce to the hotel’s Lobby Bar and function spaces.
Making the most of Queensland’s sunshine, eight tidy wooden planter boxes line the Doggett Street side of the hotel’s roof alongside four Langstroth hives, housing thousands of pollinating bees that produce honey exclusively for The Calile’s guests.
Built and farmed in partnership with urban cultivators, Future Wild, and designed by architects Richards And Spence, the rooftop garden is part of The Calile’s continued commitment to sustainable practices.
Lobby Bar Head Chef, Andrew (Andy) Gunn, who honed his skills at Brisbane’s Urbane and Le Cinq at Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris, says the rooftop-to-table concept complements his seasonal approach to menus.
“Our goal is to achieve zero waste,” Andy said. “So, we’ve designed flexible menus that enable us to replace ingredients where required.”
According to Andy, French millet, buckwheat, mung bean and other legumes were planted, cultivated, and composted earlier this year to produce healthy, nutrient-rich soil. The hotel team, working with Future Wild, then planted an autumn crop with more than 42 varieties of lettuce, sorrel, tomatoes, sugar snap peas, garlic, and grapevines.
“Our garden sets Lobby Bar apart from other venues,” Chef Gunn said. “Guests know ingredients have been harvested directly from the garden and placed with care on their plate, and as a chef, it’s an amazing tool and privilege to have.”
Joining Andy in the kitchen is pastry perfectionist, Chef Amélie Gunn, whose array of buttery baked items are the perfect accompaniment to an early morning coffee. Together, this dynamic husband and wife duo have created a menu that accentuates the thoughtful union between traditional techniques and local innovation.
“People don’t want heavy cream and butter-rich dishes in Brisbane’s climate,” said Amélie. “Instead, they favour simple and fresh interpretations.”
Whether it’s French toast tiramisu or crepes with rooftop Calile honey for breakfast, freshly baked baguettes for brunch, a tasty morsel with a cocktail, or Chef Gunn’s signature beef tartare or steak frites the Lobby Bar menu combines French-influenced flavours with seasonal and homegrown ingredients from the rooftop garden.
“At the heart of this menu, we respect the produce and the flavours,” she said.
Lobby Bar’s recently appointed Sommelier, Thibaud Cregut, has curated a wine list to match including French tipples like Louis Roederer Vintage Rose from Champagne and Domaine des Hates Petit Chablis, as well as organic wines like Barossa Valley’s Whistler Dry As A Bone Rosé.
Lobby Bar, at The Calile Hotel, is open seven days a week, for breakfast, lunch, dinner, aperitifs, last-minute nightcaps, and all the moments in-between.
HOMEGROWN HOW TO
The Calile hosts regular ‘Homegrown How To’ workshops with Elia Guy, founder of Future Wild. Hosted in The Calile Rooftop Garden, where guests learn the secrets of great soil, how to master compost, the trick to growing from seeds and how to manage organic pest control. To accompany workshops, special breakfasts and dinners are hosted at Lobby Bar. More information on the latest ‘Homegrown How To’ event as part of James St Food + Wine Trail here and to be released on The Calile website.
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EDITOR’S NOTES
48 James St, Fortitude Valley, Queensland
Open Monday to Friday: 6:30am until late, Saturday to Sunday: 7:00am until late
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/lobbybarbrisbane
Website: lobbybar.com.au
High-res images available here
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
Jessica Wood (TFE Hotels PR Executive) | [email protected] | +61 437 242 034
Jessica Wulf (The Calile Hotel Director of Sales & Marketing) | [email protected] | +61 423 765 286
ABOUT LOBBY BAR
Like a classic Bordeaux, Lobby Bar has evolved and matured, now an established “I’ll-meet-you-there” destination at all times, day, or night. Whether you’re a guest, local, or in-the-know visitor, one step inside, and you’ll be welcomed into a beautiful space and an extension of The Calile Hotel’s signature warm hospitality. Transcending the typical function of a hotel restaurant, Lobby Bar is delightfully fluid, a mirror for your mood as the day progresses, making it the perfect space to dine, conduct casual business, idle away time, enjoy an aperitif or a combination. lobbybar.com.au
ABOUT THE CALILE ROOFTOP GARDEN
All produce has been planted with organic, biodynamic and permaculture principles in mind – by growing nasturtium, borage, marigolds and alyssum, pests are organically controlled and the neighbouring bees fed. To work with Brisbane’s climate, The Calile’s architect, Ingrid Richards of Richards And Spence, has designed a custom-arched trellis to sit over the planters to encourage green canopy growth – made up of plants like grapevines, peas and cucumbers that will in turn, protect the crops.
Langstroth hives take up residence next to the edible garden and play home to thousands of bees. Each hive has ten frames and each produces roughly 2.3 kilograms of honey. Sweet Calile honey will soon be stocked in the lobby shop, Museum of Small Things (M.O.S.T.) and is featured in Lobby Bar dishes.