Pialligo Estate set to reopen this winter under new operators
Posted on
A marriage of a hospitality powerhouse and an AFR rich lister is poised to open a new venture at Pialligo Estate this July.
The grounds of Canberra’s Pialligo Estate are being given new life through a partnership between restaurateur Anthony Whitehouse and property tycoon and Australian Financial Review rich lister, Tony Denny.
Set to open this July, Pialligo Estate will retain its name due to its affinity with Canberrans but will bring a whole new experience to the Canberra restaurant and events scene.
The venture is helmed by Anthony Whitehouse, head of Create Catering, who has a long history as a restaurateur extending back to the early ’90s in the United Kingdom, where amongst his many achievements, his restaurant, The Hole In The Wall, was awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
Anthony Whitehouse. Image: supplied.
Since coming to Australia with his family in 2011, Anthony was General Manager of Compass Group before opening Create Catering, a company specialising in a diverse range of venue and event catering contracts. Recognised by the Restaurant & Catering Association, Create Catering has taken out accolades such as Best Venue Caterer, Best Site-Contract Caterer for the Australian Museum in Sydney and Best Informal Restaurant in ACT for Westering at the Lake George Winery.
Pialligo Estate. Image: supplied.
Starting a project like Pialligo Estate afresh might seem like a massive undertaking, but Anthony sees it as more of a homecoming.
“I first fell in love with Canberra when I came to the city after being awarded the contract for the Australian War Memorial. Running the beloved Poppy’s Cafe alongside the event catering within the memorial, I built a connection with the region that led me to seek out other projects here.
“Over the years we’ve run Olleyville at the Shaw Winery Estate, Westering at the Lake George Winery and the Gundaroo Inn. It’s a vibrant city that in the last decade has built a dining scene that I’m excited to have the opportunity to be a part of with our new venture at Pialligo Estate,”says Anthony.
Tony Denny. Image: supplied.
Anthony’s business partner for this venture, Tony Denny, comes to the project with the hefty financial backing of his personal company, Central Real Capital.
“Partnering with Create Catering on this project was an easy decision to make. Anthony is a visionary in the hospitality scene and I can’t wait to see the iconic landmark of Pialligo Estate have a new lease of life,”says Tony.
Anthony and Tony will be assembling their team for Pialligo Estate over the coming weeks.
Feature image: Martin Ollman for Tourism Australia
