Step into the Grand Ballroom of the Barossa Chateau at Lyndoch for high tea and you will feel like you are in another era.
There is extensive history in this building, including the remarkable high ceilings and pillars. Hermann Thumm escaped Communist rule in Germany and made his way to Iran. He was then arrested by British Forces in 1941 after the British/Soviet invasion of Iran and sent him to Australia for internment until 1946. Upon his release in 1947, he settled into the Barossa Valley.
Raised on a vineyard, Hermann Thumm founded Chateau Yaldara wines near the Barossa Valley town of Lyndoch. Hermann also established his rose garden on the grounds of the Chateau. He spent over a million dollars and grew around 30,000 blooms. This led to Queen Elizabeth opening the gardens in 2002.
Current owners, Mandy and Mark Creed have honoured Hermann’s legacy by keeping the building and surrounds almost the way it was when he built the Chateau. Make sure you take a moment to appreciate the grounds and the inside of the building.
The High Tea and the staff at Barossa Chateau were lovely. Most of the items are made fresh using local ingredients. They grow their own fruit, vegetables and herbs on the grounds. A couple of the elements are ordered from the local bakery.
I’m not a wine or sparkling drinker, but I tried the Pink Moscato to start with. This is made on site by the owners who operate Creed Wines. It was nice and had the right amount of sweet in it.
The Barossa Chateau High Tea was tasty, fresh and worthy of being on the plate. We started with the Tomato and Basil Pesto Crostini, which included fresh basil and tomatoes from the garden. You could taste the homegrown freshness. The onion jam tart was modern and tasty too.
The Profiterole with pickled zucchini crème was a great flavour combination of sweet and savoury. The classic curried egg sandwich was on the menu and took me back to my childhood!
The palate cleanser of Raspberry Sorbet in between the sweet and savoury dishes, was a nice touch.
The Apricot Jam for the scones is made on site and had that classic homemade jam flavour! I couldn’t pick a favourite sweet as it was all delicious. I am a sucker for a brownie though! This one was very moist and tasty with added raspberry. I couldn’t go past the Chocolate covered éclair either.
In addition to the High Tea, make sure you book a tour of the Art Gallery while you are there to see the amazing display of 18th and 19th century antiques that Hermann Thumm collected around the globe over the years. Why not make a weekend of it and book accommodation at Lyndoch Hill too!
Glorious High Tea at the Barossa Chateau:
Includes:
A glass of Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot, Pink Moscato
or
Non-Alcoholic Champagne and endless Tea and filtered Coffee
Savoury:
- Fresh Baked Frittata
- Mixed Petite Sandwiches
- Smoked Salmon on Cucumber Rounds
- Gougers with Herbed Goats Curd
- Palate Cleanser
Sweet:
- Macarons
- Shortbread
- Scones with Jam and Cream
- Chocolate brownie
- Lemon Curd Tart
- Meringue Kisses
Above menu is a sample menu and is subject to change.
Please advise of any dietary requirements at the time of booking.
High Tea in South Australia – find more experiences
in our High Tea Venue Directory
