Craigie Knowe Vineyard is the oldest vineyard on the East Coast of Tasmania. Photo / Tourism Australia
Craigie Knowe Vineyard is the oldest vineyard on the East Coast of Tasmania. Photo / Tourism Australia
You’ve got to give it to Tasmania, it’s an island that champions its artisans and regional produce. When it comes to supporting local, here are nine places every visitor should check out, writes Katie Lockhart
Tasmania has a lot of monikers: Tassie, Trowunna, The Apple Isle, the HolidayIsle ... the list goes on. And although this southern island takes up just 0.9 per cent of the country’s land area, it’s arguably Australia’s new cultural capital.
Home to the country’s most impressive museum, Mona, and one of its favourite art and culture festivals, Bad Mofo, in the past decade, Tasmania has firmly cemented itself as an artists’ haven where handmade goods and freshly-made products are as plentiful as its apple trees.
Tasmania has firmly cemented itself as an artists’ haven where handmade goods and fresh products are plentiful. Photo / Tourism Australia
“The local artisan scene in Tasmania is incredible, a mix of producers all blending their own passions with both new and traditional styles and ways of making,” says Craig Will, Executive Chef of Stillwater Restaurant in Launceston. “The true essence of Tasmania is echoed in every handcrafted creation, whether that’s cheese, whiskey, lamb or ceramics.”
So, on your next trip to this bucolic land, look out for these nine incredible artists, chefs and producers that give Tasmania its locally crafted reputation.
Emily Eliza Arlotte Handcrafted Fine Jewellery
Born and bred in Tasmania, Emily Eliza sells jewellery that is handmade from ethically sourced gems and metals out of her studio in Hobart’s Salamanca Arts Centre. Whimsical natural designs like butterfly wing earrings and crescent moon necklaces are the hallmarks of this Tasmanian-made jewellery collection. Crafted using sustainable materials such as recycled metals from Australian mines, her opal necklaces are an ideal Aussie keepsake.
Butterfly Wing Earrings by Tasmania-based jewellery designer, Emily Eliza Arlotte. Photo / Supplied
A homage to Hobart’s southern neighbour, Süd Polaire channels the icy cool climate of Antarctica. Launched in 2015, this micro-batch spirit is hand-brewed and infused with local botanicals and indigenous leaves, giving it a true Tassie taste. Stop into the owner’s award-winning restaurant Institut Polaire to try their signature Süd Polaire Antarctic Dry Martini, finished with an icy cold blast of CO2 and freshly-spritzed local juniper mist.
It doesn’t get more locally grown than The Agrarian Kitchen. Comprising an award-winning restaurant, cooking school, casual cafe and garden, it’s a comprehensive look at Tasmania’s farm-to-fork dining scene. It is located 30 minutes outside of Hobart and visitors can do a cooking class using the garden produce or a more niche class focusing on gardening or composting. Afterwards, book a dinner at the restaurant where a set menu of local ingredients from oysters to lamb hits the table.
The Agrarian Kitchen in Tasmania offers a comprehensive farm-to-fork experience, including cooking and gardening classes. Photo / Supplied
Stillwater Restaurant
The pride of Launceston, this award-winning restaurant inside a historic flour mill, focuses on hyper-regional ingredients. For decades, local chef Craig Will has been building relationships with farmers, hunters and producers within a 50km radius. His octopus and kingfish are sourced from a childhood friend who hauls it in each morning, and the wallaby comes from the country’s only certified hunter. Book in early for a dinner here; it’s arguably Tasmania’s hottest table.
Stillwater Restaurant in Launceston is renowned for using hyper-local ingredients. Photo / Supplied
Bruny Botanica
Made using Tasmanian ingredients, this all-natural skincare line is chemical-free, cruelty-free and super-sustainable. Crafting a range of products, from pillow sprays to lip scrubs to body oil, it’s all designed to nourish your skin without all those toxic chemicals. If your suitcase can only fit one item, make it the Bruny Island Sand Exfoliating Scrub. Blended with actual sand from its namesake Tassie island, it’s a smooth-skin game-changer.
Fiona Francois Art
Pull into Francois’ art studio in the quaint town of Deloraine, and you’ll find life-like drawings of Tasmania’s unique animals. Using charcoal, pencil and acrylics, Francois channels her former career as a video game designer to draw startling portraits of women and animals. The Tasmanian Masked Owl, The Platypus, and The Black Cockatoo are stunningly realistic renditions. Art enthusiasts can also find her work in galleries throughout the state.
Craigie Knowe
Tasmania is made for wine lovers. Its cool climate, mineral-rich soil and sunny autumns are ideal for award-winning chardonnay and pinot noir. Visitors to the rustic cellar door at Craigie Knowe are greeted by sheepdogs and ushered in for a wine tasting. As the oldest vineyard on the East Coast, they’ve been growing award-winning grapes since 1979. Enjoy a local cheese plate with your wine, or try the decadent cakes made by the owner’s wife.
Sök Spa Products
From soaps blended with Tasmanian sea salt and beeswax to bubble bath salts made with Tasmanian lavender, Sök Spa Products are all about treating yourself. Made by local artisan Dana Frey, she uses fresh-picked Tassie ingredients and high-quality, all-natural oils and butters in her products. Travellers can pick up some all-natural perfumes, diffuser oils and candles from various stores around the state, including The Spotted Quoll Studio in Hobart and Freycinet Lodge Gift Shop.
The obscenely beautiful Freycinet Lodge has its own gift shop that sells Sök Spa Products. Photo / RACT Destinations
Lisa Wise Ceramics
Lisa Wise started moulding clay in 2001 and continues to hone her craft from her seaside studio in Tasmania. She specialises in porcelain ceramics and produces small, limited-edition pieces with off-kilter shapes and striking patterns that create a stylish and contemporary aesthetic. Ceramics enthusiasts can visit her table at Hobart’s famous Salamanca Market on Saturdays or peruse her work at Off Centre Arts Collective, open daily.
Hobart’s famous Salamanca Market takes place on Saturdays. Photo / Tourism Australia
