The Charm of the Farm – Three Blue Ducks Byron Bay

Ahh Byron, such a beautiful piece of the planet. I don’t get there much, but as soon as I turn off the highway heading into Byron, I start to relax. Three Blue Ducks gives me the same feeling. Its deconstructed youthfulness and wistful elegance changes you. I arrive on dusk, the sun-glow signs to THE FARM coaxed me through the front gate and up the pebbled driveway that reveals Three Blue Ducks dining. This is not fine dining, this is great dining. It throws off the shackles of restrained fanciness and immerses you into the surroundings with barn entrance, wooden paneling throughout, a huge worn dining deck that overlooks some of the farm and a long exposed kitchen that adds a human touch.

Three Blue Ducks is on a 86-acre working biological farm, creatively called THE FARM. Head chefs Darren Robertson and Mark Labrooy aim for simple dishes that demonstrate the beauty of local, fresh, organic produce that is chemical-free. Their popularity has also extended to a Bronte restaurant that aims to bring the farm to the city.

My all too short visit was for a light dinner whilst travelling from Queensland to New South Wales. My quick visit resulted in some of the best food I’ve had in a long time. I’m a believer that a restaurant meal is not the food on the plate, but the ambience, the mood, the staff, the friends, the sights and the sounds. When it aligns, it is beautiful and memorable.

All three dishes were stand outs. From the ‘Brussels Sprouts with native honey and almonds‘ which I could have eaten another plate to the ‘Kangaroo Tartare‘ which was rich and tomato-sweet. The ‘Local line-caught fish brandade‘ was rich, fragrant and creamy (if you do not like fishy smell, it may not be for you).

My albeit brief time at Three Blue Ducks was wonderful and a little whimsical. Look out for THE FARM signs as you turn off to Byron Bay because I do not want you to miss it, for that would be a big foodie loss.