For Lilly Trewartha, Lutruwita/Tasmania is one of the best places in the world to be a chef. The island state is home to passionate producers, innovative chefs, and an underlying ethos to protect the rich natural environment that sustains it all. The result? A vibrant food scene with sustainability at its heart. Here, Lilly shares nine of her favorite foodie spots around the state.
Growing up in Gordon, a small town south of Nipaluna/Hobart, my love for food began early, thanks to my mother. She was an avid gardener, and it was through her I learned the importance of seasonality and just how good fresh, locally grown produce can taste.
My culinary career began in Nipaluna/Hobart, where I had the privilege of working with some of Australia’s most incredible restauranteurs, like David Moyle at The Stackings and Luke Burgess at Garagistes. Both chefs—once mentors, now friends—taught me the value of supporting local growers and embracing the bounty of produce offered up by Tasmania’s fertile land and abundant sea.
But I learnt a different lesson soon after. When I was 21, a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma temporarily took me out of the kitchen, but taught me to live in the moment. I took a step back, travelled, and explored different parts of the world, from Europe to Central America. Like so many people whose lives took them far afield, the COVID-19 pandemic brought me home, where a ‘quick stint’ has resulted in me being here today, five years later. But I can’t say I mind. Between Tassie’s beautiful, accessible nature, the sense of community and the state’s slower pace, coming back has been a breath of fresh air—quite literally.
But the thing that has amazed me most is how much the food scene has evolved. I feel a renewed connection to Lutruwita/Tasmania, and it’s always such a joy to work with and eat locally-sourced, high-quality ingredients that reflect the beauty of this amazing island.
Here are nine of my favourite food spots:
When people ask me where to find Tassie’s best produce, I immediately point them towards the North West Tasting Trail. Running from Deloraine to Smithton across northern Tasmania, this trail highlights over 30 amazing producers, many of whom embrace sustainable practices. La Cantara Cheese, for example, is a small-scale cheese producer run by former vets that places a huge emphasis on animal welfare, while the family-owned Hazelbrae serves up the best hazelnuts you’ll ever taste. Tarkine Fresh Oysters are hands down some of the best you can find in Lutruwita/Tasmania—clean and fresh in flavour, with a commitment to environmental stewardship. Don’t miss Ghost Rock Wines either—they’ve got a great, low-intervention approach to winemaking, no excessive additives or filtering here.
The Agrarian Kitchen garden, the house-made vinegars, misos, cheese, and charcuterie selection—it’s a real celebration of Tasmania’s local ingredients and what you can do with them.
Like most chefs, I just love salt, and this one is particularly good. Tasman Sea Salt is harvested directly from the pristine Lutrawita/Tasmanian ocean using naturally occurring solar and thermal energy to minimise its environmental impact. The result is pure-tasting, nutrient-rich salt that doesn’t take away from other food; instead, it elevates it. It’s the kind of ingredient I love to work with, and always have in the kitchen.
Celebrating its 25th year, Stillwater is a Tasmanian institution and a wonderful mix of elegance and comfort. Set in a 180-year-old flour mill at the mouth of the Cataract Gorge in Kanamaluka/Launceston, Stillwater is far more than a meal—it’s a dining experience that beautifully showcases the absolute best of Tasmania’s local produce. Expect plenty of seafood, like Indigenous-caught black lip abalone, and farm-to-table meats. Staying at the upstairs accommodation, Seven Rooms, enhances that beautiful sense of hospitality. Each room is thoughtfully fitted out, and the custom wooden pantry minibars are practically bursting with the best local produce. The included breakfast provisions are second to none, including warm, fresh croissants hung on your door handle each morning. Perfect.
New Norfolk’s The Agrarian Kitchen, recently named Gourmet Traveller’s 2024 Restaurant of the Year, is another one of my go-to spots when I want to showcase a truly Tasmanian food experience. What co-founders, Rodney Dunn and Séverine Demanet, and head chef Stephen Peak have created here is nothing short of incredible. The kitchen garden, the house-made vinegars, misos, cheese, and charcuterie selection—it’s a real celebration of Tasmania’s local ingredients and what you can do with them. The on-site kiosk offers all of that goodness in a more casual setting and at a more attainable price point. It’s well worth the 45-minute drive from Nipaluna/Hobart.
If you like your provisions with a side of purpose, Hamlet in Nipaluna/Hobart is your go-to spot. It’s a social enterprise, which means that the café also offers training and support to people facing barriers to employment. On top of that, they serve excellent coffee and fantastic food—think elevated café classics, like mackerel on toast with tarragon and eggs Provençal—much of it sourced from local suppliers. The mission behind the business makes it feel even more special, and I love supporting places like this.
As a chef, I’m constantly inspired by the people and places that are working to support local communities and honour the beautiful environment that we all depend on here in Lutruwita/Tasmania.
If you’re looking for an intimate, one-of-a-kind dining experience, Scholé is a must. This 10-seater restaurant is the brand new outing by legendary local chef Luke Burgess, and a true celebration of the best our island has to offer. When I visited for the opening, we enjoyed dishes like roasted beetroot with poblano peppers and purple basil, along with mussels from Freycinet with rice cake, snake beans and fragrant spring onions—but expect the menu to change with the seasonal produce. Luke is also a passionate ambassador for the Cooksafe Coalition, a group of chefs pushing to phase out fossil fuel-powered stoves for cleaner, safer options like induction cooktops.
For me, one of the best places to experience Tasmania’s local produce is the Farm Gate Market in Nipaluna/Hobart. Every Sunday, this vibrant hub brings together farmers, producers, and artisans, and there’s always something new to taste and discover. Whether you’re after fresh veggies, bakery treats, local meats, or the state’s most delicious soy-based foods, this market has it all. It’s also great for breakfast—I recommend Lucky Sri Lankan for hoppers and Rough Rice for a bowl of congee and a wallaby skewer.
Located in the northeast of Lutrawita/Tasmania, Felds Farm is an absolute treasure and where I source my veggie box from every week. What makes it stand out for me is that the owners are chefs themselves, so they truly understand both the growing and cooking process. The produce that they offer, from radicchio to artichoke, is harvested with care, ensuring it arrives in a beautiful condition. It’s a great example of Tasmania’s commitment to quality and sustainability.
When it comes to meat, Meat Mistress in Sandy Bay is the place I turn to for the best cuts. This female-focused boutique butchery works with small-scale regenerative farms, and they have an amazing practice of sourcing whole animals and cutting the meat as needed. Their house-made sausages are a local favourite, and I love knowing that they’re committed to reducing waste and supporting sustainable farming practices.
As a chef, I’m constantly inspired by the people and places that are working to support local communities and honour the beautiful environment that we all depend on here in Lutruwita/Tasmania. From small-scale suppliers to world-class restaurants, Lutruwita/Tasmania’s food scene is really something special. I’m proud to be a part of it.
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Inspired by the outdoor freedoms, fresh produce, and deep connection to the land that characterized her childhood, chef Lilly Trewartha was drawn to the kitchen from an early age. With a career pedigree spanning top restaurants from mainland Australia to Norway to the United Kingdom and beyond, she still calls Lutruwita/Tasmania home, and now works in an exclusively freelance capacity.
