My Adelaide: No One Loves the Adelaide Hills More Than Kane Pollard

Kane Pollard is not actually the mayor of the Adelaide Hills, but he might as well be. Pollard grew up in the Hills and now he’s behind two of the best kitchens in the area: Topiary and Ondeen. He’s also made waves nationally for his considered closed-loop cooking.

Pollard loves the Adelaide Hills and the life he’s built there. These are the people and places that he thinks make his home town so special, and his advice on spending the perfect day there.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’ve lived in and around Adelaide for 27 of my 38 years on this planet. The other 11 years were spent growing up in the southeast, and over in Europe to continue my journey of learning. I have two daughters; my wife and I have been married for 13 years. The forest is our happy place, where nature creates endless possibilities to play and recharge.

What do you love the most about the Adelaide Hills?
The ever-changing seasons that continue to inspire. Driving through the Hills on any given day brings a new sense of adventure. Whether it’s the colours of autumn, the blossoms in spring, the juicy berries of summer, or lighting the fire and enjoying a glass of red in the depths of winter.

What’s the most underrated spot in the Hills?
I think having two of the country’s best cheesemakers – Section 28 and Woodside Cheese Wrights – nestled in the backstreets of Woodside is pretty special. Both are doing incredible things, in a low-key environment. That’s the Hills in a nutshell really. Some of the best producers in the country, whether it be wine or produce, just quietly tapping away in the background doing what they do best in a genuine, beautiful way.

Tell us about something or someone that makes Adelaide a better place.
The collaborative nature of business. Everyone is doing their best to work together and help put SA on the map by contributing their own niche way of doing things. Also, always having a beautiful beach an hour or less away doesn’t hurt either!

What’s one thing you miss about Adelaide and the Hills when you’re traveling?
The fresh air of the Hills as you’re driving through is pretty hard to beat. That sense of calm, and enjoyment of life, is unique here. You can just be yourself in Adelaide, and people respect that.

What are some of your favourite places to eat in town?
I haven’t been yet, but I’ve heard incredible things (and salivated at the pics online) about Thelma in Piccadilly. It’s my kind of food – simple, seasonal, produce driven – executed beautifully by Tom Campbell and the team.

Where do you like to shop? Do you have a go-to cooking tool?
For produce, I love to shop at the Adelaide Showground Farmers Market when in town, or at Willunga if staying down south. For gifts, Peregrine Store up in Gumeracha is truly inspired with Jessie Zarubin, steering the ship.

If someone only had 24-hours to spend in the Hills, where should they go?
Exploring the full breadth of the Hills is a pretty special thing to do. Start in the northern hills with breakfast at Topiary , head up to Unico Zelo for a spirit tasting and tour, across to Woodside Cheese Wrights to sample the cheese, then onto either LVN at Bird in Hand for a fine dining experience by Jacob Davey, or Honey Bang Bang in Littlehampton for something more casual. Head up to Ngeringa for a tasting and check out the incredible bio-dynamic garden, followed by sundowners and snacks at Ondeen on the deck.

End the day in the southern hills and stay the night at Cabn Hahndorf for an off-grid night of rest, before grabbing breakfast at Ernest Delicatessen and heading back down to town via the freeway.

@chefkanepollard