The Summertown Aristologist is a singular South Australian dining and drinking experience, amid the twists and turns of the Adelaide Hills.

The restaurant, natural-wine bar and bottle shop is owned by winemakers Anton van Klopper (Lucy Margaux), Jasper Button (Commune of Buttons) and Aaron Fenwick (Chateau Comme Ci Comme Ca). And up until 2019 the kitchen was helmed by Brianna Smith and ex-Cumulus Inc sous chef Oliver Edwards.

They would bake their own sourdough, make charcuterie and cheese in-house and shape the veg-heavy menu around the venues’ kitchen garden. “What they’ve done is fucking amazing,” Fenwick told Broadsheet upon their departure.

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Now, while they might’ve swapped the Adelaide Hills for Melbourne’s CBD, their hands-on, hyperlocal approach hasn’t been lost. Even in a comparatively much larger restaurant. Smith and Edwards are the new head and sous chefs, respectively, at Hazel, the Mulberry Group’s pared-back Flinders Lane eatery, stretching over two floors of the historic Richard Allen & Son building.

Broadsheet took five with the pair to chat thought processes, cheese and charcuterie, and future plans.

What are your new job titles?
Bree is Hazel’s head chef and Oliver is sous chef.

Why did you decide to join Hazel?
We were excited to work in a restaurant with a real focus on sustainability. The Mulberry Group has its own farm – Common Ground Project – so there’s a direct connection to the produce, which we love. And how many other restaurants have worm farms in the basement? We were initially brought on to help set up the kitchen and establish the in-house cheesemaking and charcuterie programs. They were meant to be temporary gigs, then 2020 happened … and now we run the kitchen.

Do you have any plans or ideas for your new role?
We’re really excited to continue seeking out and supporting small producers who have an ethical and environmental focus, adding to our list of suppliers, like Unearthed Co Mushrooms, Rock Paper Flour, Bundarra Berkshires pork and more. We’re also continually furthering our DIY approach – building our pantry of staples, which includes our own vinegars, misos, shoyus and other ferments and preserves. Right now, we’re making our own quince paste and hawthorn [berry] jelly, and creating some mushroom shoyus using offcuts from Unearthed Co Mushroom’s farm. It takes six months to ferment and the end result is a delicious, umami-rich sauce, which we can use to glaze grilled meats and to dress things like raw beef.

Will you bring along any dishes or ideas you’re known for?
It’s a different restaurant and a new menu, but there will be influences and elements familiar to those who have eaten our food before at The Summertown Aristologist. We’re making cheese including feta, halloumi [served with figs] and a soon-to-be-ready brie, and our charcuterie cabinet is looking pretty full at the moment. We’ll be ready to serve our pistachio-flecked salami in a few weeks.

Will we see any cool dishes or ideas?
We’re constantly learning new things ourselves and expanding the in-house cheese and charcuterie offerings. Recently we were able to serve our first-ever Hazel prosciutto [served with melon and rocket], which takes 12 months to make! Keep an eye out for our sourdough miso (hint: it’s in a dessert), and as the weather cools down the woodfire oven will be getting used even more.

hazelrestaurant.com.au