When Teagan Carpenter first started cooking meals for her husband to take to work, she never imagined it would grow into one of South Australia’s fastest-rising food businesses.
“I started about 10 years ago, and I was just making meals for my family, then people wanted to start buying them,” she says.
“It started as a Facebook page and then building my first website, building our first production kitchen at my house, outgrowing all of our spaces, and it’s gone from 100 meals a week to 10,000 meals a week Adelaide-wide.”
That momentum has now brought Teagan and her husband Ethan to their biggest project yet, the purchase of the old Tanunda Brewery on the Barossa’s bustling main street.
“We had been looking for a commercial property and we were just about to sign the dotted line for the block out the back when the brewery itself came up for auction,” she explains.
“It just felt right. The location is unbeatable – right on the main street as you drive into Tanunda.”
The plan is for the site to become a multi-use home for the company. A production kitchen to keep pace with meal-prep demand, a cafe and takeaway shop, office space for the admin team, catering pick-ups and, eventually, a function room for weddings, corporate days and wellness retreats.
“We’ll have a little play area outside, probably like a role-play space with toy kitchens for kids,” Teagan says. “It’ll be a beautiful, safe spot – fenced off so families can relax.”
Platter-box catering (antipasto, arancini, sandwiches and pastries) will also run from the site, along with pop-up events in collaboration with local wineries.
Adelaidians have lovingly embraced Vintage Chef Co’s model of fresh, diverse, ready-to-heat meals. Teagan describes them as “the next best thing to cooking at home,” with more than 80 rotating dishes packaged sustainably and catering to every taste. Macro-friendly options, hearty pastas, seafood, vegan and vegetarian meals, plus desserts, are all on the menu.
The Tanunda location will stock all the favourites, alongside coffee, protein shakes and a relaxed dining space that’s designed to become a “community hub.”
“We’ll make it look spectacular,” says Teagan. “We want it to feel welcoming and keep the heritage of the stone house.”
Now, it’s all hands on deck from the Carpenter family – and help from local trades – to flip the brewery on its head. The Carpenter’s plan to blog the entire renovation process – “like The Block,” Teagan jokes, giving followers a behind-the-scenes look at the transformation.
And locals are already eager. The announcement has pulled in more than 245 Facebook comments and counting.
“The support has been incredible – it’s fantastic to have such a loyal following,” Teagan says. “It’s been a whirlwind and very surreal, but amazing. Everyone should stay tuned, because this is just the beginning.”
What: Vintage Food Co buys Tanunda Brewery
When: Tentatively 2026
Where: 2a Murray Street, Tanunda
For the Vintage Chef Co website, click here.
Teagan’s goal is to create a wellness food hub, growing her hugely successful company while helping people all over South Australia buy back their time. She runs culinary workshops, shares stories, and hosts luxury Bali retreats from her sister business, Nibble and Splash. For more info, click here.
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