Renders: Studio es Design & Co.
Fresh renders have offered the clearest look yet at Vintage Chef Co’s planned transformation of the old Tanunda Brewery site, and the vision is looking every bit as big, warm and family-friendly as first promised.
When Glam Adelaide first spoke with founder Teagan Carpenter, she and her husband Ethan had just taken on their biggest project yet, purchasing the prominent site on Murray Street with plans to turn it into a new home for their fast-growing meal prep business. Now, the project has moved from the ideas phase firmly into a fully imagined design, with Studio es Design & Co. revealing a first look at the proposed cafe, commercial kitchen, function space and outdoor areas.
For Teagan, seeing the renders has made the scale of the project feel real.
“It’s amazing,” she says. “I cannot wait because that bit of Barossa has always been really alive when there’s been something there.”
The site sits at one of Tanunda’s most visible entry points, making the design an important part of the vision. More than just renovating an old building, the plan is to create something of a new gateway into the town, while giving Vintage Chef Co. the space it needs to keep growing.
Steph Taylor of Studio es Design & Co. says “There’s an existing 1900s cottage homestead on the property that we’ve got to renovate into a modern cafe. There’ll be a large outdoor entertaining area, which has the possibilities to be used for small functions, micro weddings, and events.”
That outdoor space is also expected to play into the family-friendly feel Teagan has spoken about from the beginning, with plans for nature play and relaxed areas to enjoy coffee, food and the Barossa setting while the kids have room to explore.
The commercial kitchen will form the operational heart of the site, supporting Vintage Chef Co.’s ready-made meal range, which has grown from a side project to a business producing thousands of meals each week.
Above the kitchen, the design proposes a second-storey office space and function room, complete with a wraparound balcony and bar.
“It is going to be their HQ in regards to their office staff having a place to work from,” Steph says. “On a second storey of the commercial kitchen, we’ve got full office facilities alongside the new function room that will also be built with a big wraparound balcony.”
The function room is being imagined as a space for weddings, corporate events and special occasions, adding another layer to what Teagan describes as a “one stop shop” for the Barossa.
For Studio es Design & Co., the project is also an exciting step into more commercial work. The studio is best known for residential design, particularly high-end custom homes, but Steph says the Vintage Chef Co. project has already opened new doors.
“Hearing from Teagan was amazing,” Steph says. “It was definitely an opportunity that our studio wanted to take on board. We normally design for residential properties, not commercial, so having the opportunity to dip our toes in the commercial space was exciting.”
She says the design approach was shaped by both the natural Barossa setting and Vintage Chef Co.’s existing brand identity.
“Obviously, it’s the gateway to Tanunda, so we didn’t want it to be an eyesore by any means,” Steph says. “By incorporating light colours, we wanted it to sort of blend into the natural surrounds, but it was also very heavily driven by [Vintage Chef Co.’s] branding as well.”
While the external renders have now been released, the interior of the cafe is being kept under wraps for now. Steph says the team is holding back those details for later in the renovation journey, but gave a small hint of what locals can expect.
“Picture modern, warm Mediterranean,” she says.
The project is currently progressing through approval processes, with builder GC&J Constructions already engaged and planning underway. Steph says the team has been working with a local town planner to make sure the design responds to the site and what council will require.
The Tanunda site is planned to become a major new base for Vintage Chef Co., bringing together meal prep production, coffee, takeaway food, catering pick-ups, events and family-friendly hospitality in one of the Barossa’s most recognisable towns.
For more info on Vintage Chef Co. click here.
For more info on Studio es Design & Co. click here.
