Pialligo Estate to reopen this winter as new venture moves in

The venture will retain the property's name and be centred on the main dining space, but promises to bring a whole new experience to the Canberra hospitality scene.

The restaurant will open in July and there are plans for large-scale events over the summer. The venture does not involve the smokehouse, market garden, or vineyard, at this stage.

Whitehouse sees the massive undertaking as something of a homecoming.

"I first fell in love with Canberra when I came to the city after being awarded the contract for the Australian War Memorial in 2014," he said.

"Running the beloved Poppy's Cafe alongside the event catering within the memorial, I built a connection with the region that led me to seek out other projects here.

"I loved Pialligo Estate, I thought it was a really cool concept and it's great to be a part of it going forward."

Over the years Create has also run Olleyville at the Shaw Winery Estate, Westering at the Lake George Winery and the Gundaroo Inn.

Whitehouse has a long and distinguished history as a restaurateur extending back to the early '90s in the United Kingdom, where his restaurant, The Hole In The Wall, was awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

Since coming to Australia with his family in 2011, Whitehouse was general manager of Compass Group before opening Create Catering in 2014, a company specialising in a diverse range of venue and event catering contracts.

Continually recognised by the Restaurant and Catering Association, Create Catering has taken out accolades such as Best Venue Caterer, Best Site-Contract Caterer for the Australian Museum in Sydney and Best Informal Restaurant in ACT for Westering at the Lake George Winery.

Denny comes to the project with the hefty financial backing of his personal company, Central Real Capital.

"Partnering with Create Catering on this project was an easy decision to make," Denny says.

"Anthony is a visionary in the hospitality scene and I can't wait to see the iconic landmark of Pialligo Estate have a new lease of life."

Pialligo Estate Operations entered liquidation on April 8, 2023 owing an estimated $10.6 million to nearly 600 creditors including couples who had booked weddings at the venue.

The property was listed for sale later that month with real estate agency Savills. Price expectations for Lot 4 were more than $30 million.

With no buyers, the property was then listed on a co-ownership platform, offering people the chance to buy a stake in the estate.

At the same time, commercial agency CBRE had the property up for lease and was seeking one or multiple operators to rent the premises.