Frost season opens at the old theatre
The first frost has settled on the Great Western Tiers, and the heater's been lit in the foyer. Here's what changes at the Lounge when the valley goes cold.
When the Tiers turn white
You can always tell when the cold's properly arrived because Angus Crawford starts wearing a woollen hat indoors. That's the signal to light the heater, put the soup at the top of the board and warn the staff that the foyer windows will fog up by seven.
The Meander Valley in winter is beautiful in a stern sort of way. Frost on the paddocks, snow dusting the Tiers behind the town and the road to Mole Creek glittering in the headlights. Guests arrive pink-cheeked and slightly out of breath, and the foyer is the better for it.
What changes in the cold
The menu
Glenn Fraser leans hard into the weather. There's a second soup, the pies grow a little, and the honey pudding gets a second jug of cream. He says cold weather makes people honest about what they want to eat, and they want comfort.
The foyer
The two old theatre seats are moved closer to the heater, and a basket of rugs appears by the door. Guests waiting for a table are handed a cup of tea without asking, which is Christine's rule and not up for negotiation.
The long room
It's the warmest room in the building, helped by the plaster ceiling and a hundred small lamps. Adam McDonald says the cards feel different in the cold, a little stiffer and a lot more serious, and he insists he can tell the temperature by the sound of a shuffle.
Come in from the cold. Bring a scarf, ask for the table nearest the heater and let Glenn feed you. The old theatre is at its best on nights like this.
A tip from the foyer: if you're coming on a Saturday in the cold months, book the table nearest the heater early, and bring a layer you can take off. The foyer gets properly warm by eight, and the long room warmer still, which catches a few of the more optimistic dressers.