Fleurtys Cafe and Essential Oil Distillery

café and essential oil distillery

Charles Fleurty, whose name adorns the local landscape as well as the new farm cafe at Birchs Bay, was a convict sawyer who found himself working as a sawyer there in the late 1820’s.

He went on to ensure we know plenty about him by committing every petty offence on the books during his first 20 years in the colony. Despite this he lived to the ripe old age of 74, had several children and died in Hobart ‘of decay’ in 1842.

It’s hard to imagine what he would have made of the beautiful modern building set against the native forest, overlooking the farm and offering long, stunning views to Mount Wellington and the D’Entrecasteaux Channel.

Or of the people one can meet there…

The modern visitor enjoys delicious local fare, prepared on the premises by cook, Christine. They can check out the Diemen Pepper range, and many other local specialities- Hill Farm, Fudge A’Fare, Gillespie’s, Lucaston Park. Local wines on the menu include Panorama, Herons Rise and Wharncliffe and there are plenty of other Tasmanian wines to choose from.

The farm itself produces thousands of Dutch Iris each year for the mainland market, blackcurrant essential oil and native pepper products - it’s the home of Australia’s leading native pepper enterprise – Diemen Pepper.

Small areas of other cool climate horticultural products are now being produced for the café kitchen – artichokes, rhubarb, garlic, raspberries and blackcurrants – all on the menu when in season, or appearing in tasty preserves and chutneys.

Visitors can wander around the farm and forest paths, visit an essential oil distillery and learn about the history and romance of the essential oil industry. Tasmanian Essential oils, many of which are prepared on the site are available for sale at the cafe.

There are more than 100 hectares of diverse native bush including a protected Private Forest Reserve upon which several rare plants can be found and birdlife abounds everywhere. Walkers are encouraged, and invited to take a picnic pack with them, find a secluded spot and enjoy the fare.

Pathways from the carpark to the café meet disability access guidelines and the paths to the garden and distillery are all constructed on easy grades.

The café is open between 10 am and 5 pm every day, and for evening meals and special events by appointment.

address: 3866 Channel Highway Birchs Bay Tasmania
ph/fax: 0362674078
email: admin@fleurtys.com.au
mail: PO Box 194 Woodbridge Tasmania Australia 7162