The Frida’s Dining Experience
contempoary country cuisine
Rustic, yet refined, our food is honest, creative and full of flavour. Our menus change every 6 weeks, with two new menus in each season, to really capture the essence of the produce being harvested in the unique Byron Bay region throughout the year. Subtropical with fertile volcanic soils, the area is dotted with distinctive microclimates that support a diverse agricultural industry - from the bounty of the sea and coastal fringe to the rich alluvial flats surrounding the network of flowing rivers and creeks which interlace the land, then up into the rolling green hills.
Chef Ally designs our menus based on what we are harvesting from our own farm as well as his list of preferred local farmers. Constant interaction and feedback between our farm and kitchen team, plus weekly trips to the Byron Bay Farmers Market keeps Chef Ally in direct contact with producers to gather ideas and inspiration (as well as produce!). Working directly with our farm means there are often a surpluses to deal with - so various preservation techniques such as fermenting and bottling are used regularly. The restaurant centres on a large, recycled-brick fireplace so wood-firing over ironbark and smoking also feature heavily on our menus. Chef Ally is also a passionate wild food forager who enjoys gathering edible succulents from the coast as well as indigenous bush foods from secret spots across the region, inspired by his time being mentored by Peter Hardwick.
the frida’s experience
We offer three lunch services per week with just one sitting per service - so guests can slow down, relax and enjoy the sweeping hinterland views as their meal unfolds. Taking place each Friday, Saturday and Sunday - our lunches are a set menu feast shared amongst the members of your booking. Our Signature Lunch Menu consists of a farm tasting plate, two starters, a main with three sides, and dessert. Menus come with a choice of either omnivore or vegetarian; and special dietary requirements can be catered for if notified in advance (please specify on your booking form).
You can elect to elevate your dining experience with our Beverage Pairings, which take you on a guided journey of carefully selected beverages that celebrate some amazing producers near and far. Or select from our award-winning Beverage List.
Please allow 2.5 - 3 hours for your lunch; and feel free to take longer, enjoy a stroll around the fields drink in hand.
Bookings of up to 40 people can be made online. For groups larger than this, please email us on restaurant@fridasfield.com to discuss. We have a Kids Menu, some lawn games and plenty of space for children to run around outside.
the chef
Our kitchen is led by multi-award winning Chef Alastair Waddell.
Born in Glasgow, “Ally” attended formal culinary college and then received top notch classical training under leading Scottish Michelin-starred chef Paul Tamburrini; working at two of Scotland’s most famous culinary institutions - The Bistro at One Devonshire Gardens and The Georgian Room at Cameron House – both of which earned AA’s prestigious 3 Rosette rating.
After working in the United States, Ally relocated to Australia where he worked at Bistro Guillaume in Melbourne before rising to Executive Head Chef at Qualia on Hamilton Island where he was awarded numerous accolades including Hotel Chef of the Year, Hotel Restaurant of the Year and Conde Nast Traveller’s World’s Best Resort. Ally has been awarded coveted SMH Good Food Guide Hat Award three times, including twice with Frida’s Field in the 2024 and 2023 Awards.
Ally has lived in the Byron Bay region since 2017, where he has forged strong connections with many local growers and producers. Ally’s menus showcase his classical training and deft skills in creating delicious, produce-driven cuisine using seasonal crops grown by us and other local producers.
You can get to know Ally better via his interview with Anthony Huckstep on Deep in the Weeds - Australia’s leading food, drinks and hospitality podcast.
regenerative farming
Frida’s Field is set on a 120 acre farm in the beautiful Byron Bay Hinterland. It is a small, family-run enterprise established by Edward Rawlings and Jeanie Wylie, who live on-site with their three children. In addition to family connections with the land, their mutual interest in farming developed from a passion for food and cooking furthered by the discovery of regenerative agriculture - a set of farming practices that actively reverse environmental degradation while producing food that is more natural, flavourful and nutritious. They run a small herd of Angus-Wagyu beef cattle which they breed and manage with holistic principles; grow a variety of herbs and vegetables using organic gardening techniques in a quarter acre market garden; have planted a diversified food forest orchard which they actively prune and mulch to build carbon-sequestering humus at an exponential rate. The family is working with Landcare and Big Scrub Regeneration to re-introduce original rainforest trees across select areas of the property; and converted the entire farm to solar energy with a 33,000 watt solar system. Frida’s Field has been operating since September 2020, and the vision is to transform the property from what was a blank canvas into a highly productive, diversified farm producing an abundance of different types of food which have been grown in a way that’s better for the planet and better for us (in terms of flavour and health).
the restaurant space
The Frida’s Field restaurant is set on a private, family-run farm in an architecturally-designed barn with sweeping hinterland views. Built in 2019, it is a grand, open-plan space with neutral colours and natural textures which add warmth and interest. Ebony barn-doors draw back to bring the outside in. A covered verandah opens out onto a spacious lawn terrace with views over the fields to orchard-lined hills. A large, recycled-brick fireplace is used by the kitchen team for wood-fired cooking; and left alight during the cooler months. The exposed timber roof trusses, made from original local rainforest timber, were relocated from the historic Tweed Daily newspaper factory in Murwillumbah (which was being demolished at the time of Frida’s construction). The reflective quality of the polished concrete floors adds another layer of interest. Absorbent panels ensure the acoustics of the space suit the most boisterous of gatherings! Frida’s Field is wheelchair accessible. There is ample parking and a bus turning circle.
the response
Frida’s Field has been recognised with a SMH Good Food Guide Hat Award for two years in a row, one the most prestigious food awards in Australia. Our Beverage List has also been awarded a Goblet two years in a row by The Australian Wine List of The Year Awards. We have also received awards from The Australian Good Food Guide, Food Guru, and TripAdvisor Travellers Choice.
We are very proud of our team for the recognition that we have enjoyed in the press, including articles in The Australian Gourmet Traveller, The New York Times T Magazine, The Sydney Morning Herald, Country Style Magazine, and Conde Nast Traveller to name a few. If you are interested, you can read about us in the press here.