Weddings

"Had there been an award for the best new restaurant name of the night, it would have gone to GRAZING, Gundaroo's new one-hat establishment."Scott Bolles - SMH (in reference to the Good Food guide Awards)

Thank You!

Thank you for thinking about us when planning your wedding day. GRAZING is a multi award-winning restaurant, so rest assured you are placing your reception into the right hands.

A UNIQUE WEDDING VENUE

The historic village of Gundaroo is situated just 29km from the heart of Canberra, yet it could be another world away! Gundaroo is an easy 25 minute drive from the city centre. Settled in 1825, the village boasts a unique facade of well-preserved heritage buildings and tranquil country surrounds.

THE ROYAL HOTEL

This landmark building was originally built in the early 1830s, probably as a travellers inn. On 27th March 1865 it opened as The Royal Hotel. The hotel is classified by the National Trust as a building of historic significance. The building lay in limbo for many years until May 2003 when new owners Mark and Jennie Mooney re-opened it after extensive renovations. The building is extraordinary with its two foot thick stone walls, five huge open fireplaces and hand cut ironbark ceilings and floorboards. It provides guests with a fantastic ambience to enjoy award winning cuisine. As well as the main building, the premises include stone stables. The Stables have had an interesting history in the life of the Royal Hotel. They housed the coach, horses and driver for Cobb and Co as the first stop on the Queanbeyan to Sydney Route.

THE ROMANCE OF A COUNTRY WEDDING...

Imagine canapés on the verandah as the sun sets over the river . . . the flicker of candle lights and fireplaces or the fairytale setting of a silk lined marquee twinkling with hundreds of fairylights . .

Our experienced events team will help make your wedding day the perfect occasion. Make some time to look around our beautiful and unique venue or come out and try the wonderful food on offer.

THE RESTAURANT

GRAZING is our award winning restaurant located inside the 1865 national trust Royal Hotel. The restaurant has achieved a reputation for friendly yet professional service and fine food, which attracts many repeat visitors and those traveling from afar. The restaurant has huge open fireplaces and a number of private dining rooms for function use. The kitchen is led by a talented young Chef, Tom Moore. Tom produces innovative, award winning menus focused on fresh local farm produce, such as yabbies, local grain-fed beef, lamb and kid. The restaurant has been awarded many prestigious culinary honours including “THE 2007 AUSTRALIAN TOURISM AWARD”.

THE STABLES

The Stables provide the perfect ambience for a wedding reception. We can seat up to 160 people with our beautiful garden pavilion attached.

The Stables are a magical setting. The stone walls and high pitched dark timber ceilings reflect the warm glow of candlelight.

The accoustics in the stables are just perfect for live entertainment. The stables has new audio facilities including amplifier, stereo and wireless microphone.

THE GARDEN PAVILION

This beautiful white marquee can be opened up for day time events with views out over the garden. At night time it becomes a fairytale setting with thousands of fairy lights twinkling under the silk lining.

The arched windows, or open sides allow tranquil views over the Chef's Garden and down over the paddocks to the poplars which define the meandering course of the river.

The marquee can be heated for cooler evenings. In warm weather it can be opened up and it has direct access to the gardens.

The marquee sits on classic black and white pavers. It's elevated position gives a bird's eye view of our edible gardens. Twenty eight garden beds grow heirloom vegetables for our menus and these along with our pastel rose gardens and herb parterre are surrounded by local white granite.

YOUR CEREMONY

Nestled in the historic setting of Gundaroo, GRAZING is the perfect location for your wedding. Gundaroo Village has three historic "picture book" churches. St Joseph's is a gorgeous bluestone Catholic Church; St Mark's is a stately Anglican church; and the Uniting/Community Church is a quaint stone church in the middle of a picturesque green field.

If you would prefer a civil ceremony there are several options available.

We would be very happy for you to hold your ceremony in the grounds of the Royal Hotel. We have wet weather contingencies and can provide seating for your ceremony. A small charge would apply to cover labour for the set up.

FLOWERS AND ARRANGEMENTS

We are happy to recommend a florist to assist with your wedding flowers. Our events team will provide you with a list of helpful contacts, including wedding services, celebrants, entertainment and transport contacts.

YOUR WEDDING MENU

STATE OF THE ART MENU DESIGN

GRAZING is recognized as one of Australia's best regional restaurants. We have received fantastic reviews nationally in most capital cities and even internationally including Hong Kong, Singapore and New Zealand.

Let our award winning Chef design the perfect menu for your special celebration.

A MENU TO SUIT YOU

If you want a relaxed, casual affair then why not consider a cocktail reception. We are very flexible with menu design and can tailor you a menu to suit your budget and requirements.

A more traditional reception may start with canapes on the front verandah followed by a sumptious three course meal in the stables. You may like to use your wedding cake for dessert and supplement it with a boutique cheese selection.

This is your day, so while we are happy to recommend dining options, we are completely open to your ideas.

FUNCTION MENUS

GRAZING is focused on quality produce and our menus are designed to reflect what is fresh from our own edible gardens. Choose your course options from our seasonal menus.

MENU 1 – Under 20 Guests – Choice of two options per course. 2 course menu $50 or 3 course menu $65.

MENU 2 – 20 Guests and over – Alternate service of 2 options per course. 2 course menu $50 or 3 course menu $65.

All menus include tea and coffee and side serves of either seasonal organic vegetables or salad from the garden.

EXTRAS

• CHEESE AND FRUIT PLATTERS - $5 per head
• ADDITIONAL CHOICE IN ANY COURSE - $5 per head
• CANAPÉS - Includes bread and dips and a selection of 4 canapés. $15 per head

 Grilled Turkish Breads and a selection of our
seasonal garden inspired dips
 Mini beef koftas with cucumber and mint dipping sauce
 Caramelized onion, goats cheese and dried tomato tartlets
 Steamed pork and chive dumplings served in Asian spoons with our own sweet soy sauce
 Homemade chicken, bacon and herb sausage rolls
 Demitasse of spring garden soup
 Heirloom garden tomato brucshetta with fresh basil
 Thai-style fish cakes with pickled cucumber and ginger salad
 Rice paper rolls filled with spring vegetables, prawns (or hoisin chicken or spicy marinated tofu) mint, coriander and bean shoots
 Smoked fish sausage sliced and served on a crouton
with a lemon caper aioli
 Zucchini, sumac and dill fritters with lemon yogurt
 Mini croissants filled with homemade herb pesto or olive tapenade
 Puff pastry triangles filled with a choice of duck and mushroom
or feta and mushroom
 Smoked salmon on a chive and cracked pepper fritter
with truffled sour cream
 Duck liver and fresh thyme parfait on toasted baguette topped with diced tokay jelly

• 'CAKEAGE' - $2.50 per head

BEVERAGES

CONSUMPTION BAR

You may advise us of a figure to place on a bar tab. Our efficient staff will discreetly advise you if your targeted figure is being reached so that you can choose either to top up the tab or allow your guests to purchase their own drinks.

You may select beers, soft drinks and wines from our award winning list.

We are happy to recommend selections for you. We are completely flexible when it comes to tailoring your own beverage selection.

BEVERAGE PACKAGES

Beverage packages may be chosen for a minimum of 80 guests for private wedding functions only.

POPULAR OPTIONS

Standard Package
5 hour duration
6.30pm - 11.30pm
Capital Wines, red and white wines, full strength and light beers, juice and soft drinks
$40.00 per person

Sparkling wine poured for Toasts - an extra $5.00 per person

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do you charge any venue hire fees?
No, normally the venue is for your exclusive use to share with your guests on your wedding day. We would advise you up front if your guest numbers are not sufficient to allow for exclusive venue use.

How much will the food cost?
The most popular two course menus are about $50 per head and a three course menu about $65 per head. We will work with you toward tailoring a menu to suit your requirements.

How do I choose the menu?
GRAZING is very focused on quality produce and our menus are designed to reflect what is being picked fresh from our edible gardens. You can choose your wedding menu from our exquisite seasonal menu.

Can I use my wedding cake as dessert? Is there a charge for this?
You are most welcome to use your wedding cake as dessert. We recommend having it on a side buffet with tea and coffee. There is a charge of $2.50 per head for the cake served in this manner.

How much should we budget for drinks?
Well you know your friends the best! But several factors contribute toward the drink spend at weddings. For example if it is extremely hot, despite us providing ample water on all the tables, we tend to find that consumption is a bit higher. As a general rule you could budget for between $30-$40 per head and we will help guide you with drink selections. If you are running a consumption tab, we will keep you informed of how it looks like it is progressing.

Are there any other hidden costs?
Basically no but our full terms and conditions are available for you to read. There are some minor surcharges applicable, for example to cover additional labour costs on Public Holidays, for American Express or Diners Card Payments.

Do you have accommodation?
There is a lovely Bed and Breakfast in Gundaroo Village called Mallee Gum Cottage. We would also recommend other delightful local B&Bs, such as Redbrow Gardens, The Do Duck Inn and Country Guest House Schoenegg. Rydges Eaglehawk Resort is just 15 minutes from Gundaroo. They will offer you a great rate for your guests.

What time do we have to be out by?
We are licensed until 1.00am but generally most weddings finish up by midnight. If you have a lunch time wedding we recommend an 11.30am start. We would need the venue back by 4.30pm in order to have it ready for dinner service (if applicable).

What time can we commence our reception?
Evening weddings usually commence at about 6.00pm.

Can you cater for children, vegetarians and other special dietary needs?
Yes of course, we have a dedicated children's menu, a vegetarian menu and our Chef is experienced with a range of special dietary needs.

Please call us to make an appointment to view our facilities. We would love to discuss some of the fine details and answer any questions that you may have.

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