Ten Acre Block

At Pan Pacific Perth we pride ourselves on being innovative and in the world that is C19 why not, is there anything to lose? We could curl up under the duvet and wait for a vaccine but we choose instead to be creative and deliver a little magic for our colleagues, guests and our community.

C19 killed the buffet breakfast and to be fair I have wanted to do it myself for 20 years. The state government social distancing rules for seated restaurants and bars eliminated the practical use of the all day dining restaurant 'Montereys Brasserie' meaning we had a vacant street front restaurant that in itself is an opportunity going begging.

At the end of June the team and I at Pan Pacific Perth launched our vegan pop-up restaurant ‘Ten Acre Block’ and what a blast we are having with the initiative. We have extended the pop-up season to the end of November and it’s looking very much like ‘Ten Acre Block’ will become a permanent feature on the Perth culinary landscape.

At first there was trepidation as to how successful a full service vegan restaurant would be in meat loving Perth. But we pushed on knowing that we had an opportunity to truly differentiate this restaurant in the Perth market.

We appreciated that there is a real shift away from animal protein and it isn’t a fad but, rather, a far-reaching cultural change. We wanted to create dishes that went well beyond the predictable vegetable stack and smashed avocado.

Sustainability and zero waste is also incredibly important to us across all of our kitchens, restaurants and bars which has moved us to buying from local farms that specialise in heirloom and imperfect vegetables.

Our target market is not exclusively vegans but rather non-vegans, diners who are looking to have a unique culinary experience. We wanted a full service restaurant that was fun, interesting and outrageously local when it came to produce. A restaurant where our vegan guests were proud to recommend to their friends.    

Chef Alejandro Saravia who had already established signature Peruvian restaurant ‘Uma’ at Pan Pacific Perth along with Ten Acre Block Head Chef Gianni Moretto embraced the challenge of creating a 100% locally sourced vegan menu inspired by traditional non-vegan headline dishes. We have a wonderful vegan ceviche; eye of plant that is a 2 day cured and braised eggplant with lentil sprouts, onion & black garlic sauce with a Jerusalem artichoke purée; sweet potato noodles with kale pesto and roasted pine nuts and my personal favourite Daikon petals with avocado mousse with a mustard seed & lemon dressing and cassava crackers.

Director of Food and Beverage Jeremy Burt and Venue Manager Philippa Tuaine have created a delicious drinks list. A more mindful, health-conscious offering that shifts away from the mainstream to include low and no-alcohol choices and a delightful collection of natural wines that blend beautifully with each course.

In these challenging times when colleagues are being stood down and JobKeeper is a common catchphrase in tourism, travel and hospitality we have through Ten Acre Block created 10 new permanent jobs.

We are only a few months into our vegan adventure and very much look forward to welcoming new guests and perhaps even changing a few perceptions along the way.