Baillie Lodges has announced highly regarded hospitality professional Melissa (Mel) Hamilton has been appointed as Restaurant Manager at its Barossa Valley luxury lodge, The Louise.
Mel brings extensive hospitality experience to her senior role at The Louise, most recently at the Temperance Restaurant in Renmark in South Australia, where she was a finalist for the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Personality of the Year award (2024).
During her time at Temperance, Mel led the team to win Best Country Restaurant (2024) at the Australian Hotel Association awards and saw the restaurant listed in Gourmet Traveller’s Top 10 Best Restaurants in South Australia in the same year.
A proud local Barossan, Mel is known for her extensive tenure in management roles in the region’s leading restaurants Fino and El Estanco, as well as at the Artisans of Barossa, gallery and tasting room for a group of seven smaller scale Barossa wine makers.
Mel has also worked in her family’s business, Whistler Wines at nearby Stone Well as Cellar Door, Events and Marketing Manager.
Mel is also no stranger to The Louise, having worked at the luxury lodge’s esteemed Appellation restaurant and the (then) three75 bar and bistro as Restaurant/Bar Manager prior to 2020.
The Louise General Manager Hannah McGregor said she was delighted to welcome Mel to the team.
“Our local community is at the heart of all that we do at The Louise, and it’s a perfect fit to have Mel with her knowledge of the Barossa and connections in the community join our close-knit team here,” Ms McGregor said.
To find out more or make a booking at The Louise please call +61 2 9918 4355, email [email protected] or visit www.thelouise.com.au.
