Wedding Venues · Clare Valley, South Australia · Visit in person

Watervale Hotel

About

Overview & Vibe

An 1847 pub in the middle of Watervale, redeveloped by Warrick Duthy and chef Nicola Palmer into something closer to a small food estate. It runs its own organic, bio-dynamic Penobscot Farm on 14 hectares at the edge of the village, and the farm supplies the hotel, the Penobscot Restaurant and the general store. The wedding offer follows from that: this is a caterer with venues rather than a room with a menu.

Setting & Style

There is no single wedding room. Ceremonies go among the orchard, farm and gardens at Penobscot, or at the historic Quelltaler Winery among the vines, the olives or on the lawns. Receptions run in the Quelltaler cluster of indoor and outdoor spaces, in the Shearing Shed at Penobscot — rustic, timber-trussed, set with long trestles and florals — or in the hotel’s own beer garden and jail terrace, where guests watch the kitchen through glass beside the ‘Fires of Hell’ barbecue. Wet weather has an indoor answer beside the dining space.

Ideal For

Couples who care most about what is on the plate and in the glass, and who like the idea of a whole weekend in one village rather than a single afternoon.

The Need-to-Knows

Dietary requirements are answered properly, not blanket-promised. The hotel publishes vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian, coeliac and gluten-free options and caters for allergies and intolerances, and explains how: “if we are advised early, ideally when you book, we can generally create something special, and given many of our dishes are composed as plated we can often prepare a variant of standard menu items.”
Nothing about a wedding is priced. Every event is quoted individually — “Nicola prefers to fully understand the customer needs, dietary issues, budget constraints, and catering environment before preparing a unique proposal.” Enquiry goes to Warrick directly.
No capacity is published for any space. The venues range from a private room in the hotel to a winery cluster, and the number depends entirely on which you take.
They will cater away from their own venues — at Clare Valley wineries or at a private residence — and are “partnered with virtually every winery in the Clare Valley”, so the wine list is built to your taste and budget.
The three-day weekend is the house format: a casual Friday night at the hotel, the wedding on Saturday at Quelltaler or the Shearing Shed, and a Sunday recovery — possibly a whole beast on the asado in the beer garden.
Two places to sleep on the estate. The six-bedroom Guesthouse takes one group only and sleeps up to 14 (two kings, four queens, a sofa bed) with a full kitchen and a fenced yard; the 1860s one-bedroom Penobscot Farm Cottage looks out over the ridge.
The hotel serves one menu, 11am to 9pm, every day. The exceptions are the Chef’s Table, which serves only the tasting menu, and the Hell Hole, which works to pre-arranged set menus.

Standout Feature

A wedding fed almost entirely from the venue’s own organic bio-dynamic farm four minutes down the road — and a barbecue called the Fires of Hell.

Amenities

1847 Hotel
Beer Garden
Jail Terrace
Chefs Table
The Hell Hole Private Room
Fires Of Hell Barbecue
Asado Barbecue
Penobscot Restaurant Degustation
Carl Sobels Wine Room
Own Organic Bio Dynamic Farm
Fourteen Hectare Market Garden
Kitchen Gardens
Farm Tours
Wine Masterclasses
Six Bedroom Guesthouse
1860s Farm Cottage
Off Site Catering At Wineries And Private Homes
Partnered With Clare Valley Wineries
Three Day Wedding Weekends
Private Dining
Group Feasts
Open Daily 11am To 9pm
Full Dietary Catering
Watervale General Store

Ceremony Setting

garden
outdoor
orchard
farm
vineyard
winery
lawn
shearing shed
beer garden
hotel

Dietary Options Supported

Vegan
Vegetarian
Pescetarian
Coeliac
Gluten Free
Allergies And Intolerances

Nearby Landmarks

Watervale – The hotel is in the middle of the village on the Main North Road
Penobscot Farm – The venue's own organic farm on the edge of Watervale
Quelltaler Winery – Historic winery the hotel uses for ceremonies and receptions
Riesling Trail – The rail trail through the valley, popular with cyclists
Auburn – Village to the south, at the valley's gateway
Clare – The region's main town, north along the Main North Road
Flinders Ranges – The hotel positions itself as a stop en route

On Site Accommodation

The Guesthouse – six bedrooms, sleeps up to 14, booked by one group only
Two king rooms, four queen rooms and a sofa bed; two bathrooms
Full kitchen, dining and lounge rooms, fenced back yard and BBQ area
Penobscot Farm Cottage – an 1860s one-bedroom cottage on the 14-hectare farm
Breakfast provisions provided in both
Partner accommodation nearby at Stanley Grammar, Hughes Park and Battunga

Price Notes

From the catering page: 'Nicola Palmer has tremendous experience in off-site catering, and the facilities at her disposal at the Watervale Hotel have enhanced her capability. We don't just cater, we create amazing, memorable events. We host weddings and corporate functions in the Beer Garden of the Watervale Hotel, and also cater for weddings and large groups off site at wineries or private residences. To enquire about any special occasion, no mater how large or small email Warrick on Taste@watervalehotel.com.au. Every catered event is different.
No capacity is published for any space. Quelltaler Winery is described as "a cluster of alternative indoor or outside wedding venues to suit a variety of guest numbers or style of events", with no figure for it, the Shearing Shed, the beer garden or the jail terrace — ask for numbers when you enquire.
The wine list is built around the couple, not the cellar: 'The Watervale Hotel is partnered with virtually every winery in the Clare Valley so we can create a wine list to suit your preferences and budget.' The venue also offers to 'utilise space at your favourite winery as part of a wedding beverage package'.
The venue sells a three-day wedding as its standard shape: 'Weddings are often not just one day but a three day event. The Watervale Hotel can co-ordinate the entire event to ensure that the bride and groom can spend quality time with guests that have traveled long distances... Wedding weekends can start with a casual event at the Watervale Hotel on Friday night, if appropriate with special guests catered for in a private room whilst others arrive and meet casually at their leisure. The Saturday is all about the wedding, the photographs and the celebration dinner at Quelltaler or in the Shearing Shed. We find that offering a venue for a recovery party on the Sunday rounds out the perfect wedding weekend. This could be a casual Sunday Roast affair - perhaps a whole beast and vegetables cooked on the asado barbecue in the beer garden.'
Accommodation packages are priced even though weddings are not, and these are stay packages rather than wedding rates. Guesthouse summer family package, two nights, sleeps up to 14 with two kings, four queens and a sofa bed, welcome gin or beer, soft drink for children and a three-course family feast on the first night, with breakfast provisions provided, $250 per person and $100 for children, minimum four adults. Penobscot Farm Cottage: one-night regeneration package $900 per couple, one-night summer package $700 per couple.
The kitchen runs one menu all day, with two stated exceptions: 'We offer the same menu from 11am to 9pm, all day, every day... Whilst the more formal dining areas are better suited to shared plates and tasting menus, and the small plates and appetizers are better suited to the bar we feel that people should be able to eat what they want where they want. The exception is the Chef's Table at which the Chef's exclusively serves the tasting menu. The Hell Hole also is best suited to pre-arranged set menus.' On the barbecue: 'Is the BBQ fired up all day, every day? No, that is the exception. When we are roasting we need to do so with an eye to minimal waste. We light our BBQ for regular special occasions.'
The farm is the selling point and is described in detail: 'Penobscot Farm is a developed bio-dynamic, organic farm, growing a wide range of seasonal fruits, nuts, leaves, berries and vegetables. Our farm is a vertically integrated supplier to the Watervale Hotel, and its produce is intrinsically linked to Penobscot Restaurant.' It sits 'on 14 hectares on the outskirts of Watervale' and is run on organic, bio-dynamic, permaculture and regenerative principles, each of which the venue sets out on its own farm page. Guests can tour it.
Opening hours and contact, published consistently: 'Call us (08) 8843 0229. Opening Hours All Days: 11am to 9pm. Location 37 Main North Road, Watervale, S.A.' Wedding and catering enquiries go to Taste@watervalehotel.com.au.

Pikes Wines

Pikes is a winery, brewery and restaurant on the Polish Hill River Estate at Sevenhill in the Clare Valley, established in 1984 and now spanning 100 hectares.

Visit in person

Contact

Website: watervalehotel.com.au
Phone: (08) 8843 0229
Address: 37 Main North Road, Watervale SA 5452, Australia

37 Main North Road, Watervale SA 5452, Australia Open in Maps

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