Celebrity chef Martin Boetz lists Sackville retreat on Sydney’s Hawkesbury River: ‘best hidden treasure in NSW’
Celebrity chef Martin Boetz has listed his Sackville retreat set on Sydney’s Hawkesbury River.
The rural property comes with a $3.5 million to $3.85 million price guide for its June 14 auction.
The 10ha holding at 871 Sackville Rd, was purchased by Boetz for $780,000 in 2011 when he was executive chef at the much lauded Longrain modern Thai restaurant in Surry Hills.
He has since created a commercial kitchen and run The Cook’s Shed as a commercial operation since 2020, catering for events.
Wendy Moore, the new co-host on Selling Houses Australia, recently described it as the “best hidden treasure in NSW”.
The venue services 150 people with rustic pavilion style shed with large sliding doors. There’s a commercial-grade kitchen.
It has a fully equipped bar licensed until 10pm. The kitchen garden has herbs, olives, figs and Indian lime trees. The Sackville Rd property which has an elevated position on the river is set a 75-minute drive from Sydney.
The Northwest Sydney listing agent Greg Vincent says it presents an opportunity for short stay accommodation, corporate events, river activities and glamping and perfect for country-style weddings.
MORE: Auction trend shifts power to buyers
How crypto helped me buy two $2m apartments
Boetz once recalled when he first started inspecting properties he found a neglected one bedroom cottage on the ridge line and two enormous corrugated tin sheds. It was the first place he saw.
“It was so rundown … I didn’t want that much work to do, but then I thought to myself, ‘well, you’re never going to get a view like this’,” he recalled.
“I don’t think there’s any house or any land on the Hawkesbury that has this expanse of water view.”
Drawing on the Hawkesbury’s historic role as a food bowl for Sydney, Boetz began farming some of the land and introducing the area’s produce at Longrain.
After he left the restaurant he launched his business, supplying fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs to other top city chefs.
During the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, its pivoted the focus to distributing gourmet meals to locals via a drive-through service.
Some 30 of the 100 properties at Sackville are 10ha or more. The top sale was in 2014 when $2.85 million was paid for a 63ha farm.
Sackville’s last sale was in 2020 when a heavily forested 10ha estate sold for $1.42 million.
Featuring in recent Destination NSW promotions, Boetz has expressed the belief the Windsor region has the potential to attract Sydneysiders in the same way Victoria’s Daylesford district is a magnet for Melburnians.
MORE: Last beach cottage for sale in weekender hot spot
NRL bad boy’s swish new digs revealed
What has Covid done to this mansion?