Reviews
2009 Gourmet Traveller Wine Guide
Dear Friends has been revitalised by its young owners and offers a diverse rather than deep collection of wines with a varietal base that will appeal widely. The Swan Valley, international regions, and back vintages are all represented.
SCOOP
This Caversham institution on the outskirts of the Swan Valley was originally owned by Clyde and Leslie Bevan. In the six months since taking over, new owners Kiren and Kelli Mainwaring have injected the old place with a similar, if more youthful energy. Kelli, a canadian, is a charming host and Ki, whose travels through Europe have evidently influenced his cooking style, has a strong creative streak. Ki gets a lot of pleasure from his cooking and this translates into the food. There is love here, and care, and developed technique. There's rarely a spare table on weekends - a good mark of success with locals.
STM - Food & Wine - Peter Forrestall
I've tried the degustation menu that Dear Friends is offering at the Seafood and Shiraz festival in conjunction with the Swan's best new producer of the past five years, Bella Ridge. Both the wines and food were splendid. Kelli and her Welsh chef husband Kiren Mainwaring, have revitalised Dear Friends in the past 10 months and this challenging degustation will provide an excellent introduction to this chef's talents.
STM - Eating Out - Gail Williams
Dining at Dear Friends evokes childhood memories of afternoon teas at an elderly aunt's home filled with heavy curtain swags, starchy pritine linen, solid furniture, sparkling glassware and original artworks. We discoverd that even the most staid of "aunties" harbour surprises in the kitchen. This one's name is Kiren Mainwaring, the slightly wild owner/chef. He sent out an amuse bouche of teasmoked beef with apple and miso as if to say "tricked ya". Soto voce gradually evolved into audible gasps as we studied the menu, which included pheasant, ostrich fillet and bufalo - a sign that Mainwaring has been doing some heavy research and painstaking sourcing of produce.
