Pocketed just off the Bass Highway at Sassafras, the conservatory was built by a gentleman local to the area about 40 years ago.

“He went to Europe and became overwhelmingly inspired by the architecture, particularly Austria, and he came back and he didn't really know why he just had to build this and everyone thought he was crazy,” Tasmanian Food and Wine Conservatory owner Vonda Mason said. 

The building still houses the old grand piano that was the first thing that was bought for the newly built conservatory “so he had somewhere beautiful to make his music”.

“Then he ran it as a tea room with his mum for several years and then when she passed away it was closed to the public for about 20 odd years when we bought it,” Mrs Mason said. 

Mrs Mason has always had a love for the building, and the family opened the Food and Wine Conservatory in 2014.

“We had our wedding reception here … I would always look at it and think, ‘Oh it looks so lonely just sitting here so beautiful and so one day I thought, ‘Right I know what has to happen with that’,” Mrs Mason said. 

Mrs Mason runs the conservatory with her daughter Brielle, and they showcase the best food and beverages Tasmania has to offer.

“We really felt there was a need to not only sell Tasmanian produce but it also showcase it well,” Mrs Mason said. 

“You can come in, you can taste it you can buy it and we get to know the suppliers as well, the growers and manufacturers, we take our staff on regular field trips we visit the farms we visit the wineries we have a relationship, a connection with all of these people, which is really important to us and then we can tell the story.”

Brielle Mason said it was important to that whatever they did with the place was accepted by the building's creator and former owner. 

“One of the most lovely moments since we’ve opened is ... when he walked in and saw it all set up and changed from the way he had it, he got really teary and emotional and said that it was everything that he wanted to do with it but could never have done.”

The family hasn’t stopped since the business opened, they started with a team of five and now have a team of 20.

“What we initially thought was going to be a bit of a quaint family business has turned into a bit of a monster,” Ms Mason jokes. 

The conservatory is open Tuesday to Sunday for breakfast and lunch, and for special occasions.