This September, Three Blue Ducks marks its 15th anniversary, celebrating a decade and a half of honest, seasonal cooking, ethical hospitality and connection to community.
Since opening its first café in Bronte in 2010, Three Blue Ducks has grown to five venues across Australia’s east coast, each built on the belief that food should be honest, thoughtful and shared - with quality ingredients, genuine connection and environmental mindfulness at the heart.
The milestone comes alongside the announcement of the Ducks’ next venture, a farm-to-plate concept located in Burradoo, in New South Wales’ Southern Highlands, set to open in late 2025/early 2026.
The new location will feature a restaurant, bakery and produce store on a working farm operated by Annie Cannon-Brookes. The farm will grow much of the produce and proteins served at the Duck’s new location, with visitors also being able to take home fresh produce and baked goods.
"Fifteen years in, we’re still doing what we set out to do, serving great food, looking after our people and being mindful of our impact,” says co-owner Darren Robertson. "The Burradoo project is a natural extension of everything we’ve learned over the last decade-plu, and we can’t wait to share it.”
To celebrate the 15th anniversary, the Ducks will host a birthday party at its Rosebery venue on Wednesday, September 10, from 6 pm-11 pm. Guests will enjoy food from co-owners Darren and Andy Allen alongside Three Blue Ducks alumni including: Luke Powell (LP’s Quality Meats), Jemma Whiteman (Ante), Michael Lo Presti (Baba’s Place), Joel Bennetts (Sana), Mark Hannell (Reed House, VIC), Shannon Debreceny (Ante) and Bret Cameron (Buckley’s Chance, Byron).
Highlights include Australian Bay lobster rolls, LP’s Quality Meats grazing table and charcuterie and lamb on the spit. Tickets are $95 (+ booking fee) and include food, live entertainment and a cocktail on arrival. Tickets available here.
Across all Three Blue Ducks venues throughout September, the anniversary celebrations will continue with a selection of $15 specials including half dozen oysters, Australian Bay lobster rolls, glasses of Taittinger Champagne and cocktails, along with 15% off the Ducks online store (excluding gift vouchers).
The celebrations will also include two special releases: a 15-year coffee collaboration with Single O and a limited-edition merchandise range by Byron Bay artist Anjuna Hartlieb.
To mark the milestone, long-term partner Single O is releasing a Three Blue Ducks x Single O washed Ethiopian coffee from Keffa, the region the teams visited together in 2018. The coffee will be served at all Three Blue Ducks venues throughout September with 250 g bags of beans available to purchase in-venue and through the online store, celebrating a shared commitment to quality, sustainability and relationships at origin.
Anjuna Hartlieb, an illustrator, printmaker and painter from Byron Bay, was commissioned to create artwork reflecting the Ducks’ ethos of people, produce and planet. Her design features across a range of hats, totes and kids’ T-shirts, available at the Ducks’ Byron, Melbourne and Rosebery venues as well as online.
"This birthday is about celebrating everyone who’s been part of the Ducks family, from our team and suppliers to our guests,” says co-owner Andy. "It’s been a wild ride from Bronte to here and we’re super excited for what’s ahead in the next chapter.”
During the past 15 years, Three Blue Ducks has achieved key milestones including the launch of The Farm, Byron Bay; the expansion into city dining with Rosebery; the opening of its Melbourne venue at URBNSURF, Australia’s first urban surfing park; and regional openings in Nimbo and Bellingen.
Sustainability has been central to the journey, with initiatives such as offering a world first low-emissions steak with Sea Fed Beef, composting nearly 49 tonnes of organic waste and introducing waste-saving systems like wine-on-tap and milk taps, eliminating more than 260,000 plastic bottles.
By-products have been repurposed into products such as soap made from spent coffee grounds and chopping boards from invasive Camphor Laurel.
