Many Daylesford and Hepburn Springs locals have no doubt been to the Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve on many occasions to sample the Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa treatments, enjoy tasting some local mineral water or just to walk the dog in beautiful surroundings.  You may even have been to the Pavilion Café on occasions as it has been functioning in various guises for many years. 

What you might not realise is that the Pavilion Café is now under new management and leadership from the Belgravia Leisure Group, the company that also runs the Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa Centre at the Mineral Springs Reserve.  Richard Fanale (ex Hepburn Palais) and Caliopi Buck (ex Frank & Connies) took over managing the space on behalf of Belgravia about 6 months ago.  They’ve introduced a new menu for the café and are in the midst of planning how to make best use of the large function space attached to the café.  Discussions around renovations and best use of the space are ongoing at this stage, in the meantime, the space is used for the overflow of patrons of the café or can also be used for functions for locals or for conferences that may be taking place in the area.  

The Pavilion originally opened in 1908 and retains many beautiful features from the era  it was built in and Richard wants to make the most of those unique features, while ensuring that the guest experience lives up to the look and feel of The Pavillion.  Planning remains an ongoing activity so keep an eye out for further updates on this space.  

Richard and Caliopi are both keen to continue the Spa Centre wellness theme into the café so that patrons can feel like they are continuing to be pampered before or after any treatments they may have at the spa.  Offerings such as the Wellness Bowl may attract you as a healthy and tasty choice, but equally you may just want to indulge in a regional tasting plate or a decadent Devonshire Tea all of which are on offer.  

The café is staffed and managed by local people and that really helps to create a community feel for locals and provides a welcoming atmosphere at the same time to any visitors to the reserve.  Speaking from personal experience, the café has already become one of my favourite spots to enjoy a chai – I am not a coffee drinker but am assured by friends the coffee is also excellent!  The café offers both inside and outside (exposed and under cover) seating overlooking the reserve, a well thought out menu including snacks, cakes and biscuits as well as doggy beds and free home-made dog biscuits for your furry friends to indulge in.  Personally, I can’t go past the egg and bacon breakfast bagel – it’s a winner in my book. If you haven’t already done so, go and give the café a try as the venue has received an interior refresh updating it to include botanical décor and a nature inspired layout in keeping with the location.

  • Café hours are 8:30am – 4pm Sunday to Thursday and 8:30am – 5pm Friday and Saturday.
  • The cafe’s new menu caters to all tastes and dietary needs for the community, offering vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options
  • Any additional information about the café can be found at Rediscover Hepburn Pavilion Café with its fresh new look and menu 

Did you also know that packages are also available via the Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa that cover accommodation, treatments and foodie indulgences if you have friends or family that are looking to spend a few days in Daylesford and Hepburn Springs?  All this information is available via the website https://hepburnbathhouse.com/