44 COU NTRY ST Y LE JUNE 2017
aking a wrong turn in the Hunter Valley of NSW
proved a fortunate mistake for a Sydney couple who,
dreaming of establishing an olive grove to supply
oil to their popular Sydney Italian restaurant,
Buon Ricordo, happened upon the perfect spot.
“We’d just returned from a trip to Italy with an idea of
what we wanted,” says Gemma Cunningham, who, along
with her husband, Naples-born chef Armando Percuoco,
was captivated when she found herself on the historic Great
North Road during a drive to the renowned Hunter Valley
wine region. “We loved the hills, the streams and the valley,”
says Armando. “I rang a real estate agent and Valleyfield
was the first place she showed us.”
That was more than 20 years ago, when the 93-hectare
property — nestled in Laguna between the Yengo and
Watagans National Parks — had very few trees and
little more than a tiny shack to accompany the original
homestead. Over a century old and in a state of disrepair,
the main house was dangerous to even step inside. “You
would touch the timber and it was like cobwebs,” says
Gemma, “All kinds of animals had made their homes there.”
The couple lived in the shack for a year, dividing their
time between the Hunter Valley and Sydney’s eastern
suburbs while they got to work planting olive trees, beforeGemma and Armando in the olive grove.
FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
LEFT In the living room, a painting by
Wendy Stokes overlooks a Monica Armani
coffee table; a home library includes
cookbooks by friends including Shannon
Bennett, Neil Perry and Tetsuya Wakuda;
Armando’s extra virgin olive oil is bottled
and labelled onsite; a Blue Seal commercial
stove gets plenty of use in the kitchen;
Chooks by Lucy Culliton hangs in the dining
room above Philippe Starck ‘Costes’ chairs
and a Nicholas Dattner table made from
recycled yellow stringybark; the verandah
overlooks the landscaped garden. For
stockist details, see page 134.turning their focus to the house. While few elements
could be salvaged, including some windows and flooring,
Armando took a photograph before rebuilding began
in an effort to replicate the original structure.
“I very much kept to the Australian style when designing
the house because it’s a historic property,” says Armando,
who has the original deeds to Valleyfield from 1839. An
extension the couple completed last year might be the
exception, when they decided that more time spent at the
farm called for additional space. “It was the perfect size
for a weekender but not to live full time,” says Gemma.
Laguna’s proximity to Sydney appealed to the pair.
“It’s not overly developed and still quite wild — you’ve
got all the bushland as well as this gorgeous little village,”
says Gemma. After a demanding weekend at the restaurant,
Armando looks forward to his Sunday afternoon drive up
to Valleyfield. “I’m busy in the garden for three days, but
it’s a completely different work environment,” he says.
“For me, it’s the serenity I most look forward to.”
The couple’s olive grove, along with the orchard that
produces figs, oranges and pears, among other crops,
keeps Armando outdoors much of the time. However,
getting the garden to where it is today has not
been without challenges. >