Regional tourism hopes flow as Michelin selections announced

A remote paddock-to-plate Wagyu cattle farm, a nondescript industrial building in a regional city, and a seafood eatery attached to a fish processing plant are among 77 dining establishments recognised in the inaugural Michelin Guide.

Beyond the city's food scene, regional icons including Mayura Station near Millicent, Elementary Dining in Mount Gambier and The Fresh Fish Place in Port Lincoln received the honour of being selected in the guide.

Surreal moment for regional restaurants

Kirby Shearing, head chef and owner of Elementary, which is set in an industrial back street in Mount Gambier with a blacked-out interior designed to heighten the senses, said the feeling was "surreal".

"It's something a lot of us dreamed of as young apprentices," he said.

Regional tourism hopes

Mr Shearing, who has worked in Michelin-star restaurants internationally, said being included in the selected category put restaurants like his on the map and would have flow-on benefits to Mount Gambier, other hospitality businesses and the tourism sector more broadly.

"When people come and dine with us, they want to know where to go next, so we send people off to other restaurants, cafes, pubs and tourism sites."

"Really, the accolade is for the whole town and regional tourism."

Celebrations at Mayura Station

About 40 minutes' drive away, down a long, dirt road winding its way through a coastal national park, renowned Wagyu farm restaurant Mayura Station is also celebrating being selected into the guide.

The unique beef cellar door with its 9+ grade marbling meats is a household name for locals and gourmands alike, selling its award-winning produce in acclaimed restaurants throughout the nation as well as Asia, the United States and the Middle East.

Premier praises state's hospitality industry

Speaking at a press conference after the ceremony, Premier Peter Malinauskas said South Australia had officially taken its place on the world stage, with the Michelin Guide giving the state's hospitality industry "an unprecedented platform to tell its story to the world".

"Whether it be the magnificent seafood down in the South East, our viticulture sectors through the Barossa and Clare, or the protein we produce on our land, we have got it all right here," Mr Malinauskas said.

Regions rebound with innovation

For Craig and Sandy McCathie, who run The Fresh Fish Place alongside their seafood processing plant in Port Lincoln, this latest accolade has come at just the right time.

"It's just amazing after 15 years … it's exactly what my wife and I set out to do," Mr McCathie said.

"We've always kept it really simple. It is all about the fish," Mr McCathie said.

"When we started, there was no-one just doing seafood. We felt we had to do it, given Port Lincoln being the largest fishing fleet in the country."

"We've known all the time how good it is, but it's just great to have this recognition. It's been a tough couple of years with the algal bloom, but stocks are recovering and the tourists are coming back."