Sold! Villa Gusto bought by Melbourne couple

The Buckland Valley’s little slice of Italy, restaurant and boutique hotel Villa Gusto, has been sold. Built as a labour of love by former undercover policeman and successful crime author Colin McLaren 10years ago, the north-east Victorian business has been bought by Melbourne hospitality couple Ben and Kirsten Edwards. Ben says: ‘‘We’ve been thinking about a tree change for quite a while and heard it was up for sale.’’ Italophile McLaren says the couple will bring ‘‘experience and energy’’ to the business, and praised head chef Emma Handley (pictured), who took his restaurant to one-hat status in the current Age Good Food Guide. McLaren plans to travel to Italy and work on a fifth book. The new owners — who both have extensive restaurant experience, Ben as head sommelier at Circa and Kirsten front-of-house at Cicciolina — have moved to the property on Buckland Valley Road, sixkilometres outside Bright. The couple will oversee the food, wine and accommodation. Handley will stay on. Ben, who is the president of the Australian Sommeliers Association and has a wine consultancy, The Wine Guide, with business partner Dan Sims, plans to carry on both roles and ‘‘give the venue a stronger wine focus, both locally and internationally’’. They will close for June to ‘‘refresh’’ the property.

Hilary McNevin