Perched high on a hilltop, its restaurant Stone & Barrel @ Feathertop is flanked by red and golden vines, framing picture-perfect Mount Buffalo in the background.

Having been head chef since spring 2013, Simon Buckley is well placed to tap into the wealth of local produce grown on his doorstep.

"It's so important to cook seasonal produce because that's when it's at its best, it's cheapest and all of the flavours go together," he said.

"It just makes sense."

Having grown up helping out in his parents' pub in Warwickshire, England, Buckley said it had boiled down to "computers or cooking" when he started training for a career in 1986.

"I went to TAFE at Stratford-Upon-Avon to train and I really enjoyed it," he said. 

"Gordon Ramsay was two years ahead of me at TAFE."

Buckley met his Australian wife, Lisa, in New Zealand in 1998 before they settled in Melbourne and now the North East.

TRY STONE & BARREL @ FEATHERTOP'S AMAZING SOUFFLE

What's your favourite autumn dish?

Gnocchi with cheese sauce, crispy sage and truffle

What's your favourite season?

Autumn, closely followed by spring.

What are the staples in your pantry now?

Smoked paprika, dukkah, miso dressing and salt. We use a lot of Middle Eastern spices in the kitchen here.

What is your earliest cooking memory?

It's going to sound a bit Jamie Oliver but Mum and Dad ran a pub when I was a kid growing up in Warwickshire in England. I used to help out in the kitchen. 

Which ingredients do you grow yourself?

Herbs like thyme, sage and rosemary and Jerusalem artichokes in the veggie garden.

Which six people would you invite to dinner?

Sir Alex Ferguson, my wife Lisa Buckley and our four kids: Sian, 16, Max, 14, Mia, 14, and Jack, 10.

What is your favourite foodie ritual?

Making one-pot dinners at home or using the Weber. I like to keep it simple.

What are you bingeing on TV? If anything.

Nothing really but I watch instructional golf videos on YouTube and sometimes Narcos on Netflix.

What did you have for dinner last night?

Chicken Kievs from the local butcher, Ricardi's Alpine Gourmet Meats.

What are you drinking at the moment?

Wine. Mostly red coming into winter.

Details:

Stone & Barrel @ Feathertop,

Feathertop Winery,

6619 Great Alpine Road, Porepunkah

Phone: (03) 5756 2356