Halcyon House’s hatted restaurant enters a new era, where global technique meets one of Australia’s most revered boutique hotel dining destinations.
Baxter Newstead, Executive Chef, Paper Daisy
At Wanderlust Union, we’re proud to work with hospitality brands that continue to evolve and set the standard — which is why we’re delighted to share the appointment of Baxter Newstead as Executive Chef of Paper Daisy, the hatted restaurant at Halcyon House.
This marks a significant new chapter for one of Australia’s most revered regional dining destinations, located within the award-winning boutique hotel Halcyon House on Cabarita Beach.
With more than 18 years’ experience across acclaimed Australian and international kitchens, Baxter brings technical precision shaped by some of the world’s most exacting culinary environments. Most recently, he spent several years at Stockholm’s Michelin-starred Ekstedt, working under Niklas Ekstedt and developing a deep respect for elemental cooking, seasonality and provenance. Fire-led technique and fermentation remain central to his philosophy — allowing ingredients and landscape to lead.
His Australian experience includes time in some of the country’s most respected kitchens, including Vue de Monde, Wildflower, Saffire Freycinet and Noma Australia — where he further refined his appreciation for native ingredients and regionally driven cuisine.
Now, that global perspective finds a natural home in the Northern Rivers.
Paper Daisy has long been integral to the Halcyon House experience — not simply a hotel restaurant, but a destination in its own right. Under Baxter’s leadership, the menu will continue to celebrate the richness of the region, shaped by close relationships with local growers, fishermen and producers. Line-caught seafood, hinterland dairy and peak-season produce will guide a style of cooking that feels grounded, confident and expressive of place.
His appointment signals more than a change in the kitchen; it reflects the continued evolution of Halcyon House as a boutique hotel where dining, design and destination are seamlessly intertwined.
As a leading Australian luxury PR agency specialising in hospitality PR, travel PR and lifestyle PR, we understand how powerfully food and wine influence modern travel decisions. Today, the restaurant often defines the stay — shaping not only the guest experience, but how a hotel is positioned, perceived and remembered.
At Wanderlust Union, we operate at the intersection of hotels, restaurants and broader lifestyle experiences — ensuring hospitality brands are positioned with clarity, cultural relevance and longevity. Our expertise spans boutique hotel PR, restaurant PR and destination-led hospitality brands across Australia and internationally, reflecting the reality that today’s traveller seeks immersive, experience-led stays where every touchpoint contributes to the story.
Having worked with Halcyon House for over a decade — championing its evolution from the beginning — it’s incredibly exciting to see Paper Daisy enter this next era with such a considered appointment. Baxter’s arrival brings Michelin-informed technique to a distinctly Northern Rivers setting, reinforcing Halcyon House’s reputation as one of Australia’s most revered boutique hotels.
We look forward to watching this next chapter unfold.
