Introducing Konstantin Putkin, our new Head Chef

Small Wonder has appointed Konstantin Putkin as Head Chef of its new Restaurant, opening alongside the estate's Cellar Door in the Tamar Valley this September.

It's a significant appointment for the estate. Putkin was named Australian Professional Chef of the Year at Foodservice Australia in 2022, with a career built across some of the country's most respected kitchens and biggest stages, from the Michelin-starred Galvin at Windows in London, to Hobart's Aura, where the restaurant collected multiple AGFG Chef Hats during his tenure, to Wintergarden at the Hydro Majestic Hotel in the Blue Mountains. He has also led kitchens at major events including the Formula One Australian Grand Prix and Melbourne Cup Carnival with Atlantic Group Hospitality.

At Small Wonder, that experience turns toward something more local.

A menu shaped by Tasmania

Putkin's food will be led by what's grown, raised and caught close to the estate. He's already building relationships with the state's growers and producers, connections that will shape a menu designed to change with the seasons rather than sit fixed on a page.

“Small Wonder is an incredible place to cook,” says Putkin. “The wines are thoughtful and expressive, and Tasmania offers some of the finest produce in the country. The opportunity to build a menu around both is incredibly exciting.

“We'll be working closely with local growers, producers and suppliers to create food that reflects the seasons and showcases the quality of what's available here in Tasmania.”

Guests will have a choice of ways to eat: an à la carte menu, a seasonal set menu, or something more relaxed outdoors, overlooking the vineyard.

Food that meets the wine halfway

Small Wonder's Restaurant sits inside a working winery, and Putkin sees that as an advantage rather than a backdrop. Working alongside the winemaking team through each vintage means dishes can be built to complement the wines from the outset, not matched to them after the fact.

The connection runs both ways. The kitchen and cellar are already developing verjuice and vinegars from estate fruit, and looking at how more of what winemaking produces (grape pomace, old vines) might find its way onto the plate and into the smoker.

Grounded in provenance

Putkin's approach favours precision over performance, honed over his time leading kitchens at Aura in Hobart and Leonards Mill on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

“My time at Aura and Leonards Mill has had a profound influence on the direction we're taking at Small Wonder, and the story we want to tell through our food,” he says.

“Leading both kitchens deepened my understanding of whole-animal butchery, meat curing, fermentation and foraging, an approach grounded in craftsmanship, seasonality and respect for every ingredient.”

It's a philosophy that extends to how the kitchen runs. Single-use plastics are being cut by close to 90 per cent, swapped for compostable alternatives across the board, one part of a broader commitment to sustainability that already runs through the estate's certified organic vineyards, solar power and on-site water treatment.

Building something worth being part of

Overstory CEO Paul McArdle says Putkin's appointment marks a new chapter for the estate.

“Konstantin's appointment is a defining moment for Small Wonder as we prepare to open the next chapter of the estate,” says McArdle. “His experience spans some of Australia's most respected kitchens and hospitality operations, but what stood out most was his genuine passion for produce, seasonality and memorable dining.

“Small Wonder has always been about expressing place through wine. With Konstantin leading the kitchen, we're excited to extend that philosophy to the plate.”

For Putkin, that starts with the people he brings into the kitchen.

“I want everyone to feel like they're part of building something, not just working in someone else's kitchen,” he says.

Opening September 2026

The Small Wonder Cellar Door and Restaurant opens in the Tamar Valley this September: organic vineyards, cool-climate wines and a menu shaped by Tasmania's seasons, all in one place.

Follow @small_wonder_wines for updates as opening day gets closer, or join the Wonder Club to be among the first to experience it.