It’s one of the greatest compliments a hospitality business can receive: the Australian Good Food Guide People’s Choice Award. It’s validation that our food, wine, service, and atmosphere are hitting the mark, and it comes directly from you, our cherished customers.
But when a dual business like Steels Gate is celebrated, where does the credit usually land? Naturally, the spotlight often shines on the most visible creative genius: the talented Head Chef. This often overlooks the strategic and financial effort required by the business leaders, Matthew Davis and Brad Atkins, who also happen to be the hands-on winemakers behind every bottle.
Today, we’re pulling back the curtain on the unique skill set required to keep Steels Gate thriving. The truth is, the most talented chef can’t succeed without a stable, strategic platform. And here, that platform is built by the same people who craft the product.
From Corporate Suits to Strategic Winemakers
Our journey wasn’t traditional. Before we were Vignerons and Winemakers, we came from the corporate world, bringing backgrounds in engineering, science and business. That might sound dry, but in the tough world of hospitality, that experience became our secret weapon.
In an era defined by economic turbulence—rising supplier costs, staffing shortages, and structural pressures across the wine industry—running a business like Steels Gate is less about romanticism and more about risk management.
We’ve had to make choices that prioritise long-term survival and team health over short-term profit. A prime example? The art of the pivot.
The Pivot is the Strategy
When we acquired the Dixons Creek site (the Melba Block) in 2018, we intended to grow our vineyard and wine production. The unexpected demand for premium dining, however, immediately turned us into full-scale restaurateurs. That was our first major, unplanned business pivot.
More recently, we faced the shared industry struggle of retaining a talented team. We learned early on that staff engagement is the most valuable asset you can have. During the most challenging restrictions, we kept our Friday night takeaway service running, not because it was a huge money-maker, but because it achieved crucial non-monetary goals:
Staff Connection: It kept our kitchen and front-of-house teams engaged, employed, and connected.
Brand Visibility: It kept the Steels Gate name active and connected to our community.
This is the kind of strategic thinking—valuing people and brand health above weekly cash flow—that separates the survivors from those who simply rely on passion alone.
The Invisible Job: Juggling the Ecosystem
When you enjoy a glass of wine that we personally coaxed from our dry-grown vines, or a beautiful dish prepared by our talented Head Chef, remember that we are juggling the 100 things that happen behind the scenes:
Finance and Winemaking Alignment: Ensuring the minimal intervention, dry-grown vineyard practices (the core of our wine quality) remain financially viable while making the wine ourselves.
Supply Chain and Staffing: Negotiating with suppliers during inflation and managing the human resources required to keep the high standard of service that earned the People’s Choice recognition.
The Platform: The owner must secure the financing, manage the bills, and create the strategic structure that allows everyone else—including ourselves as winemakers—to focus on their craft.
Conclusion: The Platform of Passion
The wine in the glass and the beautiful dish on the plate are the final, visible outputs of a much larger, complex, and strategic business operation.
The strategic skill of the Vignerons is the invisible ingredient that truly allows their own passion as winemakers and the talent of their kitchen team to shine, enabling Steels Gate to survive, pivot, and ultimately, earn the highest compliment you can give.
When you book a table or purchase a bottle from Steels Gate, you are validating the commitment, strategy, and sheer hard work of an entire team, led by two people determined to thrive as Vigneron, Winemaker, and Business Owner, one pivot at a time.
Ready to support the platform that supports the talent? Book your next lunch or stock up on your favourite wines to help us keep this ecosystem thriving.
