From Michelin-starred kitchens to Cabarita – Baxter Newstead takes the helm at Paper Daisy
Some restaurants chase trends. Paper Daisy never has. Over the past decade, it has built its reputation on seasonality and a meticulous, detail-driven approach to quality. Now, the celebrated coastal venue turns the page on its next chapter with the appointment of executive chef Baxter Newstead.
There’s a quiet confidence that underpins Paper Daisy. You feel it the moment you arrive – whether you’re stopping in for a cocktail on the deck, gazing wistfully over the pool, or settling in for a long lunch that rolls effortlessly into evening. Part of Halcyon House, the space was originally reimagined by architect Virginia Kerridge with interiors by Anna Spiro. Pattern, texture and colour layer through the dining room, from woven bistro chairs to art-lined walls, striking a balance between polished and lived-in, creating a setting that invites you to settle in and stay a while.
Baxter brings more than 18 years’ experience across Australia and internationally, including time at Michelin-starred Ekstedt in Stockholm under Niklas Ekstedt. His cooking is shaped by fire, fermentation and a respect for ingredients at their peak with earlier roles at Vue de Monde, Wildflower, Saffire Freycinet and Noma Australia, and a stint at Knee Deep Wines in Margaret River earning him Regional Chef of the Year.
At Paper Daisy, Baxter’s first menu leans towards refinement. The new chef’s set menu follows a considered progression, beginning with lighter dishes – oysters with native citrus, raw or delicately cured seafood and simply handled vegetables – before moving into fire-led courses of line-caught fish and meticulously prepared proteins such as the succulent roasted duck breast with fig and fermented blueberry.
Desserts favour brightness and restraint, with a chocolate ganache layered with basil and passion fruit to a macadamia lamington with coconut and preserved cherry that you will be thinking about long after that last scoop.
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“Paper Daisy has a strong sense of place and an ease that really resonates with me,” says Baxter. “The produce in this region is extraordinary, and I’m excited to let that guide the food.”
Halcyon House general manager Magnus Hojden sees the appointment as a natural progression. “Baxter brings a depth of experience and a very considered approach,” he says. “He understands how to deliver food at a high level while keeping the experience relaxed and genuine.”
For regulars, the shift will feel measured rather than dramatic. The bones of Paper Daisy remain intact – thoughtful, coastal and assured – with Baxter’s influence set to build over time, shaped by the region and the people behind it.
Head here to make a booking at Paper Daisy.
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