Farmer’s Daughters is the Gippsland-focused restaurant joining the $800 million development, which is scheduled for completion in 2020. It will be in good company, sitting alongside the new concept from the combined talents of Sepia duo Martin Benn and Vicky Wild, and Chris Lucas of Lucas Group.

The man behind the new addition is Alejandro Saravia’s, a food and beverage ambassador for the luscious regional precinct who hopes to showcase its bevy of produce to the city centre and its many visitors. And showcase he shall, in a three-floor restaurant which will boast an array of different identities that will cater from breakfast through dinner (and beyond). There’s the ground-floor deli in which you can shop for charcuterie and Gippsland cheese, the more formal dining main restaurant (private dining rooms included), and a rooftop space in which guests can sit and nibble on dishes amongst a collection of herb gardens and greenhouses.

The Gippsland region has long been a wine and seafood-laden haven for Saravia who arrived in Melbourne from Peru back in 2014. “Gippsland’s farming history is rich, it’s soils are fertile and it serves as a major food bowl to Melbourne,” says Saravia. “I feel a responsibility to the dedicated growers and producers of the area to give them a world-class platform to showcase their exceptional ingredients. I am excited to draw local and international attention through this partnership with 80 Collins and the delicious treasures that can be found right here in Victoria.”

It’s a passion shared by developer QICGRE. “So much of what makes Melbourne’s thriving culture so distinct are the surrounding regions from which the city’s renowned chefs source their ingredients,” explains Daryl Stubbings of the company. “So we’re delighted 80 Collins is providing the place for Alejandro Saravia and Farmer’s Daughters to present the best of Gippsland in the heart of the CBD.”