Surprisingly, Supernatural is Byron Bay’s first natural wine bar. Surprising in that Byron is at once one of the most connected and disconnected of seaside towns. With some of this country’s most expensive real estate, it is the playground of the wealthy, with Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne standards and trends running parallel, but it is also the home of lo-fi, of unplugging and taking in the wholesome goodness of all that is organic, unmanipulated and hand-crafted. Put a 10 William Street, a Wines of While or an Embla in Byron Bay and watch it roar.
Well, Peter Windrim and Andy Love were somewhat surprised by the omission, too, so they set about righting that wrong, taking a lease on a site in Bay Lane behind the leviathan that is the Beach Hotel. And while the natural wine bar exemplars that we have used above may have slipped into their groove effortlessly, they were never going to create a facsimile, or worse a pastiche. No, theirs was always going to be original, channelling their idiosyncratic take on things.
Supernatural burst onto the scene, captivating locals and visitors alike, but with other projects beckoning the business was bought mid-2021 by local music producer and entrepreneur Grant Weatherburn and his photographer partner Jodi Plumbley. “We have always loved the vibe of Supernatural – right back from its original owners,” Weatherburn says. “When the purchase opportunity came up, we wanted to make sure it was kept in local hands and are excited for the new adventure!”
Today, Supernatural has kept its handmade and organic ethos, from the menu through to the wine selections, which tops out at a modest 30 bins, but it is a dynamic selection, changing frequently. Scott McGarry takes control of that list, as well as managing the front of house. Like Windrim before him, McGarry is both a winemaker and a natural wine enthusiast, so he can go as deep on information as you like, or he’s happy to keep it breezy, in true Byron style.
Head chef Marie Torné’s menu “merges French classics with locally sourced, modern Australian fare” leaning heavily on vegetables and seafood across its list of about a dozen share plates. Perhaps shiitake mushroom and ginger gyoza, or smoked mussels on toast with oxheart tomato, lemon and herbs, or maybe a ceviche of scallops with shaved radish, apple, fennel and pickled chilli.
“Supernatural is the perfect place to pull up after a day on the beach for a drop of vino in the sunshine or kick on later into the evening,” says Weatherburn. “We offer a healthy selection of our wines by the glass and also by the half bottle so perfect to share a wine adventure with a friend. Solo travellers often make fast friends at the bar!”
