PRESS
With sweeping views to Mount Canobolas, the Old Convent at Borenore, a 20-minute drive west of Orange, offers lovely quarters and wholesome food for the weary traveller. Owners Josie (a bespoke dressmaker) and Jeffrey Chapman (a financial controller) left Sydney for Orange in 1989. When the Catholic Church put the convent up for sale, they leapt at the chance to rescue it from its then parlous state. The 8000-square-metre property has a church that’s used for small functions and three lodgings. The original convent building, which was run as a school until 1963, is now The Cottage, converted into a bright two-bedroom, one-bathroom space. Weatherboard charmer Willow House has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a wraparound verandah. An extra bed is available in The Nun’s Room, a self-contained one-bedroom apartment attached to the Chapmans’ home. Guests can savour delicious country breakfasts; expect homemade muesli, a herb and goat’s curd omelette with roasted tomatoes and robust coffee from the Faema espresso machine. “It’s not fancy but it’s the kind of place where we like to stay,” says Josie.
-qantas travel insider Magazine, June 2017.
"In a charming, homely setting (and yes, it is an old convent), Josie Chapman serves up a great-value set brunch and lunch. Enjoy her corn fritters with smoked trout, poached fruit with muesli, and eggs with homemade baked beans and ham. Only on Sunday."
— Good Food Guide, September 7 2012
"There is a place a little outside of Orange but well worth the visit. Just imagine having breakfast looking out over green pastures and the mountains in the distance. The Old Convent serves a fixed menu for breakfast and a fixed menu for lunch, opened only on a Sunday. It is truly a little gem and friends who come to visit make a special point of doing 'Brunch' at the Convent when they come. The food is delicious with Josie's own twist after many visits to France. Well worth the drive out of town, and don't forget to book."
— GOOD FOOD GUIDE, SEPTEMBER 7 2012
"...Another long-standing favourite is Old Convent where Josie Chapman presides over Sundays-only breakfast, lunch and tea. “All our favourite chefs are the ones working closely with their local producers, and Josie’s no exception. Her food is spot-"on.” http://www.delicious.com.au/travel/australia/article/country-style-top-eats-drops-stays-mudgee-orange/1be94c74-832f-41dc-a35e-77e7f5ce634f
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