Stu Laundy splashes $16 million on Byron Bay celebrity hotspot The Farm

Sydney pub baron and Bachelorette winner Stu Laundy has snapped up the iconic property The Farm at Byron Bay. 

According to a report in The Sunday Telegraph this week, Stu and publican Fraser Short with the pair paid $16 million for the multi-use property, which is frequented by local celebrities including Chris Hemsworth, Elsa Pataky and Celeste Barber. 

The trendy hotspot, which employs more than 120 staff, was listed for sale earlier this year by owners Tom and Emma Lane. 

Tom is the grandson of the Oroton founder Boyd Lane, with the farm to plate industry a change from his family’s legendary fashion empire. 

Launched five years ago, the property sits on a massive 31 hectares and is comprises of a number of fresh food producers and eateries. 

The site includes the Three Blue Ducks restaurant, along with a mix of other vendors selling fruit and vegetables from the surrounding orchards. 

The property is a sustainable, chemical-free working farm that boasts fields of roaming pigs, Scottish Highland cattle and chickens. 

It sees an estimated 500,000 visitors through the gates each year, and is estimated to generate an annual revenue of $1 million. 

The property had a listing price of $20 million when it was initially put on the market earlier this year.  

Tom previously told Realestate.com.au that he used the farm as a way of educating people about the origins of their food.    

‘Most of us will know our dentist or accountant but we don’t know our farmer,’ Mr Lane said. ‘We wanted to educate people.’ 

Tom said he was interested in the idea of a farm collective going national. 

‘It’s about starting a ripple effect. There is a global movement in people wanting to understand more about their food … we are looking to expand to Queensland and Victoria,’ he said.