Shannon Bennett plots four new Byron Bay venues under Belongil Group
Shannon Bennett is returning to his culinary roots with a new hospitality venture, Belongil Group. “I am re-entering the hospitality industry, because I have a renewed fire, a vision of something that has not been done before,” he said in an online statement.
A mainstay of Australia’s dining scene, Bennett says he’s planning four venues in his hometown of Byron Bay, with the first slated to open mid-December.
The celebrity chef has been busy. He launched a cashless tips app last year and says the closure of Byron’s Belongil Italian nudged him to “see a different perspective” and make a move. “I feel that since they closed, Byron Bay has been missing something,” he wrote. “I felt that I could bring the vigour back to my own little small community.”
Bennet is pitching the new project as a community-first cluster of spots rather than a single destination. “The project is more than a restaurant - it’s four venues that together reflect how I now see hospitality.
“There should be something for everyone in the community: from dog walkers, surfers, and backpackers to those celebrating their big night out once a year.
“Each offer their own energy, but share the same heartbeat.”
Industry heavyweights including Justin Hemmes, Samantha Gowing and Neil Perry have already thrown their support behind the move.
As for Packer, she remains London-based after relocating in 2023 to be closer to her sister, though her ties to home remain strong—“an inseparable part of who I am”. “I’m so proud to come from Gunnedah, a place where my family had deep roots,” she said. “I’ve never felt a sense of community so strong.”
Jonathan Jackson, 10h November 2025
