Building honest hospitality businesses, one craving at a time.

From relaxed, Mediterranean-inspired dining and celebrations at Rústico at Hay Shed Hill, to boutique stays infused with character and seamless transport services that make every outing effortless, each venture carries a signature touch: warmth, accessibility and genuine care.

Text that reads 'VANESSA PHILLIPSON' in bold, capital letters with a brownish-orange color on a black background.
A woman with blonde hair smiling, wearing an orange shirt and dark jeans, sitting on a green chair with her arms crossed.
let's talk business
  • Logo for The Rústico Ride featuring three circular icons with floral and leaf patterns, and the text 'the rústico ride' below.
  • KINGS CAVIN logo with a palm tree in place of the letter O
  • Rustica Estate logo with brown text on a white background, featuring a shield with an 'R' and laurel leaves.
  • A logo for Rusticoc Bed & Breakfast featuring a stylized rooster with a textured body and a small comb, with the name 'rústicoq' and the tagline 'at Cowaramup Bakehouse'.
  • Logo for Rústico at Hay Shed Hill, Margaret River featuring three circular icons with green designs and a leaf in the center.
Woman with blonde hair sitting on a green cushioned chair, wearing an orange shirt, dark blue jeans, and gold cowboy boots, sipping from a glass, with two wine bottles on the floor beside her against a plain white background.

Investor, Rústico Queen Bee & Award-winning Hospo Entrepreneur |

Investor, Rústico Queen Bee & Award-winning Hospo Entrepreneur |

Logo with large letter 'V' in the center, encircled by the text 'Building Honest Hospitality Business' in orange color.

Hospitality isn’t just a business. It’s a way of life.

It’s about creating spaces where people gather, celebrate, and connect.

Driven by honesty, grit and joy — the same qualities that shine through in her restaurants, her teams, and her leadership. Vanessa’s achievements are measured not only in awards and full dining rooms but in maintaining balance, nurturing relationships, and proving that big dreams are achievable without compromise.

  • The Numbers

    1,000+ employees hired

    80 staff at peak operations

    $100m+ revenue generated

    2,000,000 diners served

    400+ weddings hosted

Investor, Rústico Queen Bee & Award-winning Hospo Entrepreneur |

Investor, Rústico Queen Bee & Award-winning Hospo Entrepreneur |

A smiling woman with blonde hair, wearing gold hoop earrings and an orange shirt, is resting her head on her right hand next to a disco ball.
Logo with a large V and a period, surrounded by the text 'Building Honest Hospitality Business' in a circular pattern.

About  

Vivacious, determined, unapologetic and deeply hospitality-driven — Vanessa Phillipson is a restaurateur, tourism entrepreneur and force of nature in the South West of WA.

Born in Attadale in 1979, Vanessa is the proprietor and general manager of a growing suite of hospitality and tourism businesses: Rústico at Hay Shed Hill, Rústicoq Bed & Breakfast, Kings Cabin Busselton, Rústico Weddings, Rústica Estate and the innovative Rústico Ride recently added to her growing portfoilo .

Her energy, creativity and no-nonsense approach to leadership define not only her businesses but also the community she builds around them.

Learn More

  • My Expertise - Your Growth

    Sales

    Profitability

    Financial stability

    Financial visibility

  • My Expertise - Your Growth

    Recruitment

    Retention

    Leadership

    Management

  • My Expertise - Your Growth

    Marketing

    Brand development & equity

    Customer-obsessed thinking

    Solutions-based innovation

    Product development

Investor, Rústico Queen Bee & Award-winning Hospo Entrepreneur |

Investor, Rústico Queen Bee & Award-winning Hospo Entrepreneur |

A woman with blonde hair wearing a floral dress and metallic boots sitting on a wooden stool, holding a glass of rosé wine, and smiling at the camera.
Black background with large beige V and dot logo, encircled by the text 'BUILDING HONEST HOSPITALITY BUSINESS'

The foundations of Vanessa’s career were laid early.

At just 10, she was helping her father serve chilli mussels at Fremantle markets during the America’s Cup era. Part-time restaurant jobs, a career in competitive media sales, and life abroad sharpened her resilience, communication and entrepreneurial instincts.

Her philosophy remains simple: know what you don’t know and fix it. Constant training, travel, benchmarking against the best, and building strong, loyal teams have been cornerstones of her success. Vanessa thrives on developing people as much as developing businesses — ensuring her ventures grow with integrity and passion.

SEE CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

  • “Having an anything-is-possible, can-do attitude isn’t a skill as such, but it’s my greatest asset. And my greatest joy is solving problems, fostering ideas and then bringing people along for the ride.”

Let’s talk business.

I’m looking to partner with businesses that are seeking guidance, momentum and long-term strategic value — including equity opportunities.

Fill out the contact form to get started.