Is there a more polarising meal than Sunday brunch?

For its devotees, it is coloured by the unmistakable green of matcha, thick slices of sourdough served with knives that never seem sharp enough, and pastries that almost always lean towards the sweet. A ritual observed every weekend without fail. For others, brunch exists primarily as an act of convalescence, the inevitable consequence of an indulgent Saturday evening, serving as a remedy for the excesses of the night before. Somewhere between the two are those who have discovered the pleasures of a long Sunday, and those yet to discover a brunch that speaks their language.

It is perhaps the latter we are most excited to welcome, because Venner, as ever, would like to offer something a little different.

Last week, we shared why dinner at Venner has become a set menu experience. Over the past six months, we have come to realise that most of our evening guests visit us not simply for a meal, but for an occasion. They place themselves in our hands, settle in, and allow the menu to unfold as it was intended.

Our Sundays have always shared the same philosophy, but they have found a rhythm all of their own. Tables linger. Friends gather in larger groups. Brunch becomes lunch, and lunch has a habit of stretching into the afternoon. There is no urgency. Nobody seems eager to leave.

There is an art to the long Sunday lunch. Time given generously. Conversation that outlasts the courses. A meal that becomes the entire point of the day. It is a ritual we think deserves preserving.

That feeling has inspired a small change.

From Sunday, 2 August, Venner will be BYO on Sundays.

Bring the bottle you have been saving. The one collected on holiday. The one a friend has insisted you try. Or perhaps the bottle that has been waiting patiently for an occasion worthy of opening.

After all, nobody knows your taste in wine better than you do.

Our menu remains in our hands. The wine can remain in yours.

So wear your Sunday best. Drink your Sunday best, too.

We'll have a place waiting for you.

BYO is available during Sunday brunch service from 2 August. Corkage is $10 per bottle.