Meet for a drink at Midtown

WHEN Jonny Driver and his partner moved to Ballarat last year from Melbourne, they loved the regional feel and lifestyle, but there was one thing they couldn’t quite find.

“There were great country pubs and wine bars, but we wanted something in between that was open seven days… and was half retail, half hospitality,” he said.

“That didn’t arrive, so I thought, maybe other people want it too. It was selfish at the start, but when I told people, I got a lot of positive responses.

“I didn’t want to wait around for someone else to do it.”

With a background in bars and wine stores, Mr Driver will open his own business, Midtown Cellars and Bar, on Wednesday, 15 September.

Not only is it his birthday, it’s exactly 12 months to the day since he settled in Ballarat.

“It will be a combination of a wine bar, and a dive bar, dimly lit, relaxed and comfortable with really good products and service,” he said.

“I want to introduce wine to people who have always been scared to try it. A lot of people find wine intimidating, but if you get the right people showing you without judgement, you’ll embrace it and love it.

“I want people to come in and feel welcome, whether they’re an 80-year-old couple on their anniversary, or a couple of tradies in their work gear.”

The wine section will champion local growers within an hour of Ballarat, easy-drinking and inexpensive European varieties, and even some natural wines.

Craft beer is also set to be one of Midtown’s strengths, stocking mostly Australian varieties. Eighty per cent of those will be Victorian, with some made in Ballarat.

“You can drink any bottle of wine from the shop, in the shop, with just a small corkage. That’s a lot more affordable than going into a wine bar,” Mr Driver said.

“There’s a selection of 200 wines, and 150 beers, wines by the glass and beer on tap. If you can see it in the shop, you can drink it here.”

Renovating the store at 405 Sturt Street, Mr Driver has done lots of the work himself, but said he’s enjoyed the support of the local tradespeople he’s employed along the way.

“All of the tradies have been fantastic, working after hours and on weekends.

“They’ve been excited to see the shop become something, which has reinvigorated my enthusiasm,” he said.