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\u201cI want people to come in and feel welcome, whether they\u2019re an 80-year-old couple on their anniversary, or a couple of tradies in their work gear.\u201d<\/p>\n
The wine section will champion local growers within an hour of Ballarat, easy-drinking and inexpensive European varieties, and even some natural wines.<\/p>\n
Craft beer is also set to be one of Midtown\u2019s strengths, stocking mostly Australian varieties. Eighty per cent of those will be Victorian, with some made in Ballarat.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can drink any bottle of wine from the shop, in the shop, with just a small corkage. That\u2019s a lot more affordable than going into a wine bar,\u201d Mr Driver said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Renovating the store at 405 Sturt Street, Mr Driver has done lots of the work himself, but said he\u2019s enjoyed the support of the local tradespeople he\u2019s employed along the way.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of the tradies have been fantastic, working after hours and on weekends.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve been excited to see the shop become something, which has reinvigorated my enthusiasm,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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\u2019t quite find. \u201cThere were great country pubs and wine bars, but we wanted something in between that was open seven days… and was half retail, half hospitality,\u201d he […]<\/p>\n