Cellarbrations Portarlington’s grand opening

A DEDICATION to outstanding customer service, community support and the local wine industry shines through at the newly opened Cellarbrations Portarlington.

Owner Sukoon Bedi is excited to welcome locals and tourists through the doors of his new store where they will be greeted by friendly staff and an extensive selection of liquor to suit all tastes and budgets.

Sukoon said the decision to open a Cellarbrations in Portarlington was an easy one and would bring much-needed competition and product choice to the township.

The store opened on Monday and is celebrating its grand opening today (Thursday, May 5).

“We’ve always loved the town of Portarlington and have come here for holidays or a day out,” Sukoon said.

“It is an amazing town and the pier is lovely, especially now that the ferry to Melbourne is operating which is a big plus when doing business here as well.

“Our view is that Woollies has had a monopoly on everything for a long time in Portarlington – a bit of competition is always good for customers.

“With us opening it should bring down any inflated prices a lot.”

Sukoon said the selection of stock would be largely dictated by shoppers but the starting point was the expansive base range offered in all Cellarbrations stores.

From there it is all about supporting the many local wineries, breweries and distilleries in the area.

“We have the whole Bellarine region to draw from so we have gone around talking to local wineries about wanting to support them,” he explains.

“Some of them I haven’t had a chance to get to yet because we’ve been working hard to make this happen, but I’ve been to 20 so far and we have 10 in already and the other 10 are coming on board as well.

“So, from the Bellarine region, including Jack Rabbit and Bellarine Estate, we will have the whole lot.

“We will also have a lot of craft beers, including those from local breweries, and then also the standard mainstream beers as well.”

Sukoon said the store will also have a small selection of gourmet foods on offer such as salami, cabana, nuts and cheeses.

A top priority at the store is first-class customer service which is at the heart of Sukoon’s business philosophy.

“The first thing we really pride ourselves on is customer service,” he said.

“For example, I haven’t seen any other place do this but we carry everything to the customer’s car if needed, older people or ladies who need assistance, we carry slabs and wine boxes to their car so they don’t need to carry anything too heavy.”

When asked what he loves about his work, Sukoon did not hesitate in his answer.

“I’m a people person, I love talking to people,” he said.

“I couldn’t work in an office because I love working on the floor and talking to the customers.

“But, of course, being in the food and liquor industry has it perks because you get to sample everything,” he adds with a laugh.

Giving back to the community is also hugely important to Sukoon and the team of five local staff at Cellarbrations Portarlington.

“We really look forward to immersing ourselves in the town and supporting many not-for-profit organisations and sporting clubs,” he said.

“We look forward to being part of the community.”

Cellarbrations Portarlington is now open at 62 Newcombe Street, Portarlington. It will trade from 10am to 8pm seven days a week.