Circa 1902 relaunches as Gingerbaby

AFTER eight years of owning Queenscliff’s Circa 1902, Chris and Sally Dinneen have officially relaunched the restaurant with a new name.

The restaurant will now be known as Gingerbaby, officially unveiled on August 16, with the name reflecting the menu’s modern Asian influence.

Chris said the reason behind the name change was to separate the two businesses housed within Circa 1902 – the restaurant and accommodation – and was something they had wanted to do for a while.

“Gingerbaby itself is to reflect the food that we’re doing, there’s fresh Asian ingredients. We’ve also used a logo there which is the Gingerbaby to depict a strong and confident human being.

“For us, the identity [of the logo] is someone who’s composed, self-assured and in control.”

Chef Mathew Hallam joined the team in March this year and has designed the new menu, already receiving positive feedback about his cooking.

“He’s an experienced international head chef who makes use of the freshest seasonal and locally sourced produce on the Bellarine,” Chris said.

“We also really want to acknowledge his expertly creative food, it’s a point of difference now, not just in Queenscliff but on the whole of the Bellarine.

Along with a new name and menu, the restaurant has also undergone renovations, redecorating the space and including a new colour scheme.

“The interior is almost unrecognisable of what we had before, and we wanted that to be the case, to say this is a new change, it’s not just fiddling around the edges,” Chris said.

“It’s a significant change for us, for this team and for this community who are going to come and dine and the broader community who are making their way down to us.”

The relaunch of the business was a team effort, extending to their kitchen staff and those on the floor.

“We’re just so thrilled to have the people behind us that are there in the background and the foreground doing what they do to make all of this a success,” Sally said.

“What we want to create is a really invigorated workplace where all of our staff feel valued and included.”

The business is excited about its future of among the supportive community of residents and traders in Queenscliff.

“We’ll continue to work really hard to make Queenscliff a lively and thriving township all year round, not just seasonal,” Sally said.

The accommodation side of the business will continue trading as Circa 1902.