Cellarbrate Lorne: Cellarbrations sets up shop on the coast

A SHARED love for community, entertaining and local wine has seen two locals team up to open Cellarbrations Lorne.

Business partners Rob Montabello and Sukoon Bedi have been planning the store since the middle of last year, and while it took some time to get the ball rolling, the result was worth the wait.

Having operated as Lorne Fresh for most of summer, Rob said locals and holidaymakers will still have access to convenience items as well as snacks.
But he’s most excited about the selection of wines on show.

“We pride ourselves on having a changing selection. We’ll have wine tastings on every day of the week so customers can come in and try new products,” he said.

“We’ve got a range of premium wines – everything from $5 to up to $1,000. There’ll be a large portion of local wine from both the Surf Coast and Bellarine, but we’ve also got a good range of wine from all over the world.

“We both like the diversity of being in retail; meeting new people, the constant changing of products and experiencing different parts of the world through our selection.”

The Surf Coast local is no stranger to the retail and hospitality sectors either.

Rob was a beverage purchasing manager for Crown Resorts for about seven years, ran The Lighthouse in Altona for three years and worked as a promotions manager for 350 independently owned Cellarbrations stores in Victoria and Tasmania for a decade.

He said the decision to open the store in Lorne was an easy one.

“We really wanted to give the township a bit of variation in their liquor offering by offering something a little bit different.

“We’ve got a high focus on customer service, and I’ll be working in store most days of the week.”

With a team of four local staff, Cellarbrations Lorne is also home to a coffee machine and cake selection – offering people the chance to grab a coffee as they pick up their supplies.

“We’re excited to have that offering for people, both locals and tourists. We really look forward to immersing ourselves in the town and supporting not-for-profit organisations and clubs.

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

Cellarbrations Lorne is now open at Shop 12, 148 Mountjoy Parade. It will trade from 8am-8pm, Monday to Thursday, 8am-10pm, Friday to Saturday, and 10am-7pm on Sundays.

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