Vibe out at this stunning container café and bar that’s popping up in the region tomorrow
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10.12.2020

Vibe out at this stunning container café and bar that’s popping up in the region tomorrow

Coined Elderbar and Eats, the licensed pop-up restaurant and bar has been created from modified shipping containers.

If you’re looking for a silver lining in the state’s precarious restrictions, it has to be the various outdoor bars and new cafes popping up, spawned from months inside planning and scheming new ideas.

The latest comes from Bannockburn wedding and event hire company Elderberry Event Hire who have set up a cool and casual café and bar smack bang in the middle of Teesdale, under a newly created banner of Elderevents Group.

Anyone familiar with the duo behind Elderevents Group (who started off as a home-based, part-time business in 2016 and have grown exponentially over the past four years), will be aware of how passionate and creative co-directors Orla Maxey and Corey Young are about events, continually innovating and coming up with new and exciting things for weddings in the region.

Due to this year’s wedding industry downturn, the couple were enthused to take their dreams to the next level.

“We’ve had this on the back burner and we always were looking at problems in the events industry,” Maxey explains.

“Weddings now are more reflective of people and their lifestyles so a lot of our events are in paddocks, on mountains, at parent’s farms or in wineries and vineyards – and there’s a lack of things like power and kitchen space for the chefs.”

Inspired by the boom of repurposed transportation units over in Europe, the new structures were created out of shipping containers decked out with power, fridges, beer taps and functioning kitchens, providing a portable yet super trendy al fresco solution for these types of events.

It wasn’t until June, halfway into the year and still no foreseeable possibilities of weddings or events until the end of the year, the couple decided to further adapt.

Addressing the need to create outdoor alfresco-based dining spaces where friends and family are able to meet, catch up and spend some quality time together in a COVID-safe environment, especially in an up-and-coming area like Teesdale, Elderbar & Eats was born.

Using their decked-out shipping containers, the pop-up mobile container bar and café will provide guests with a relaxed and funky space where they can enjoy the company of friends and family whilst savouring the spoils of the local wine and produce, all to the sweet sounds of live acoustics.

Officially launching tomorrow, Friday, December 11, you’ll find this trendy new hub at Teesdale Reserve from Fridays to Sundays over summer, where there’ll be a cafe, bar and plenty of space on the turf under the gorgeous festoon lighting for you to while away the afternoon.

Marking the duo’s first foray into the food world, the business boasts a strong focus on super-fresh and locally-sourced ingredients. Bringing a talented local chef on board, pretty much everything you’ll find on the menu at Elderbar & Eats is mouth-wateringly delicious.

You’ll feel like you’re on Pakington street with enticing breaky menu, featuring the likes of toast, buckwheat pancakes, an array of egg dishes as well as a divine vegetarian Po’Boy, complete with mushrooms, Meredith Goats Cheese, rocket and a mini-baguette.

The serene all-day lunch and dinner menu is designed to share, featuring everything from olives, an Antipasto platter and a cheese board, to bao buns, fried chicken wings and Sawadee squid. There are even more hearty options like stir-fried rice noodles, a lamb burger and a pulled pork toastie if you’re not in the mood to share. Oh did we mention they also have garlic fries??

 

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A post shared by Elderbar & Eats (@elderbarandeats)

On the drinks front, they’ll be serving up a tidy grip of wines from the Geelong region, including drops from 6Ft6, Leura Park, Clyde Park, Lethbridge Wines, By Farr Wines and Bannockburn Wines, with a clear focus on the gems from the Golden Plains region. Of course, you’ll also find beers, ciders and a range of non-alcoholic options too.

And what would an outdoor café and bar be without some quality live tunes? Each weekend will also see local legends on the mic for a couple of hours in the afternoon, providing the perfect soundtrack to an already perfect setup. This weekend will see Cal Young and his sweet serenades for opening night, with Luke Pote on Saturday and Sam Hanson delivering cruisy tunes on Sunday.

Alongside all of the treats above, the sweetest part is that there are no time limits on booking, with the Maxey explaining they just want people to be able to enjoy themselves in a relaxed and carefree environment.

“We’re trying to keep it as informal as we can with everything. We’re not doing time limits and we’re trying to just keep it so you can actually enjoy yourself and you’re not going to get kicked out. It’s looking pretty promising in the Victorian region at the moment so hopefully, we can do it all summer and get more and more relaxed and go back to normal.”

BYO bestie or bae for date nights on the deck.

To book your spot, head here.

You’ll find Elderbar & Eats at Turtlebend Reserve (Shelford-Bannockburn Road) in Teesdale on Friday and Saturday from 9am to 9pm, and on Sunday from 9am to 6pm.