Construction of a new brewery near Mount Gambier is well under way, with the new venue expected to open in July.
Business owners and former Sorrentos Café owners Lachy and Taryn Mutton said they were excited about the construction of the Little Rippa Brewery.
“We’re well and truly into the building stage, we have got our equipment starting to turn up, like cool rooms and more brewery equipment,” Mr Mutton said.
He said the foundations were coming together with everything constructed by local tradespeople with the aim of project completion by the start of July.
“We’re pending on a few trades and other things but we have got most things lined up and under way now, so hopefully we’ll make that deadline,” Mr Mutton said.
The family-friendly brewery will have big open spaces boasting a rustic, eclectic warehouse feel with a large outdoor area and rural views overlooking the garden.
The brewery is located five minutes from Mount Gambier at Yahl and has been the focus of thoughtful planning over several years.
“We love the concept of the rural setting and the big, open spaces and places for people to get out and do something different,” Mr Mutton said.
The couple is striving to keep everything as local as possible with the product brewed on-site, including the addition of a distillery to create their own spirits.
There will be an open kitchen with a woodfire pizza oven and a woodfire charcoal grill and they will use plenty of home-grown produce in their seasonal menu, which will include new dishes each week.
Mrs Mutton said they plan to hold market days, family days and will have a farm produce store stocking products they have produced on the property such as jams, relishes and seasonings.
The brewery has an environmental focus and will be self-sufficient, with large rainwater tanks and solar power, while water will be recycled for use on gardens and lawns and spent grain will be used to feed animals.
“We want to be reducing our footprint, running things efficiently. (It is) better for us, better for the environment, recycling and re-using, which we’re doing currently, but we want to share that with everybody,” Mrs Mutton said.
The couple said the brewery had received lots of community interest and they already had enquiries about events.
“The feedback from the local community is they cannot wait to get out and visit it,” Mr Mutton said.
Mr Mutton said they would team up with local wineries and other suppliers to provide a variety of products and group together with the South Australian Tourism Commission, look at online booking portals and work in conjunction with other local tourist venues.
