Geelong WestNewtown

people places

propertyfashion

free monthly JANUARY 2015

STOP! ESSENTIAL

CAFE READING

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WestFEST is a free community arts festival set in beautiful leafy West Park.

It brings together the people of Geelong West and beyond to profile local artists, creative industries and community groups. Following in the tradition of previous festivals, the organisers will have a dynamic music line-up on the main stage and interactive

demonstrations, go along and try activities and a market filled with handmade stalls.

There will be something for everyone! WestFEST is proudly brought to you by the Geelong West Neighbourhood House, and generously supported through the Community Festival Grants Program, City of Greater Geelong.

Local music business

Spinning Half will take care of artist programming and production for the main stage. Some of the vibrant local Pako traders such as King of the Castle, The French Corner café and Nordenfine Ice-cream have already come on board to provide great food and coffee at the festival.

If you would like to play a part in WestFEST 2015

or if you would like to be a WestFEST volunteer please contact Event Co-ordinator Jo Brown on jo.brown@gwnh.org.au to request an expression of interest form.

Please note that WestFEST has a non-commercial sustainable ethos with the aim of profiling local creative industries. WestFEST 2015 Facebook is online at www.facebook.com/westfest2015.

The west for festCover girlMeet our January cover girl, Jo Auld from Pamper Medical Skin. A Sacred Heart girl, she has co – owned Pamper for almost 10 years and loves their position at the Newtown end of Pako. Jo loves supporting local business in the area and has a Spoodle named Coco and two chooks at her place up in Ceres.

WestFEST 2015 - Sunday March 22nd 1pm to 6pm. West Park. Corner Pako and Autumn Street Geelong West.

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THE median house price in Geelong West is now $485,000, according to the REIV figures for the month. Five years ago the figure was $364,000.

Newtown figures were not available at the time of going to press.

The median is a measure of the midpoint of house sales, meaning that 50% of sale prices are greater than the median and 50% are below the median. In general, the median price is preferable to using average sales price, which can be skewed upwards in any time period by a number of expensive property sales.

Property on new highs

Who?

Who is this well dressed young

lady?To find out go to

Q&A on page 24. What a year it’s been! VOP launched and experienced the love from the whole Geelong West and Newtown community immediately. We’ve watched new stores open, we’ve had experts share their wisdom with you, and we’ve met an incredibly cool bunch of locals.Big thanks to all of the people who have come on board with VOP, and to our stockists who help get our magazine out there. Without you all we wouldn’t exist, so here’s to a huge 2015! Merry Christmas, and Happy New year!

Meet the guys of a Pakington Street business that are putting a little colour in the lives - and bodies - of locals.

Pages 12-13

Art of ink

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It’s one of those ‘aah’ moments – where you walk in somewhere and feel peace, inspiration and awe all in one. Lunar Concept Store on Pako gives you all of these feelings

as you step inside the door, thanks to the amazing work by Jordie and Ann Maree Luke, a mother and daughter duo who own this haven. After Jordie finished studying fashion and

textile merchandising at Uni, she left feeling overwhelmed and uninspired by the ‘disposable, commercial’ element of it, and felt that there was a gap in the market with

all of the online sales trends. “We’ve probably always been into creating and making things” says Ann Maree, herself an artist who prior to Lunar (and still now) was painting for

Lunar vibe

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PEOPLE OF PAKOstory MADELIN BALDWIN

private commissions and exhibitions. “We’ve been traveling together, and love shopping. We love finding beautiful shops where you walk in and go ‘oh my god’”.

And so the idea for Lunar came around, a gorgeous concept store where you can buy anything from feathers to crystals, throw rugs and pillows and even some of their latest additions like the huge stone Ganesh from Bali. Jordie had to borrow her brothers skateboard to wheel it into the shop.

‘We wanted a different shopping experience where you leave feeling gratified and have nice special things that you’ll have forever’ says Jordie.

The girls go on a few buying trips every year to various destinations, with one big one to Bali

where they fill a container with special one off things, and a variety of things they get manufactured especially for the store.

And don’t think the girls just buy things and bring them back to sell as is – Jordie actually designs a majority of the jewellery and clothing herself, with her rings being a centrepiece that is constantly commented on by customers.

Everything here is sourced in an ethical way, from places like Indonesia, India and East Timor.

‘We wanted to have something important, to have a holistic and old fashioned approach with lovely service and Pako is the best place for that’.

The girls could have opened a store in Melbourne where Jordie studied, but love the vibe

that Geelong West offers, with a huge community of people who love being able to walk in and know a familiar face.

And in regards to working together?

“It’s nice to have a sounding board – Jordie can sometimes be a bit more like the mother. It’s good to bounce things off each other”.

The girls also bring their British Shorthair cat Nigel to work, a very integral part of the team who spends his day snoozing in the window.

Though these incredibly warm hearted, talented women seem to be like two peas in a pod, their mother daughter relationship certainly shines through at photo time where I can overhear Jordie telling Ann Maree to “stop holding my hand mum, I’m not five years old.”

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When Newtown mum Kate Betts heard about a group calling themselves St Kilda Mums she was intrigued. And when she found out exactly what they did, she was immediately inspired. “Kate has achieved in the last 18 months, what it took us (St Kilda Mums) 4 years to achieve!” stated founder Jessie MacPherson, found of SKM.

The idea behind St Kilda Mums and the sister groups that have sprung up since is to be able to provide help and support to other mums who may not have the means to support themselves. The

women who volunteer in these groups collect good quality baby and child products, wash them and re distribute them through agencies.

When Kate approached SKM and asked what it would take to be able to set one up in Geelong she was told that a lot of love and a good support group of around four girlfriends,

About one week later, ever the go getter, Kate had started Geelong Mums.

Originally working out of their homes, a donor who wished to remain anonymous to the public helped the girls fund a smaller space just off

Pako to store everything. All of the women here donate

their time, with generally a minimum 20 hours per week, and thank their husbands ‘for cooking dinner and looking after the kids’ when they need to be out washing the prams and other donated items. With a small space to be able to store things, they were frustrated that they couldn’t help enough people and were turning away donations. Then, they heard about the Give Where You Live innovation grant, and set about applying for it. It took a long time and a lot of preparing but once they gave their final

presentation to Bill Mithen, ‘the board all immediately said yes, that’s the one’.

The grant was huge – it enabled them to not only rent a big new warehouse in South Geelong for twoyears, but also to officially hire one of the volunteering mums, Kate Kent, as a part time General Manager.

I attended the official launch night of the new warehouse of Geelong Mums, and heard from all of the volunteers and donors, but the one that really stood out was a case worker woman. She told a story about a young boy with a troubled history, trying to gain part time

custody of his baby. The child's mother argued that he had nowhere for the baby to stay and no baby things, but little did she know that Geelong Mums had been providing him with all of the wonderful great quality things like a pram, cot, blankets and more. The boy was so proud and showed the judge photos, and now has his son live with him 3 times a week. Geelong Mums are quite literally changing peoples lives, one pram at a time, and volunteering their time to do it.

If you’d like to find out more about Geelong Mums, please visit www.geelongmums.org

WORD ON PAKO

Changing lives, one pram at a time

story MADELIN BALDWIN

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PICTURE BOARD

On the daily commute in Pako.

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Party time

PLAYTIME on pako

If you’re over planning expensive kids birthdays, and dealing with all of the mess after everyone has gone home - then All4Kids is the place for you.

A full time kids wonderland, All4kids has been open, just around the corner from Pakington Street ,for the last five years.

In May this year the new owners took over and are already creating some new

birthday programs for the new year. Open 7 days a week from 9.30, you can bring kids of all ages down to play.

There is a toddler area, pre walker area, a big sports area at the back for running and jumping plus a huge area with slides and tunnels to explore.

There is a café available serving a full hot and cold menu for parents and kids alike, from paninis and party pies, to

fairy bread, vegemite sandwiches and fruit and cheese platters.

Whilst they are not a child minding service and supervision is required, you can hire out the facilities after hours for functions like christenings and end of years Christmas parties.

You can have BBQ’s on the balcony, have a full open kitchen and even supply your own food if you prefer (all drinks must be

purchased in house – water and cordial is supplied as part of any package).

With birthday packages starting from $13 per child and including room hire, food, drinks and even the invitations to give out to guests, All4kids helps make things easy for parents everyday!

“You know where the kids are, the mess is left behind and everyones happy”.

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INK about itstory MADELIN BALDWIN

No one can quite remember who came up with the name for Diamond Eye Tattoo, but what they all can agree on is that moving from the CBD to Geelong West was the best thing they ever did.

The four boys who work together here, Jesse D, Kenno, Lukey and Scotty had all previously known each other and worked together and when Kenno and Jesse D decided to open their own parlour, the rest of the boys followed across. With over 20 years experienced combined between the four of them, the two owners decided

to ‘think outside the box’ when scouting for a new venue. Originally looking around the CBD area, one Friday afternoon they drove down Pako and saw just how packed it was and realised this was a fantastic area to start their business. That was two years ago, and since then the boys have created a huge following, being the only parlour on the street, and with over 2000 Facebook followers.

Finding a venue wasn’t easy though. After looking for months, one day Kenno decided to do a letter drop into the businesses early one morning,

in the hope that one of them would be looking to break their lease early and move. Luckily for him, the previous occupants of their shop now were hoping to do exactly that and after a brief meeting, a few weeks later Diamond Eye Tattoo opened.

“We don’t worry about what other artists are doing, when it comes down to it, it’s the clients personal choice and that’s who makes the decision on what artist to go to’ says Kenno. With walk ins always welcome, the boys also have loyal customers, including one old lady Kenno used to tattoo who at her oldest

was ‘probably around 87, and had tattoos all over her of kids names and leprechauns’. On whether they have any favourite tattoos they have done for clients, Jesse D says that it’s ‘more so on the client, not necessarily the tattoo itself – if you have a good client you’re more likely to remember them than what you tattooed’.

When I went to have a chat to the guys, they had just gotten back from a tattoo convention over the weekend, where Jesse D got his scalp tattooed – ‘it was the worst tattoo I’ve ever got (pain wise)’. Lukey got tattooed

twice last week, and eventually wants to get his whole body covered. On whether he would get his face done ‘yes, but eventually – you have to earn that!’. And Scotty, well he just wants a Jurassic Park tattoo, ‘ever since I was a kid’.

And when I asked the guys what life like outside of DET, they replied ‘just like yours – we’re just normal people’. I somehow can’t see these four guys sitting around with a glass of red wine and their cats watching Love Actually on a Saturday night, but I can certainly understand their point.

Body of thought

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TASTINGNOTES

PARADISE IVBATESFORD – GEELONG“DARDEL” SHIRAZ 2013If you are looking for a special red for the festive season you would be hard pushed to go past this creation by local winemaking icon Doug Neal. Using traditional winemaking methods, this Shiraz is inky in the glass with aromas of spice, dark red

fruits and a hint of the forest floor, the flavours are a mesmerising blend of cassis, plums, finely integrated oak and delicious grainy tannins. A superb drink now but if you can resist, it will age beautifully. Get in quick, it won’t be around forever.RRP $59

BAIEBELLARINE PENINSULA“BARRIQUE” PINOT GRIS 2014Baie is a family owned and run vineyard set in a stunning location in Curlewis with magnificent views overlooking Port Phillip Bay. This particular wine of theirs is a Summer cracker! In the glass it is a delicate rose gold, peachy colour

like a summer sunrise, with delicate aromas of pear and hay. Their technique of fermenting part of the juice in French Oak Barriques gives the wine a beautiful, creamy and silky texture and the flavours of stone fruits and honey dance on your tongue. I can imagine many a Summer evening enjoying this one!RRP $25

with Tim Shaw of Randall’s Wine

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Two local small businesses join together to provide the youth Summer fun holiday programLittle Wren Cookery School and Print Patch Australia. Two local Geelong small businesses, have teamed up to create a summer fun school holiday program (Jan 12-23) which provides cooking and art/craft sessions for children aged 6-12yrs. Parents have the opportunity to book single or all day sessions. The organisers will provide some ‘screen free’ time while parents can

go for a stroll or catch up for coffee, making sure they have a holiday too. This is the first time Print Patch and Little Wren have joined forces to provide a memorable and inspiring holiday not to be missed! Read on for a brief ‘snapshot’ of each of the businesses involved.

Little Wren Cookery School- was set up by mother of three to encourage children to create a lifelong and positive

attitude to food! Initially started after a very fussy eater in the household, I discovered her son loved to help her in the kitchen and would nearly always try whatever was being prepared.

After talking to other parents and doing some research she found Geelong was in need of these fun classes for the youngest generation as not all parents have the time or skills to share with the children. However, they were also dealing with fussy eaters and wanted

them to learn the important skills, and eat more healthily, buy less convenience food and prepare more food like Nana used to make!

LWCS provides a service to educate and entertain pre-school and primary school aged children (3-12 yrs.) by enabling them to learn the joy of cooking through self-discovery, enhancing their knowledge about where food comes from and making healthy nutritional choices. The

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HOLIDAY ARTS

school holiday program, workshops, incursions and parties teach children new invaluable skills for life in a fun environment, enriching their self-confidence along the way.

For more information see: www.littlewrencookeryschool.com.au

Print Patch Australia - Owner Elly Broadbent has been ‘arty’ all her life. She gained a Bachelor of Fine Art, Diploma of Textiles and Post Grad in

Secondary Education and became a Secondary Teacher. It was after having her children that Elly discovered screen printing. Screen printing has since redirected her life combining two of Elly’s loves, fabric and colour. It’s taken a year to develop a process that makes screen printing accessible to all ages!

Deeply passionate about equipping and skill building others, Elly believes that anyone can be creative, can learn new skills, or at least have fun trying.

She has put her creative and innovative skills to the test creating a screen printing process anyone can do! She created her own printing stations, sourced a range of printable items, and is currently developing her own stencil range.

Print Patch Australia offers two packages allowing two types of approaches to screen printing; the Basic package uses pre-made stencils, accessible from 6 yr olds up, and,

the Design package which allows for expression, creativity and design, being accessible for 13yr olds up. Print Patch brings to you DIY Screen Printing, an innovative and fun experience.

Book a party, a workshop, enroll in a weekly art or sewing class, or make an appointment to pop into the studio. For more information seee www.printpatch.com.au.

of Geelong with a creative school holiday program

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Ask The EXPERTSHEALTH AND

WELLBEING

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PROPERTY BOARD

Balance of period and modernTHIS immaculately presented property is set on the north side and is perfectly positioned in a highly sought after street.

Surrounded by beautiful leafy gardens, the home has unquestionable warmth and style and effortlessly blends classic period appeal with stylish contemporary inclusions. It

enjoys the convenience of a short walk to specialty shops, cafes, excellent primary and secondary schools and close to the CBD. * Beautifully refurbished with attention to detail * Tastefully decorated in neutral interiors * Living room with feature ornate mantel

* Good size bedrooms equipped with built-in-robes * Third bedroom enjoys access to courtyard and 2-way powder room * Central bathroom with separate shower and corner spa bath * Deluxe kitchen, gas cooktop and plentiful storage * Dining area has free flow to

pergola and rear yard * Functional laundry, ironing board cupboard, storage * Generously sized covered courtyard perfect for entertaining * High ornate ceilings, quality window furnishings, leadlight windows * Central heating, 2 x split systems, ceiling fans

* Improvements include stumping, wiring, plumbing * Private north facing manicured rear yard, under house storage * Off street parking, garden shedProperty DetailsPrice EPR $590,000 - $620,000 Contact: Graeme Taylor on 52231677 or 0418 387 262 or Tony Hyde on 0401 736 136.

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EVERY Tuesday and Wednesday a group of men aged 13 – 86 meet at a hall at Bakers Oval on Shannon Ave.

The Corio Model Railway Club and Mens Shed has been running for over 42 years now, with the mens shed an addition in the last three years. Boys and men of all ages can come down to chat, and participate in building model railways – and these railways are not kidsplay! Using HO scale of 187th, the

railways are completely lifelike, with emphasis not just on the actual train, but the tracks, buildings and surroundings. The large model railway in the main shed has grown for over 15 years, constantly evolving.

As Laurie Mackinnon (president) says, you have to be an ‘engineer, imagine-eer, painter and more’. The men use google earth images to recreate exact replicas of rooftops and backyards of various areas of

Geelong. They construct the boards, trains and recognisable buildings for around six hours per week.

Most recently the guys received a state government mens shed grant of $30,000 to improve the club and renovate the building. This has allowed them to make the shed more accessible, with wheelchair ramps and bathrooms and replacing the roof.

Every year on the Australia Day weekend they hold a fundraiser

exhibition at the Geelong West Town Hall, where they showcase railway models from all over Victoria and sometimes interstate, turning the hall into a ‘miniature wonderland’! There are demonstrations on model making, including engines and buildings. There are specialist traders there, and second hand stalls for parents who want to get their children into railway making without the full expense to begin with. The group rely

on the exhibition to raise money as they are a non for profit organisation, and last year they made enough to restump their meeting hall.

The group is membership based, but as with all mens sheds you can attend up to six times before committing. The Corio Model Railways Club and Mens Shed meet Tuesdays 9am-12pm (mens shed) and Wednesday nights 7.30pm-10pm (railway making).

MEETING PLACE

Keeping blokes on track

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LANDMARK TRIVIA

Cremorne Hotel* 336 Pakington Street* Federation Queen Anne style with Dutch gables* Built in 1894 as substantial alterations and additions to an earlier hotel built before 1854* The only surving hotel design by the prominent architectural firm Watts, Tombs and Durran

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Q and A WITH DIANE READ

Diane Read is the owner of four helloworlds around the Geelong region, in Highton, Torquay, Newtown and Corio. Originally from Queensland, Diane has lived here for almost 40 years and most recently got back from an amazing Safari trip through Africa.

If you could choose three people, dead or alive to come to a dinner party, who would they be?

Author Daphne Du Maurier, Actor Angelina Jolie and Saint Francis of Assisi

If you could dress up as anyone for a fancy dress party, who would you choose?

Morticia Addams of The Addams Family

If you could sing one song on Australian Idol, what song would

it be?“Wind Beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler, and I would dedicate it to my husband Norm.

If you were on a desert island and could bring three things, what would you bring?

My cat, my couch and my Kindle

If you could be a superhero, what would your super power be?

Neutralise all the fear and negativity in the world

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No time to sleepHello New York. I have just spent an amazing 10 nights in New York during Thanks Giving, Black Friday Sales and the Christmas tree lighting.

This city is so alive with shopping, restaurants and many activities that you wish you could stay for a month. Even though the weather was cold this time of the year , it brought the Christmas charm that we all love to experience. Time Square was a total buzz

with people from all walks of life, large screens that turn your head and bagel trolleys on every corner.

What can I say about 5th Avenue, shopping , shopping and more shopping but you can get away from all of this by taking a lovely stroll through Central Park or take a horse and carriage tour.

You must take an adventure by taking a helicopter tour over Manhattan which gives you a birds eye view of all

the highlights like Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building and the new One World Trade Centre plus many more sites. Other sights is the highline walk along the old rail tracks that travels about 2.33 km and which takes about 40 mins through the Chelsea area of Manhattan.

This is truly a wonderful experience and a must place to visit.

with Karin Tanner of helloworld Geelong WestTRAVEL

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TRA

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Building & Contruction

Building & Contruction Excavation & Landscaping

Family

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Individuals & CouplesWhether it’s a wedding,engagement or anniversaryshoot, Barefoot Media willtake time to get to know you.

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0400 721185Barefoot Media

with Shamus O’Reilly of SO'R Construction DESIGNliving

AS a sustainable builder I am often asked what sustainable building is?

When we talk about sustainability in the building industry we open a massive discussion, there are so many factors to think about and so many different ideas.As a basic notion being sustainable in any matter, is a way of living that does not create any circumstances that prevent our way of living from continuing.

In order to sustain our ways of

living I believe there are five key factors that need to be addressed during any building works.Minimise impact on the direct environment In most modern building projects the first stage comprises of a big machine flattening a block of land, moving soil in and out from the site and removing any living aspect of the site.

A sustainable way of building is to reduce that by selecting a block for its shapes and contours, or better yet using the

land and designing your building around it, thereby avoiding all the nasty carbon emissions from trucks and heavy machinery and unnecessary land fill.Materials selection The use of many common building materials is unfortunately very costly to our planet. When designing and building

the use of sustainable materials can make all the difference, using timber as an alternative is a great start.Selecting locally made

over imported can reduce the embodied energy that goes into your houseLiveability

There is no point building with the most sustainable product if you then need the biggest heater and air conditioner to keep your house comfortable. Designing your home to be

solar passive will enable the sun to heat your home in winter while being shaded and using cross ventilation to cool it down in summer.

Long lasting A sustainable building needs to last a life time, in order for a building to truly sustain the way we live it must pass the test of time. For this to happen, a sustainable home must be built in a manner not only to withstand the forces of nature but also to allure the occupant to continue loving their home. Building a beautifully crafted home that will create an inviting environment for generations to come, is truly sustainable.

Keeping it sustainable

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Every month Voice on Pako will be featuring a ‘Meet the’ section, where we showcase

the best in the biz in a variety of professions. This month, meet

Krishna from Aviva Dental down at the river end of Pako.

Next month, ‘Meet the Artist’ is the flavour, so if you are (or know of) an illustrator, painter,

musician, florist or make beautiful things in the Geelong West and Newtown region then get in contact with us!

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FOODNOTESWinters Café, 330 Pakington Street, Newtown

Hello Fellow Foodies, On this fine overcast Geelong day we headed to the ultimate locals hotspot, Winters Café.

I have had the pleasure of dining here over the years enjoying the ambience, great food and exceptional coffee, but today we got to enjoy the tastes and smell of the new summer menu.

If you haven’t been to Winters Café, now’s the time to do so, they support local business through and through which is what draws me in every time, as I’m all about supporting local.

From stocking Revitalive Juices, La-Madre Bakery Breads, Maggies Kitchen relishes and

Meredith Dairy cheeses just to name a few, how could you not want to visit.

Their drinks menus caters for all, serving speciality coffee and teas, organic juices, hot chocolates and milk shakes - really a drink for every kind of person.

Today we enjoyed, wait let me rephrase that, devoured some pretty beautiful foods created from the chefs!

The gluten free crumbled pork schnitzel roll with gorgonzola, blood plum and apple slaw , and yes we were a little hesitant to try this , but gave it a taste.

The pork was juicy and tasty and cooked to perfection, the

gorgonzola and slaw made the perfect combination with the sweet and salty taste. If you love blue cheese then this is the dish for you.

Our second meal we had was the breakfast antipasto board with local summer produce. This board changes regularly which is fantastic as we get to see what interesting things the chefs come up with.

Today’s board featured coconut yogurt bircher, curried egg with asparagus, Scotch egg with relish, melon salad with prosciutto dust and fennel chowder with yabby tail.

Being a vegetarian they altered a few things on the board for

me, which you can do.I must say when the board

arrived I couldn’t stop salivating, the antipasto board exceeded all my expectations as we got to try different small little servings of the chefs selection.

If you don’t know what you want for breakfast or brunch then this is the thing for you, an array of sweet, salty, tasty and yummy things to fill your belly.

Winters Café caters for everyone - there are vegetarian options, gluten free options, and even a little tackers menu for all the kids.

The staff are attentive, fast and always willing to assist in any way.

The venue itself is quite large and can cater for big groups, it has a downstairs and upstairs (but no wheel chair access for upstairs).

Prepare to book a table on the weekend as this place is always busy and often people are waiting to get a seat.

Menu pricing varies to depending on what you order, A range from $2.50 - $25.00.

Grub_guide_geelong recommends Winters as one of the best cafes for overall food, service, pricing and customer service.

You will not be disappointed.Grub guide geelong

Top local diner that supports local fare

With Allira Potter of grub-guide-geelong

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