Grand Ridge Project beer flows

MIRBOO North’s Grand Ridge Project took a big step forward on Friday, serving its tap beers for the first time, owners Kelly and Andy McCarthy excited to be officially opening the venue this Friday October 30.

While renovations have been ticking along, the kitchen is still to be done, so patrons can enjoy a drink from the bar with meals from visiting food trucks out front.

Sentinel-Times popped in for a visit on Friday, with people on the way to the Moto GP and others invited to stop in and enjoy a Grand Ridge Project beverage.

This scribe found a sample of Fresh Start session ale refreshing on a hot day.

That mid-strength golden ale is one of four Grand Ridge Project beers on tap, along with a pale ale, hazy IPA and a lager, with a dark ale arriving in about a month.

The range is currently brewed to Grand Ridge Project recipes at Burra Brewing in Korumburra, with plans to shift production to Mirboo North once extensive works are carried out on the old brewery and brewing equipment is installed.

A microbrewery is the focus rather than the large-scale operation previously located at the site.

There’s been tremendous progress since the McCarthys took on the aptly-named Project in late March.

Work has included replacing more than half the roof, and dealing with the impact of a significant leak in the dining area that left mouldy carpet.

About three trailer loads of defunct cabling was removed and various electrical work carried out.

Painting and the installation of new skylights has brightened and reinvigorated the venue, in which a triple fireplace remains an impressive feature.

Original tables have been retained but have a new look.

“We’ve got a guy called Rick who spent over 90 hours sanding back the tables, revarnishing them and they’ve come up beautifully; it’s taken all this 90s red stain off them and brought through the real timber,” Kelly said.

When the McCarthys began work on the building, the old bar taps were gone, refrigeration needed repairs and brewing equipment had been sold off by the liquidator after Grand Ridge Brewery, an entirely unrelated business, closed.

As Sentinel-Times reported in May, the McCarthys hoped to be serving drinks in time for Christmas, so they are a little ahead of schedule.

However, they are sticking to advice they received to “Think big but make sure you start small.”

While there’s still much to do, Kelly said it is really exciting to have beer flowing at the venue again.

“There’s such a long history of brewing in Mirboo North,” she said.

“They’ve been brewing in this town since 1988 with the original Strzelecki Co, so we were keen to bring brewing back to this venue,” she added, looking forward to that happening down the track.

Grand Ridge Brewery operated on the site from 1989 until ceasing brewing in 2024.

Kelly is originally from Woodside Beach, near Yarram, having met Andy in Geelong where he is from, travelling around the world then living in Melbourne before moving to Gippsland about 16 years ago to establish a family.

“It’s been the best decision; Mirboo North’s the most amazing town to raise a family,” Kelly said, adding that the brewery was one of the big reasons she and Andy picked the town.

As for the Grand Ridge Project, she expressed her appreciation to all the tradies who have helped.

“We’ve used all local trades for the build, and plumbing and electrical, and they have been amazing with solutions to problems and availability when we needed help,” she said.

Local volunteers who have pitched in during working bees at the venue also received praise, having tackled tasks such as loading rubbish skips and vacuuming. 

“It started out as a community owned venue, and it feels like it’s really come back to the community,” she said.

“We’ve been blown away with the community support for the Project.”

As well as catering to Mirboo North locals, the McCarthys are keen to make the Grand Ridge Project a destination venue.

It opens from 4pm until late this Friday October 30.

The business will then open 4pm until late Thursdays, 11am until late Fridays and Saturdays, and 11am until 4pm Sundays.