'Salt' adds to iconic main stretch in Port Elliot

BY TYLER MAUND

When tourists converge on the Fleurieu Peninsula to enjoy the summer sun, ready and waiting will be the Hotel Elliot, along with its new expansion ‘Salt at the Elliot’.

Salt at the Elliot offers patrons an entirely different Hotel Elliot experience, with a wine bar perfect for a sit down eat and drink, and an events space that can cater for all the needs of the perfect wedding.

It’s the latest addition to Port Elliot’s iconic main stretch, The Strand, and one that is set to continue the Hotel Elliot’s reign as a coastal favourite.

“It’s a brand new layout and it has a very coasty, vibey feel,” said Hotel Owner Matt Kelly.

“We do a lot of cocktails in there, it’s just another offering for the establishment, the beer garden has been extended so it links between the two venues out the back.”

Introduced to locals and tourists in December last year, Salt at the Elliot is the product of a long-anticipated plan to provide the Hotel Elliot with a versatile function space.

“The one thing that the hotel didn’t have is a good dedicated events space,” said Matt.

The opportunity arose in January 2020 through a block of land directly next door, and it was an easy decision for Matt and his business partner, Barry Rowett, to pounce on the opportunity.

“It was a block of land with an old house, it was used for pinball parlour,” he said.

“It was 1000 square metres and available to buy, so when that land became available it was a no-brainer.

“We snapped it up on the same day it became available and then bulldozed the old home.”

Nearing twelve months on from its initial opening, Matt is excited to see Salt at the Elliot begin to blossom, with its own kitchen now fully complete and the early battles of Covid in the rear-view mirror.

“The timing during Covid wasn’t great, but now with people travelling again it’s gone back to those precovid times,” he said.

“The kitchen wasn’t fully completed going into summer last year, but we managed through as we have three kitchens at the venue.

“The biggest task now is to get our event space out there to the public, we are going through the necessary channels.”

As visitors walk in to Salt at the Elliot they are greeted by a red brick in tandem with an off-white rendered exterior, which compliments the existing build of the Hotel Elliot.

“I thought that when we did Salt we could culminate the two together on the facade area,” said Matt.

“I think we’ve accomplished that.”

Entering the building will take you into the wine bar, which is presented in a clean and modern style that encapsulates a coastal feel.

“We went through Mosmo Living, they did our interior designing, Sandy Wilkinson did our facade,” said Matt.

The Wine Bar is open daily for lunch and dinner, along with a breakfast menu that is available on weekends.

It suits anything from the casual drop-in along the bifold window seating, to a booked gathering of up to 12 people, there is even the option to enjoy a night cap by the fireplace courtesy of a cosy lounge area.

Venturing off the floorboards of the wine bar takes you onto a polished concrete walkway that leads through to the event space, which has a capacity of 120 people.

It is a premium offering that continues the modern coastal style presented in the wine bar, with white tablecloths and oak-coloured furnishings.

“It looks pretty snazzy with the lights and what not, I’m very happy with it,” said Matt.

The event space is perfect for large celebrations including wedding and engagement parties, whilst it also offers a great environment for professional events such as conferences and corporate dinners. The venue also hosts trivia nights, alongside other events that are scheduled leading into Christmas.

Salt at the Elliot has a dedicated kitchen, and its versatility enables for both the wine bar and event space to operate separately, or both can be booked out together.

The two areas also have a dedicated bar each, adding to the two bars that already existed in the Hotel Elliot.

“Four bars keeps us busy, but it gives us the opportunity to maximise trade in the peak times,” he said.

Salt at the Elliot’s kitchen also offers a clearly different menu to its neighbour the Hotel Elliot, offering more refined food that gives customers another alternative.

“It’s just maximising for when we do have people down, we have those extra areas,” he said.

“If people want to have an engagement party we can do that now, where we wouldn’t have been able to in the existing building.”

The addition of the new spaces have also seen an increase in jobs, with almost double the amount

of employees working over the holiday season in comparison to previous years.

“Through the summer months we had 35-40 staff on the payroll, that has now increased to 65-70,” he said. With Port Elliot continuing to be a tourist hotspot in warmer weather, Matt is optimistic for the impact Salt at the Elliot can have this summer.

“Most importantly it is an offer for tourism which is first and foremost on my mind at that time of year,” he said.

Tourism in Port Elliot is thriving, I’m a little bit bias but it is the jewel in the crown.

“I’m looking forward to the Tour Down Under in January, we will get a bit of traction there.

The Hotel Elliot is located only 350m from Horseshoe Bay and is situated next to the railway track that sees the Cockle train steam through in summer, providing a great opportunity for tourists to stop by the Hotel or Salt at the Elliot.

Port Elliot is a popular destination for retirees, and whilst tourists arrive in numbers during the summer months, a focus on the locals in the area is just as important.

Entering his 11th summer at the Hotel Elliot, Matt believes that it gets busier and busier each year.

“It’s just about working out ways to do it more efficiently, that’s my biggest challenge going forward,” he said. Another challenge that Matt and many coastal pub owners encounter is the difficulties of navigating winter, where revenues drop substantially.

“I’ve always said if I can break even in winter, or make a little bit of money in winter, then I’ve made it as a businessman,” he said.

“It is always something that is first and foremost on my radar.

“Going in to May there’s a bit of a shock to the system how quickly it drops, it’s just one of those things we’ve just got to learn to accept.”

Taking on extra business outside of the pub is one way Matt navigates the winter hurdles, such as catering at the Victor Harbor Football Club.

“To give my chefs a bit of work I’ve taken on the catering at the Victor Harbor footy club this year so that brings in a little more income on the food side of things,” he said. Port Elliot is a popular destination for retirees, and whilst tourists arrive in numbers during the summer months, a focus on the locals in the area is just as important.

“We look after our seniors with lunches in the Elliot and Salt Monday to Friday,” said Matt.

“My locals are very important to me.

“I was down there the other week and there was quite a few in which was lovely, it makes me really happy.

“You go in and people know each other, and I see that in the summer months.

“There is a network of people that stay very close and they are there that time of year.”

With 35 years of experience in the industry, Matt is always looking for ways to improve.

“As with any business, it’s all about the service,” he said. “That two week period after Christmas, I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about it and how we can do it better.

“I just want people to be happy, that’s the most important thing for me.”

With Salt at the Elliot now ready for summer, an update to the outdoor area of the Hotel Elliot may be next agenda.

“I’m extremely excited moving forward, we are really happy that there are a lot more offerings that we can provide,” he said.

“The outdoor area is one area I might look at sharpening up, we need to put some more heat out there in the winter months.

“Along with restoring the original brick at the Hotel Elliot.”

Matt also holds an interest in The British and The Kentish in North Adelaide, and The Republic in Norwood.