THE BIRTH OF SOMETHING NEW AND DELICIOUS Not many women would dream of opening a café when pregnant – let alone when pregnant with their third child. But for Elise Rowe, creating a human being and a café at the same time was an enterprise she was ready to tackle head on. “It was all hands-on deck to open the doors, so I was renovating and supervising, and there were some long days and nights,” she recalls. “But we made it! And that is one of the biggest accomplishments I think.” Elise and her husband Sam are the owners of the highly coveted Hydrant Food Hall, a warehouse café they opened a little over two years ago adding further life to Ballarat’s growing café culture. “I am loving that the city is growing, offering so much to our locals and visitors,” Elise proudly exclaims. The always-bustling, family-friendly eatery is housed in a former fire hydrant store down one of Ballarat’s elusive laneways. While the husband-wife duo fully renovated the historic brick building, Elise says it was important they also paid tribute to the site’s heritage and showcased the remnants of its former self. “When we found the building, I was drawn to it immediately,” Elise says. “The history that the building offers, the stories it could tell, and the genuine rustic atmosphere it oozed – I felt that it needed to be opened up to the public to bring some life back into it, and the laneway.” The Hydrant boasts a seasonal menu that showcases the best ingredients of the western region and serves up some of the smoothest cups of coffee this side of the state. This autumn, Elise says diners can expect to see flavours synonymous with the change in season.
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“We aim to offer our customers a warm and friendly service, and the fun-loving people who work for us means that customers have an enjoyable dining experience. “The Autumn menu will hold many of the favourites from the summer menu, including the apple crumble pancakes and The Hydrant 3.0 (halloumi, avocado, beetroot hummus, cherry tomatoes, on seed and sprout bread). Autumn to me means pumpkin, ginger and chai, so diners may just find something new and interesting.”
