Story by Cara Devine. Cara is our Melbourne-based drinks author. She is the supervisor of Bomba in Melbourne and the face and expertise behind the cocktailing youtube channel Behind the Bar. You’ll be able to electronic mail her at behindthebarchannel@gmail.com
Small bars want massive personalities to hold them, and Brendan Keown is actually that. As I prop up the bar in Yarra Falls on a quiet night time early-week, he waves and ‘hellos’ at individuals who stroll by the door – “typically it really works,” he shrugs, and it does. Some people who have been about to stroll previous, cease in and luxuriate in some cocktails, his hospitality and the again bar waterfall, an unimaginable point of interest.
Keown hails from Eire and began bartending there on the age of 14 (let’s not focus on the legalities of that!). “It hooked me on hospitality,” he says and regardless of it being a facet hustle as he pursued research in politics and public relations, it drew him again in. “I moved again to Oz in 2010 [he did an initial stint here in 2005, “fulfilling the Irishman-in-Bondi cliche”], as Sydney was having a spectacular window of regulatory freedom. Working below the superlative Dominique Easter (now of Silo, London) and Harriet Leigh (Head of Hospitality, Archie Rose) to open The (much-missed) Hazy Rose allowed me to grasp ‘hospo’ was the ‘correct job’ I’d at all times wished.” Together with his fast-talking heat, it’s arduous to think about him wherever aside from behind a bar.
The providing at Yarra Falls displays each his Irish heritage and the constructing and land that homes the bar. Potato bread (aka ‘tattie scone’) is at all times on the menu, and he warns me that it’s his Mum’s recipe so he will likely be offended if I don’t prefer it – fortunately it’s scrumptious, and comforting. However the true focus is locality. “Changing into a citizen in 2019, the Welcome to Nation dawned a realisation that once we speak of authenticity and locality, that basically means one thing else in Australia. Having time on my palms in 2020, I crunched numbers, wrote a marketing strategy and questioned…”.
“Changing into a citizen in 2019, the Welcome to Nation dawned a realisation that once we speak of authenticity and locality, that basically means one thing else in Australia. Having time on my palms in 2020, I crunched numbers, wrote a marketing strategy and questioned…” – Brendan Keown
He began with an idea. “The Mix’s IDEALAB grant competitors in 2020 generated the CULANNWILAM venture – which sought to accomplice Indigenous, Western and modern hospitality traditions, inserting native crops in context and constructing on work on this area by Orana Basis, the Nationwide Indigenous Culinary Institute and trade figures resembling Evan Stroeve and Luke Whearty. We didn’t get the grant however the bit was in our tooth. A venue would generate the income wanted, thus Yarra Falls was born. Yarra Falls is housed in one of many oldest buildings in Melbourne, heritage-listed Tavistock Home, however a stone’s throw from the place the waterfall [an ancient meeting place] was once on the river.” He and his enterprise accomplice, Conor ‘Goose’ Sainsbury-Canham, took the keys in September 2021; they’re presently celebrating their one-year anniversary.
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The drinks listing is heavy on native elements, and so they actually imply native. “We deal with what grows inside a 100km radius. In the identical means we’ll by no means truck in a pineapple (though I really like a Painkiller), and there aren’t any Kakadu plums on the menu. There’s a wealth of native botanicals rising on the parklands, shores and riversides of Melbourne/Naarm. The secret is to teach your self on guidelines round city foraging; be respectful; contemplate security (don’t harvest from polluted ex-industrial websites); work with the seasons of the land you’re on and at all times go away loads for the animals.”
Schooling is a giant a part of the ethos of the venue. With many bartenders experimenting with indigenous elements there’s justified concern over the respect given to Conventional Homeowners within the course of. Keown says, “The primary recommendation we obtained was to ‘speak to your native mob and pay them for it [the knowledge]’ – Dr. Tyson Yunkaporta. Cultural data is mental property. Past acknowledging Nation, Yarra Falls/Culannwilam treats ‘paying the lease’ as an operational value and pays one % of income – not income – to the Koorie Heritage Belief every week. Search consent from data holders and explicitly acknowledge the origin of that consent in any public statements. We now have not but encountered an Indigenous organisation or actor within the area who has refused consent, so long as now we have adopted this rule. We’d wish to say particular because of Charley Woolmore and Wurundjeri Woiwurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Company for all the recommendation and consent during the last two years. As a primer, we advocate the guide ‘True Tracks’ by Dr. Terri Janke, a Wuthati/Meriam lady, lawyer and worldwide authority on Indigenous Cultural and Mental Property (ICIP).” They’re cautious to solely work with suppliers who share their values, each for botanicals (Spurrell Foraging, One thing Wild) and producers (Seven Seasons, Applewood, Fin Wines), and so they make an effort to acknowledge Nation for every product.
From this bedrock of cultural context, native elements are woven into scrumptious libations just like the house-made amaro and my favorite from my go to, the fruity and spicy Ringwood. Keown is particularly pleased with the latter because it was the primary drink made in collaboration with the employees. “Yarra Falls is designed as a coaching bar. We drill barskills 101, distinctive service and key classics above studying 100 totally different cocktails. Our trainings are interactive and paid: it’s an funding for the enterprise. Every session briefs on what’s forward; tasting of recent merchandise; a bit of hospitality historical past, or profile of main figures.
Normally, we make a brand new traditional collectively, then get suggestions from employees on service points.” He understands the significance of the group to a small bar, and moderately than sitting round for beers every night time, they do a giant group bonding exercise each three months like a flowery dinner to expertise high-end service. For his or her one-year anniversary the entire group goes to Sydney for WorldPride 2023 – “get the glitter out!”.
A yr in, does he have any recommendation for aspiring bar homeowners? “Get an excellent accountant, earlier than you contemplate spending a cent as they may prevent the cash again ten-fold.” Whereas he admits the trials of possession – “this gig is the toughest factor I’ve ever carried out. Any operator will let you know that lows come thick and quick. The buck stops with you” – he remembers to understand the great instances. “Once we opened, we agreed no false modesty and to take the wins after they come alongside. I’ve opened many venues however by no means felt a excessive like closing out that first week of my very own place. Seeing how a lot our visitors benefit from the area and ‘get’ the ethos is extremely satisfying. It sounds tacky however seeing our employees grow to be this group is awe-inspiring – with out them we’re nothing.”
So, the place to from right here? “Each venue wants two years to show, so 2023 is make-or-break. We’ll increase our cultural engagement to hero extra, genuine Indigenous voices. Launch our apprenticeship programme for Indigenous youth, together with William Angliss Institute. If the mannequin works, there’s no motive we can not convey it to different cities. General, proceed giving visitors a wonderful, distinctive expertise. Our motto goes, ‘sizzling bread, cool tunes, nice drinks and good instances’…at all times.” What else may you need?
Yarra Falls
381 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
@yarrafalls
