First Sirromet cellar door on Granite Belt opens

It's the new home of Australian Winemaker of the Year Mike Hayes, and now Sirromet Wines has a cellar door in his Granite Belt neighbourhood.

HEY JUDE: New St Jude's owner Robert Davidson with employee Natalie Cameron. Picture: Matthew Purcell

A NEW cellar door and eatery has opened at the Ballandean site formerly occupied by Shiraz Restaurant.

Located opposite one of Sirromet Wines' vineyards on the New England Hwy, St Jude's Cellar Door and Bistro opens early with coffee and provides the region's only cellar door for the Mount Cotton winery.

Sirromet Wines, which now employs Australian Winemaker of the Year Mike Hayes (formerly of Symphony Hill Wines) as its vineyard and winery director, has its vineyards on the Granite Belt.

"St Jude's is the name of the long-established vineyard across the road, St Jude's Lane, set up by Terry Morris [from] Sirromet," Mr Davidson said.

"We're acting as a cellar door for Sirromet but Jude's aptly the name of my partner, Jude Hodgson, so it all sort of came together."

Mr Davidson moved to Ballandean after originally looking for a vineyard in Tasmania, but he got talking to a winemaker on the Granite Belt who convinced him to take a look at Ballandean.

He bought Mary Byrnes Wine late last year and took the lease where he's now operating St Jude's, serving his first coffees on Friday April 29.

When Sirromet's founder Terry Morris caught wind of Mr Davidson's plan to open a cellar door opposite its vineyard, he asked him to act as Sirromet's first and only Granite Belt cellar door.

"The cellar door will be open five days a week - Wednesday to Monday," Mr Davidson said.

Opening at 7am Wednesday to Monday, the cafe will treat locals to Fonzie Abbott Coffee.

A love of this Albion-based roastery's beans followed Mr Davidson from Brisbane, where he lived and worked in hospitality for eight years. He also lived for many years on the Sunshine Coast.

The cafe is already making a name for itself with its tasty milkshakes, which owner Rob Davidson said were the surprise first purchases by local kids.

"Milkshakes have gone crazy...we were just talking about that this morning. I don't know why," he said.

"We're offering great coffee, breakfast, burgers and slow cook rustic cuisine for dinners Friday and Saturday night."

The restaurant would grow over time but for now dinners are only Fridays and Saturdays.