Bendigo cafe celebrates end of lockdown

A Bendigo business, forced to operate under limited trade five weeks after welcoming new owners, is celebrating eased Covid restrictions in regional Victoria.

Cortillé owner Chris Batty with baristas Kayla Nichols, left, and Lilli Mulcahy in his Lyttleton Terrace cafe, Bendigo. Picture: Zizi Averill

The whirr of coffee grinders, calls for orders and the smell of lunches cooking are wafting from regional Victorian businesses as they “reopened” under eased restrictions.

Businesses were forced to close their doors when the Victorian Government enforced its snap seven-day lockdown last week.

But as of Friday morning, regional Victoria moved to eased restrictions and it was welcome relief for Bendigo business, Cortillé.

New owner Chris Batty took over the cafe just six weeks ago.

Mr Batty said he was especially pleased as he feared Bendigo would join Melbourne in its extended lockdown.

A Covid positive wastewater test was detected in Bendigo on Wednesday, the same day the Victorian Government announced its plan to set regional areas free.

“I was worried we would be singled out, but so far so good,” Mr Batty said.

New Cortillé owner Chris Batty in his Lyttleton Terrace cafe, Bendigo. Picture: Zizi Averill,

The cafe owner said he managed to stay open last week, however the business was running on a tenth of its usual trade.

“Hopefully we’ll start getting back to normality,” he said.

Mr Batty, who still runs his Bendigo tyre business, said he had “jumped in the deep end” and taken over the cafe to fulfil his long-held hospitality dream.

“It’s bad luck,” he said with a chuckle.

“I knew when I took it on that there was always a possibility of another lockdown.

“(But) with everyone getting vaccinated I hoped we had seen the worst of it.”

Covid restrictions eased in regional Victoria from 11.59pm Thursday but limits on gatherings and caps on venues remain in place.