Fresh name and multi-million dollar revamp for popular suburban tavern

A popular Berrimah tavern is being renamed. SEE WHAT IT IS

BERRIMAH’S iconic Hidden Valley Tavern is in the middle of a facelift and heading for a name-change.

When it reopens after renovations later this year, the Stuart Hwy establishment will be re-branded The Midway.

It was formerly the Berrimah Hotel.

The pub is closed – but the bottle-shop remains open – while builders Jaytex hammer away with up to $2m in upgrades for the new owners.

Businessman Brett Dixon and a consortium of friends, including Darwin Turf Club chief executive Brad Morgan, bought the Hidden Valley Tavern earlier this year.

Mr Morgan, who has resigned from the Darwin Turf Club, expects The Midway to open before Darwin’s Cup Carnival weekend.

Site boss Jake Henry at the Hidden Valley Tavern Renovation. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“It’s almost a complete re-fit internally,” Mr Morgan said.

“We’ve changed the offering entirely from what it was to a more family-friendly focus on food and beverage, with a really elegant gaming room.

“We’re still trading as Hidden Valley Tavern for a little bit longer but the venue will be known as The Midway when we open it.

“It’s the midway point between Darwin, Palmerston, East Arm Point and the northern suburbs.

“The local area around Berrimah is where we’ll be targeting but really anywhere between Palmerston and Darwin.

“We’re only 10 minutes from the city and I think the offerings will be good enough to attract people from around the Top End.

“The Hidden Valley tavern is an iconic venue that’s been around for a long time. We’ll be targeting families from the new Northcrest suburb that has nothing like what we’ll be offering when we open.

“It will be a modern, sophisticated offering that you’d see of any modern successful pub or club down south.”

Hidden Valley Tavern co-owner Brad Morgan. Picture: Che Chorley

The restaurant will seat about 130 people, there will be 20 gaming machines, a sports bar, the drive-thru bottleshop will be upgraded and there will be a 120-person capacity outdoor area.

A little-known feature is a downstairs cellar that is licensed for 60 people and has previously been used as a function centre.

“We need to work out how it will be best used in the venue and we still haven’t come to a decision on that,” Mr Morgan said.

“It will be modernised and brought into the refurbishment program and it will feel like part of the pub.

“Berrimah needs it, it’s on the move. Berrimah’s growing, the Berrimah Business Park is growing, Northcrest is growing, there’s other sub-divisions on Boulter Road so it’s going to service an area with growth. It’s ideally located to service a lot of areas of Darwin.”