By Vanessa Cavasinni, editor Australian Hotelier
The Woolshed, in Melbourne’s Docklands, reopens to the public today, after five months of renovations due to a fire.
The fire, which was believed to have started in the kitchen of the venue, caused significant damage to the venue in early November. Thankfully no one was hurt, with two members of management treated for smoke inhalation.
Making the most of a bad situation, a major renovation has taken place over the last five months, with Airstream Architects engaged to reinvigorate the space, highlighting the industrial and rustic aspects of the architecture, and capitalising on the views of the water.
As part of the relaunch of the venue, ‘Pub’ has been dropped from its name, and is now simply known as The Woolshed, signifying a move to a broader hospitality venue, that will focus largely on its food offering and functions. The new space can offer functions for groups between 20 and 720 people.
General manager, Duncan Laidlaw, was excited to finally relaunch the venue.
“We have taken the opportunity to modernise, refine and upgrade to ensure the new look Woolshed will excite and entice the people of Melbourne. We are looking forward to unveiling the new Woolshed when we relaunch our iconic Docklands venue on 21 April.”
Like many others, AHA (Vic) is very pleased to see this member of Melbourne’s hospitality community trade once more.
“The news in November that The Woolshed had caught fire was terribly sad and we were grateful no one was injured. We love to see pubs open, not close, so it was wonderful for Duncan Laidlaw and his team to re-open the Woolshed last night,” stated Kimberley Malcolm, manager – member services.
“I was privileged to attend the launch last night, on a balmy evening along the harbour. Lots of friendly staff with big smiles greeted us so I encourage you all to check out the new and improved Woolshed!”
This is the latest chapter in The Woolshed’s rich history 101-year history, starting out in 1916 as a wool storage facility. The building was redeveloped into a pub in 2010, as part of the larger Docklands entertainment precinct.