A much-loved Warren cafe and home wares store will soon be able to cater for weddings and birthday parties off the premises after obtaining a liquor licence.
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Ellerslie Lane, owned by the Storer family, serves coffee and light meals - but it's much more to the people of Warren shire than a home wares store that sells delicious treats.
The business has become a meeting point for friends - particularly local women - as well as a place to share ideas, a venue to host meetings and events, and a focal point for the community.
Bonnie Storer, one of the business owners, said without a pub in the town, she and her family had seen a gap in the market.
"We started in November 2021 as a homewares and gifts, fashion sort of shop. Then in May of 2022 we added coffee so that was quite a big move," Ms Storer told the Daily Liberal.
![Pip Storer (right) holding the Australia Day awards for Business House of the Year, and (right) people having coffee at Ellerslie Lane, Warren. Pictures supplied Pip Storer (right) holding the Australia Day awards for Business House of the Year, and (right) people having coffee at Ellerslie Lane, Warren. Pictures supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/QQwHRnUv9qYdvjDNLdqaup/955088cf-36e2-4ea8-90b8-4d597f010f9c.png/r0_0_1200_675_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"In 2023 the coffee really started ramping up and we noticed a huge increase in customers so we added a liquor licence."
They have been opening Ellerslie Lane on evenings as a wine bar about once or twice a month - but their licence also allows them to travel, so they hope to be able to cater at weddings and home parties.
But that doesn't mean the team will stop serving coffee - quite the opposite.
"It's important for a town like Warren or a town of this size and isolation to have a space for people to come that doesn't revolve around alcohol," Ms Storer said.
"It's really important to have that option for just somewhere for people to come that maybe don't necessarily want to be having a beer.
"I think Ellerslie Lane is a really lovely spot for women to come to because the men I don't think are bothered by where they catch up
"But having somewhere that's a bit nicer, that supports the interests of women with the shopping and retail side of things as well as, a nice coffee and something somewhere to eat.
"There are a lot of young mums I'm noticing are coming in and catching up their new babies."
Ellerslie Lane has been named Business House of the Year at the Warren Shire Council Australia Day Awards.