A former cafe just off Derby's main stretch could be set to transform once again, after plans to expand the ventures available to the developers were approved by the Dorset Council last month.
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Under the newly approved plans, 55 Main Street, in Derby, which visitors pass on their left when entering from the east, has changed its current use classification from "Tourist Operation and Café" to "Cafe and Micro-Brewery, Micro-Distillery, and Cellar Door".
This will allow the owners and developers, Kate Brown and Tim Kemsley - who operate a nearby short-stay accommodation hub - to set up a small batch brewery and distillery in the basement to the rear of the building, and operate a bar above.
The existing café area - that Derby visitors would recognise by the large 'FOOD' sign that can be seen from the main strip - would also be upgraded and renovated.
The developers intend to produce beer for sale from the small-batch brewery, while the distillery will produce Blue Trail gin which will be sold locally and marketed across Australia.
The site was originally built in the late 2000s to house an interpretation centre to tell the history of Derby through the tin mining years, including the infamous 1929 flood, as part of the 'Trail of the Tin Dragon' initiative - which also recounted the history of Chinese immigrants in the region.
According to the developers, stage one of the development - which is already underway - is to renovate the back of the building to create a bar area which will open out onto a deck overlooking the Ringarooma river.
With the approval in hand, Mr Kemsley and Ms Brown can begin developing the small batch brewery and distillery in the basement beneath the bar.
Once this initial beer-and-gin set-up is established, the couple have flagged longer-term plans to build a larger brewery and distillery at a site three kilometres outside of the town.
A major landscaping plan is also in the works to improve the area immediately surrounding the centre as well as open up the site to the main street, where a wall and railing currently prohibits direct access for tourists entering the town.
According to the pair their ambition is for "the Tin Centre to be the first stop for visitors to Derby".
Meanwhile, stage two of the plan will renovate the existing café area and is hoped to be ready for the summer tourist season at the end of this year.
The new development - which will comprise the businesses in the two spaces working in tandem - will collectively be known as LOT40 which is the name of the original mining lease where the building sits.
Mr Kelmsley - who has been making beers for a few years now as a hobbyist - said the pair's vision is to have the largest selection of locally made draught beer on tap in Northern Tasmania. In fact, both the developers have been honing their brewing craft over the years by attending brewing and distilling courses and speaking with other regional producers.
Notably, Ms Brown was part of the first round of the Seedlab Tasmania incubator program that supports the development of Tasmanian food, drink and agri-tourism businesses and has connections with the New Norfolk Distillery and Sanyou. Production is expected to start up in the second quarter of this year, with a limited opening flagged for around April or May.
All that said, trouble could be on the horizon for the plans, following an objection lodged by Lawrence Archer from Bridport, who has now filed an appeal with the Tasmanian Civil & Administrative Tribunal.
Whether the appeal will ultimately stand remains to be seen, but regardless of the outcome, the hiccup could cause delays in the already packed development schedule for what could become the town's newest major attraction.
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Joshua Peach
Got a story tip? Email me on joshua.peach@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Got a story tip? Email me on joshua.peach@austcommunitymedia.com.au
