It is hard to believe how much Rutherglen and its main street have changed in less than a year, and it’s only the beginning, say tourism experts in the region.
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The historical main street of Rutherglen has seen a range of businesses opening, expanding or diversifying in the past few months.
"Rutherglen has really lifted the game in terms of food with a range of options available for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner," said Jean-Francois Rupp, Executive Officer for Destination Rutherglen.
"Gavin and Fiona from Rutherglen Brewery are finding it hard to keep up with demand for their famous beers and mouth-watering woodfired pizzas, while Zest Studio offers exquisite croissants, bespoke patisseries and cakes."
The iconic Parker Pies has also been recently redesigned with a new outdoor courtyard to enjoy a delicious pie and coffee while making the most of the clear blue sky winter days Rutherglen are famous for.
Thousand Pound Wine Bar and Store is on the must-see list, and is said to blur the boundaries between city and country.
"They have a funky, boutique wine list paired with awarded chef Simon Arkless’ delicious local fare. It’s the ideal place to sip and swirl your way through the best the region has to offer," said Jean-Francois.
Other original concepts have emerged in Rutherglen such as the Pickers Café and Collectibles which combines great coffee and food with an impressive collection of retro and vintage items.
On the wine front, local kid and Young Gun of Wine finalist Simon Killeen and his brand Simao & Co. has a few ferments visible for passers-by on the main street. Simon is gradually transforming the space into an urban-rural winery, somewhere between a winery, a shop and a bar.
“Some businesses have had to revaluate their offering to meet ever-changing consumer expectations, which has led to quite a few updates in the Rutherglen main street. This is a very exciting time for Rutherglen and we are very much looking forward to seeing a large array of new businesses flourish on the main street," said Jean-Francois.
The main street look and feel is also about to be considerably improved with council, private and federal funding as part of the Rutherglen Revitalisation Project. The project will significantly enhance the main street of Rutherglen, with new connecting pathways, street furniture, tree plantings, crossing points and links to Lake King,the iconic Rutherglen Wine Bottle and Murray to Mountains rail trail.
