By Mikayla van Loon
For the last 12 months, youth support organisation Bridge Builders has been embarking on a new venture to provide more opportunities for young people while connecting with the broader community.
The soon-to-be open CriBB Cafe and Wine Bar, located at 222 Maroondah Highway Lilydale, has been a passion project for the not-for-profit’s directors.
Bridge Builders founder Phil Stenhouse OAM said the project came from a desire that was twofold.
“Of course the whole place is about the development of young people. So this is a for profit business to support our not for profit. It’s designed to make money so that we can continue to sustain what we do,” he said.
“We don’t get government funding so dozens and dozens of people are involved in the project, and it’ll train young people, employ young people and be a great little space for the community.”
With young people at the forefront of everything Bridge Builders does, whether it be social activities, counselling or future growth, Mr Stenhouse said professional development is no different.
“We’ve got a stack of resumes but it isn’t just about being part of Bridge Builders, they have to go through an interview process because that’s life,” he said.
But while the main function of the cafe and wine bar is to support the Bridge Builders programs, Mr Stenhouse said it is also about community.
“We want our staff to know the community so people who walk in, we want them to know their name.”
That sense of fellowship stems from Lilydale’s local history, tying into the name choice of the cafe and the commissioned mural on the Clarke Street facing wall.
Mr Stenhouse said the cafe name draws on the old mining term ‘crib’, the place where workers would break for lunch and play the game of cribbage. The two capital ‘B’ represent Bridge Builders.
“So the idea of the crib is, it’s got that by-day cafe kind of feel where we have mums with babies, so it’s got that idea of the baby’s crib.
“And then after hours, it’s that place where mates and people come together to share a drink and food together. There’ll be live music and beer and wine at night.”
Sourcing much of the produce locally, even the bench tops will have a connection to the Yarra Ranges, with Treasuring Our Trees founder David Ferrier supporting the project.
Mount Evelyn artist Damian Cazaly was tasked with highlighting a selection of Lilydale’s icons displaying Dame Nellie Melba, the first and last train into Lilydale station and some of the town’s pioneers.
“The mural has caught everybody’s attention which it’s meant to. It’ll be an absolute destination point for people to come to,” Mr Stenhouse said.
Although not finished yet, Mr Stenhouse said it’s all coming together thanks to the support and generosity of local trades and suppliers.
An open date for the CriBB hasn’t yet been set but the aim is for it to be soon.
The intention is to host a barbecue for Anzac Day whether the cafe is ready or not, to honour local service men and women, while sharing in that community spirit.
So for the next little while, watch the space as it comes to fruition.
