Dozens of local small businesses and producers have been impacted by the Harcourt fire on January 9, which destroyed the Harcourt Cooperative Cool Stores, with the loss of stock and equipment estimated to be in the millions of dollars.
Business Mount Alexander chair and Shedshaker Brewing co-owner Jacqueline Brodie-Hanns said the Harcourt fire had seriously impacted local producers, from fresh produce and fruit growers to cider, beer and wine makers, with about 80 businesses connected to the cool store.
“My own business, Shedshaker Brewing, was not spared. All of our beer stock (90 per cent) stored at the cool store has been destroyed,” she said.
“The impact on local producers is immense, with Loveshack Brewery, Bress Wines, Maidenii Vermouth, Bertrand Bespoke, Sutton Grange Wines, Gil Graves, Still Moon and many, many more, including producers from across Mount Alexander, Macedon, Heathcote and Bendigo region all losing a significant volume of stock.”
The amount of fresh fruit and vegetable produce has yet to be quantified.
The Coolstore Cafe was also destroyed. Business owners Bonnie and Remi Sowman have been pouring their energy into feeding fellow community members at the Harcourt relief centre, but hope to rebuild.
“One local winemaker was just weeks away from launching a passion project featuring 20 different wines, which had been five years in the making, and she has lost everything. It’s just devastating,” Ms Brodie-Hanns said.
Just down the road, Blackjack Vineyard and Winery was spared, but the impact on the local producer has still been significant.
Blackjack Wines co-owner Ian McKenzie shared that they had lost about 95 per cent of their bottled stock that was held offsite at the Harcourt cool store.
“Most devastating for us is the loss of 33 years of museum wines… These wines represented the history and evolution of Blackjack Wines — vintages carefully cellared over decades, each telling the story of our vineyard and the seasons that shaped them,” he said.
A number of other businesses throughout the township have also been severely impacted, including Henry of Harcourt Cider and Mount Alexander Vineyard.
The owner of Henry of Harcourt, Michael Henry, said they’d lost everything – their home and orchard. He said they were devastated, but thanked the community for the attention and care given to the family business and to the wider Harcourt community, which he described as “truly humbling”.
“Your generosity and kindness have meant more than words can express during this uncertain time,” he said.
“Recovery is slow, as expected, but we are working hard and with quiet determination to make progress, one step at a time. There is still much to consider and navigate, and the path forward is not yet clear, but our commitment to supporting our local Harcourt community remains strong.”
Just over the other side of the mountain, the owners of Mount Alexander Winery, located at Sutton Grange, lost their house and vineyard but were able to save their cellar door. In a statement on their Facebook page, Mount Alexander Winery’s Bill Blamires said that it was the end of an era.
“The ‘Harcourt fire’ jumped the mountain on Friday night and wiped out our home and vineyard,” he said.
“Sandra and I are fine. Huge thanks to the CFA for building a fire break at the bottom of the vineyard, which saved our cafe/cellar door, winery and machine sheds,” he said.
Ms Brodie-Hanns said Business Mount Alexander was committed to working with Harcourt businesses, and was also advocating for the government to help the community rebuild the cool stores. They are also planning a Buy Local campaign.
“We hope we can get the government support needed to rebuild the cool stores as soon as possible to enable us to reestablish what is a vital community resource and connection,”she said.
“This area is also the central focus of the region’s gastronomy, so it is also important that we get people back to the cellar doors and farm gate as soon as possible.”
Many local businesses have already thrown their support behind local beer, wine and cider producers, with Woodend’s Holgate Brewhouse creating a brew with local producers to raise funds for local businesses and Cellarbrations Castlemaine marking all their local stock with bright yellow tags and urging residents and visitors to the region to ‘Buy Local’ and get behind those impacted by the fires.
