When the neighbourhood bar boom reached Perth, Sam and Tom Hart seized the opportunity to create their ideal natural wine bar and hangout space not far from where they live, but now there’s a crowd from all over town wanting to taste what The Corner Dairy has to offer.
Having nine rotating craft beer taps means different beers are available every week, but hungry regulars keep ordering plates of duck liver parfait and Kingfish ceviche, which have been on the menu since day one. Why try to fix something that ain’t broke?
The list of about 35 frequently changing wines from Australian producers leans towards natural and minimal intervention styles, and with so few bottle options, they pour mostly by the glass. “We encourage folks to try different samples before they land on a glass or a bottle. This way they’re getting something they know they’ll enjoy, and they can try some different drops without the fear of ending up with something they mightn’t like,” says Sam. “We want to find an overall balance between fun, funk and classic.”
With this in mind, The Corner Dairy isn’t afraid to step outside the box and offer something completely different, having seen that its customers are open to trying new things – and being inquisitive pays dividends. “Our list isn’t the largest but there’s always a few cheeky wines that aren’t on the list,” admits wine buyer and bar manager Ben Wood.
The original menu from chef James Cole-Bowen’s focused on shared plates, aiming to use only Australian produce suppliers with a real emphasis on WA ingredients, evident in a popular mushroom buckwheat risotto. It’s a theme the team wants to continue when new head chef Ben Ronaldson starts in December. “Having smaller and larger plates on offer gives people the freedom to just have a couple of snacks with a drink, or go the whole hog and share a meal with mates,” says Sam. “We keep things super casual, but we pride ourselves in having friendly staff who know their stuff and are happy to help customers find what they’re after, or get them to try something they might not have tried before.”
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