Food and Wine Hub misses 2023 opening window, but still on track

The Food and Wine Hub will take over the site of the former ambulance station, acting as a communal cellar door for smaller local wineries and celebrating the amazing produce created in the Riverina and MIA.

"Harvest HQ," as it is formally named, was set to open in 2023 however the grand opening has been delayed.

The space will also be able to function as an events venue, and even occasionally serve as a market.

The space was originally hoped to open in 2022 after an announcement from then deputy-Premier Paul Toole, however a long battle with red tape and the tender process delayed construction to May 2023.

In May, the Riverina Winemakers Association made the announcement that Forlico Builders had been awarded the contract and construction was set to begin, with hopes to open in Summer 2023.

The Riverina Wine Association were announced the winners of a $450,000 grant from the NSW Government in April 2022, in order to fund the construction and development of the hub.

Executive officer of the Riverina Winemaking Association Carrah Lymer has previously said she was excited to have a space close to the visitor's centre, and a central space for visitors to Griffith to learn about the region's wine industry.

"We've been talking for a long time and looking at different spaces, and this is right. This is right for us, it ticks a lot of boxes," Ms Lymer said.

While the hub may have missed their hopes of a 2023 opening, progress is still being made and the site was approved for a liquor licence in September 2023.