If 2020 had gone to plan, Collingwood’s renowned Stomping Ground brewery would have celebrated the opening of its third Brewery & Beer Hall at Morris Moor in Moorabbin last month.

The first COVID lockdown saw Stomping Ground’s Collingwood and Melbourne Airport venues close; the latter after just two months of opening its door, and building works at the much anticipated Morris Moor cancelled just days before they were about to begin. With restrictions now easing, both venues are back and buzzing and work has finally begun on the new Brewery & Beer Hall, now due to open by the middle of 2021.

While works on the Beer Hall are underway, they’ve just opened a massive new pop up beer garden which will be trading until early March in the beautifully landscaped gardens and a currently unused building – right next door to their building site.

Justin Joiner is one of the founders of Stomping Ground and heads the group’s hospitality operations. “It’s obviously been a tough year and we would have loved to open the new Morris Moor Brewery & Beer Hall sooner, but we’re finishing the year optimistic for what 2021 will bring and we’re really excited about opening the popup and meeting the local community. Punters will be able to watch our permanent venue literally take shape before their eyes as they enjoy a beer in the sunshine this summer.”

There are almost a dozen Stomping Ground beers available in cans, including year-round offerings like Gipps St Pale and Laneway Lager as well as limited releases such as Flanders Red Ale and Hatch Pot IPA. For sour beer fans, in addition to the popular Watermelon and Passionfruit sours, ‘Smashees’ are a refreshing frozen summer Smash-up of Passionfruit Smash and Tequila Tromba. With table tennis, a giant TV screen showing sport, dog friendly outdoor areas plus games to keep the young and old entertained, there is something for everyone. Special weekend events including markets are also being planned.

The simple food menu showcases popular Stomping Ground Beer Hall staples like burgers and salads, and on weekends there are plans for a BBQ.

‘We’ve borrowed a massive charcoal grill from our mates at Three Blue Ducks so will shortly be cranking that up on the weekends,” Joiner says.

The Stomping Ground Summer Beer Garden is trading 5 days a week until the middle of March at Morris Moor, 1 Cochranes Road, Moorabbin. Visit www.stompingground.beer/morrismoor for more info.