Community
15 May, 2026
New cafe a dream come true
With a background in hospitality and events management, Mrs Lomas said there was one part of her that was confident in the venture, but was always afraid to do it on her own.
AFTER settling into town as newly-weds a few years ago, couple Jane and Kieran Lomas were ready to find their next challenge.
And after decades working in hospitality, it came in the form of a long-time dream of Jane’s - to open her own cafe.
Thus St Arnaud’s newest eatery The Vine and Lamb was born.
“It’s been a while in the making, but standing in your own dining room, everything feels real now,” Mrs Lomas said.
“It’s such a big step, but an exciting one.”
With a background in hospitality and events management, Mrs Lomas said there was one part of her that was confident in the venture, but was always afraid to do it on her own.
“I was looking at putting something into a food truck because I knew I could possibly do it on my own,” she said.
“To me, doing something like this on my own was such a monumental thing, but being able to do it with someone like Kieran, who has done a lot of the admin side of things, we’ve made a great little team.”
From there, they enlisted the help of family, friends and other St Arnaud businesses to get the place at 87 Napier Street (formerly Lamartine and the Manchester Arms before that) up and running. “Everyone has been so supportive with help and advice,” Mr Lomas said.
“We had the guys at Lyal Eales lend us a bell for the kitchen because we didn’t even think of that.
“And now we have a great little team of staff that support us as well.”
The Vine and Lamb aims to be a cozy lunch and dinner spot, with breakfast and brunch being served on weekends, but the couple hope to expand in the future.
“We want to do girls nights in and lots of fun events,” Mrs Lomas said.
Upstairs accommodation is also available.
The Vine and Lamb is open Wednesday to Sunday.
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