Three generations of the same family have been running this Ballarat store since 1976

The Campana family has been operating their shop since 1976. This year, they'll celebrate 50 years of continued business.

Campana’s is a Ballarat institution, and the shelves read as an encyclopedia of local producers, winemakers and breweries. The deli is also the heart of three generations of family memories. 

🖼️ Family portrait: The original supermarket that now operates as Campana’s Cellar & Deli was purchased by Ezio Piero Campana in 1976. Ezio emigrated to Australia from Italy at 18-years-old following World War II.

“He came from a tiny little town of 200 people, about an hour and a half north-west of Venice, called Merlo - like the wine, but with no T”, Serge Campana, Ezio’s grandson, told the Brolga. 

In Australia, Ezio met Silvia, a second-generation Italian immigrant whose family had moved following World War I. 

They purchased the deli, at the time a supermarket with three locations, and went into business with Silvia’s twin sister and her husband Hector. Ezio became known around town as Peter Campana. 

Eventually, Hector left the business for Melbourne. Tony Campana, Ezio’s son, came on board at 19-years-old and went on to run the business with his wife, Leeanne. His children have since stepped into the role - Meg, Serge and Lou. 

📸 Kodak moments: Meg Campana has fond memories of time spent with her grandfather in the store, especially as a child. 

“My favourite childhood memory would be coming here after school. We were kids that got to see our nonno everyday. Walking into the store and seeing him would be my favourite memory,” She told the Brolga. 

Ezio died in 2012, but was still working shifts in the shop at the age of 81.

Serge recalls causing a ruckus often. 

“You don’t know much as a kid, but I remember running up and down the aisles, and hiding under the empty boxes. There used to be cardboard bales, and we would jump off the shelves into the bag.” 

⌛ Through the years: Now a standalone espresso bar, delicatessen and bottle shop, Serge Campana told the Brolga there are relics of the original supermarket around the Ballarat CBD. 

🗣️: “Actually, if you look above Eureka Bistro, there’s an old Foster’s sign there,” he said.

The transition from supermarket to bottle shop occurred in the 1990s, as popular supermarket chains like Woolworths and Coles increasingly held the monopoly.

“When big chain stores come to town, it can crush little independent businesses.” Meg said.

Survival of the fittest: The shop has gone through several transformations. It’s a sign of the family’s ability to move with the times. 

Meg told the Brolga the deli part of the shop was introduced in 2005.  

• “Mum and Dad were quite innovative, wine and cheese go together and that’s something we enjoy. How can we bring that to the store and keep evolving?” 

• “It was quite ahead of its time, doing that in Ballarat, with imported cheeses and funky meats and pickled veg.” 

♥️Local heartbeat: While generations of Campanas have run the shop, generations of Ballarat locals have shopped at the deli, too. 

“Families have grown up and older generations, their grandparents came here, and now their kids come through.” Serge said.

“We are a small family business. Myself and my brothers are third-generation and the second-generation, Dad, is still here all the time,” Meg said. “We’re always up for a chat, we like focusing on small-batch local stuff.” 

The store stocks an astounding selection of West Vic-made wines, beers and cheeses. The coffee used in the espresso bar is even a unique, one-of-a-kind blend made by local roaster Karon Farm Coffee. 

Honouring tradition: The family has worked with local producers to collaborate on beers and even a card range. They also released their own label, Bellevino. 

• “Campana in english means bell, and vino is of course wine, so we developed a brand that’s a tribute to our nonno’s house back in Italy and created a wine label.” 

The shop has been through half a century of change, but the family at the core have shown what can be done with local spirit and a lot of family love. 

“It’s a tough gig working in a family business,” Meg said. “But it’s something that we would never change”.