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Keeping The Beers Flowing At Tumut River
363 Plays4 days ago
“Tumut is a bit of a hidden gem still and one of the things we're trying to do is help put it on the map via the brewery.”
Late in 2024, two former employees took ownership of Tumut River Brewing Co, a brewpub-based operation at the gateway to the Snowy Mountains that had gone into liquidation.
Michael Cichocki and Mary Richmond said their intention was to return the brewery to its community and tourism-focused roots – so we paid them a visit midway through 2025 to find out how their mission was going.
We hear about the changes they’ve made – and are making – to bring in customers old and new, local and passing through, as well as their serendipitous rebrand, a renewed focus on celebrating the region and its history through their new beers and labels, a shared desire to bring more bands to the brewery floor, and much more besides.
Before we get to the people behind one of the good news stories of the past 12 months, Will is joined by James from Karijini National Park, where he’d rocked up after attending another fantastic Froth Town and pre-festival warmup event at Phat Brew Club.
As well as reflecting on the festival’s tenth running, we head to Tasmania as Hobart Brewing Co take over the country’s oldest licensed venue, stopping in Bicheno for a Who Brews…? before chatting to Leo Salancon, the French winemaker, distiller and brewer now heading up operations at Westside Ale Works in Melbourne.
Mid-show, we reveal the latest winners in our Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month campaign; don’t forget to get your nominations in here.
Start of segments:
- 10:20 – Tumut River Brewing Co Part 1
- 30:35 – Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month
- 35:33 – Tumut River Brewing Co Part 2
To find out more about featuring on The Crafty Pint Podcast or otherwise partnering with The Crafty Pint, contact craig@craftypint.com.
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Transcript
Introduction to Crafty Pine Podcast
00:00:05
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Crafty Pine podcast. I'm Will. I'm James. How Will? umm
Froth Town Festival Highlights
00:00:12
Speaker
Great. How was Froth Town, James? Froth Town was ah spectacular as ever. um you know i think we worked i worked out that between me and you, I think we've done five or six out of the ten, which isn't bad for a festival on the other side of the country. um And also we started it with the second um event that we co-hosted with the guys at Fat Brew Club, the City Slickers versus Southwesters.
00:00:33
Speaker
ah This time the title went to the Southwest, um Rocky Ridge and Artisan amassed Most ah more votes than the City Slickers, Fats and Campus for their their beers. 80 people turned up paying ticket holders for an event on a Thursday night it' was pretty cool before Froth Town.
00:00:49
Speaker
um And then, yeah, I think they said there were almost 20,000 people through Froth Town. It just feels like it's got the balance right. um And there was new activations like Our Mates Have Found. they I guess the whole idea of found, they'd taken over like a bit of an upstairs area and made it a bit of a hunt to find their bar. And then I think once people found that bar, they didn't really leave.
00:01:06
Speaker
And they left one of our sort of Crafty Crawl signs on the way up the stairs to let people know they were going the right direction. But um yeah, really, really really good. Yeah. And so we picked the three winners from the the Crafty Crawls, one from each session. So thanks very the participating brewers who will each be sending some beer to the winners.
00:01:22
Speaker
They were found. um Fat but Brew Club and Campus, who had like a joint fun factory set up, may or may not have persuaded me to get dressed up as a female Oompa Loompa for a session. um Artisan, Eagle Bay, Other Side and Feral. So thank you so much to all the brewers for and participating in that. And we'll be back with another crafty crawl at the Gold Coast um leg of a Crafted Festival in a few weeks' time.
00:01:45
Speaker
Wonderful.
Hobart Brewing Co. Revitalization
00:01:46
Speaker
And from w a to Tasmania, there was a really a great little story about one of the the state's better known craft breweries.
00:01:56
Speaker
Yeah, that's right. I first heard about this sort of it through chatting to people about another story a while ago, and I think it's something, you know as your article reveals, has been happening for a while, but um yeah we're we're both big fans of Hobart Brewing Co. and you know There's been a bit of uncertainty over their tenancy of their original home, the Red Shed, for a while. and Now they've found, not not an alternative, but they' and there they've given a new lease life to what may or may not be Australia's oldest pub, as you addressed in the article.
00:02:24
Speaker
Yeah, well, 1807 is a pretty impressive number. like it is hard to beat. There's some sort of debate because it hasn't actually been open for that entire time, but I believe the licence has still continued existing. So when it was shut, the publican at the time kept kept the licence.
00:02:40
Speaker
going, but I was actually, um yeah, I was in Hobart earlier in the year for the CIBD conference and I walked past it at least twice a day because it was sort of but between my high hotel and the conference and I was like, I don't know about this pub. It does have a good claim to it, but it does look a little bit old and tired and I don't think the Hobart Brewing crew would disagree with that. They've put a lot of energy into it already and they're going to, you know, give it a bit more of a facelift and that kind of thing. But ah yeah, like we've seen a few people do, it's it's not like it's, you know, Hobart Brewing Co...
00:03:09
Speaker
Tap Room or Hopedanka by the Hobart Brewing Co. It's still the pub. It'll have their beers on tap, half of them, and then they'll also have other independent beer on tap. So I think it's a really good move.
Craft Beer Guide Expansion
00:03:21
Speaker
it's It's right in the heart of Hobart. And when you think about sort of that city's history and buildings and pubs, that that's kind of exactly what this this place is.
00:03:28
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. And a little bit up the the coast from Hobart, um I guess the final leg of our three and a bit part now guide to um the craft brewery breweries and venues of the north, north and half of the state.
00:03:43
Speaker
um People who read the one that covers the north and the east will have seen a mention there that um when Benny was over in in the state doing the articles, Bishno Beer Co were just about to open their their tap room. He missed it by a couple of weeks.
00:03:59
Speaker
So by the time this podcast goes live, we'll have a Who brews featuring their story as well. So we can sort of fill in that little little gap that was unintentionally there. when we did the three-part Guide to the State.
00:04:11
Speaker
i'm And I guess continuing our move around the world, back to Melbourne, but sort of via um Bordeaux, Will, you had a pretty fun brunet this week.
Westside Ale Works New Ownership
00:04:22
Speaker
Bordeaux and WA and Adelaide or South Australia and Orange as well. Yeah, um ah Westside Ale Works, which sold last year, was taken over by new owner, Jonathan. And I think him and the team have really injected a bit of new life into um that ah that brewery, which is in South Melbourne.
00:04:41
Speaker
And one of those things is he immediately took on a new brewer, Leo. So I wanted to catch up with her. i because I knew she had a bit of a fascinating story. First of all, she's a French brewer in Melbourne, so I was sort of wondering how she made it here. And um yeah, and unsurprisingly, she moved here as a winemaker, I guess, and fell in love for the experimentation of Australia's wine industry, and then has sort of continued that on by distilling and then also now brewing. So she's, um yeah, she's traveled the world a lot and also ah moved between, I guess, those three big ah types of booze.
00:05:14
Speaker
Yeah, yeah ah it's it's good to see, and you know I guess, a new face being brought in and head brewer's role as well and bringing in that sort of that wide um experience, especially at Westside. They had been making their own spirits as well. So just to have that, I guess, that broader insight. So we'll have to catch up for ah a drink there when I'm back in Melbourne in a few weeks time.
00:05:32
Speaker
And on to this week's guests, continuing our little travel theme and and our also our journey in
Tumut River Brewing Takeover and Vision
00:05:39
Speaker
Canberra. We have got our podcast with the team at Tumut River Brewingo, Michael and Mary.
00:05:45
Speaker
Very excited to bring this chat. I think their story of taking over the brewery last year after it went into liquidation was one of the real feel-good stories of the year, particularly because they were staff. Michael been there for a long time, Mary not so long, but you know they bought this brewery that had had its troubles and I think they've gone into it with their eyes pretty wide open about how to sort of...
00:06:09
Speaker
focus how how to exist in the market at the moment and and where they sit and what they want to do and still definitely as passionate as ever about both the brewery but also Tumut itself which is a beautiful little town an hour and a half couple of hours from Canberra? Yeah it depends on which route you take if you decide to go over the mountains like we did on the way back and drive through some snow and then get detour down the mountains it can take a bit longer.
00:06:33
Speaker
um can take you a day if you if you really want to see the sights. yeah Yeah, I remember at one stage you're going, do we really want to continue down this road, James? I'm like, be fine. The Pajero can get back up anything. um But you know, lovely town. I think it was interesting. i talk in the chat about how the original founders wanted to create a regional tourist destination for the Snowy Mountains.
00:06:52
Speaker
And that's kind of what they're really trying to like you know nail down on, ah you know, limited releases that reference something in the local area or something historical from, you know, the local um community or local history. um So, and yeah, I think, you know, they're...
00:07:08
Speaker
um engaging pair and also you know that they both love music and so that you know talking about the the live music they're trying to bring back there and support local and trying to attract a few bigger bands in as well so um yeah hopefully there's some insight in there for other people looking to you know run or start or improve a regional tourism business Yeah, definitely. I actually spoke to Michael a week or so ago and he said he had no plans to listen to the podcast. He was like, as soon as it was done, I was like, no, I can can't listen to that. But um they are very insightful. Hopefully he does listen to it because he'll see that there's a lot of wisdom in there. I think lot of positivity and yeah, they're going about it in a really thoughtful way. I love their rebrand as well. And and just the space of the tap room.
00:07:50
Speaker
Yeah, yeah and and Michael, of course, was an an early have-you-done-a-rallings winner, um celebrating his role as a good beer citizen outside of that. that I guess it was his role with Pint of Origin every year that he drives around all these sort of camp wider Canberra region and coastal breweries picking up beers for the for the Woodlands for their for their showcase. um So if you know anyone like Michael or Mary or anyone who who sort of goes above and beyond to help their local beer community, and we'd love to get some more nominations in for our Have You Done a Rallings campaign at craftypint.com slash
Community Engagement in Brewing
00:08:22
Speaker
rallings. That's R-A-L-L-I-N-G-S.
00:08:24
Speaker
And coming up in the middle of the chat, we actually have our the latest winners and nominations for our Bluestone Yeast Brewery of the Month. And if you'd like to get any nominations in there, that's craftypint.com slash bluestone.
00:08:38
Speaker
So in enjoy the show. we'll We'll see you midway through it. And if you do enjoy it, make sure you leave us a like, subscribe, comment or review so other people can find the podcast. Cheers.
00:08:49
Speaker
Cheers.
00:08:51
Speaker
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00:09:03
Speaker
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00:09:24
Speaker
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00:09:36
Speaker
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00:09:50
Speaker
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00:10:13
Speaker
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00:10:22
Speaker
Michael and Mary, thank you so much for joining us. but Thanks for having us. Yeah, thanks for coming to Tumut. On a beautiful day. You've put on the weather for us. It's really delightful out there. It's about sort of four degrees and been raining ever since we arrived.
00:10:34
Speaker
so Yeah, you definitely brought the the weather with you. Thank you for that. yeah well You said yesterday we were driving over that there been tons of rain and we were driving in going, it's love like lovely, but maybe it's just sort of centered here for this moment in time. Yeah, well that's why I think with Tumut, we're in a valley, so quite often the the weather is a little bit central to us. so yeah Do you want to tell us a little bit about what Tumut is for those who haven't been?
00:10:55
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. um I'm fairly new to Tumut. I've been here about three years now. um But it's a beautiful town. It all centres around the Chumut River, which runs through the heart of it.
00:11:07
Speaker
um and often you hear people refer to it as the gateway to the Snowy Mountains. um It's in a really special spot. We've got access Kosciuszko National Park, which is at the bottom of that.
00:11:23
Speaker
um Yeah, it's just a really beautiful spot. Yeah. Yeah, for those who don't know, we are halfway between Melbourne and Sydney, two hours inland from Canberra. And as i was saying to you guys last night, as I think one of the things about Tumut is that it is a little bit of a hidden gem still.
00:11:40
Speaker
And one of the things that I guess we're trying to do is sort of help put it on the map via the via the brewery because as Mary said, there ah there is a lot of natural wonder yeah around here, including the Blowering Dam, which is, you know, light larger than the Sydney Harbour, a lot of outdoor activities and fun stuff to do. Fly fishing. Fly fishing, yeah.
00:12:02
Speaker
Which I know all about. i was actually going to say Blowering Dam is one of only, I think, two year-round fisheries, empowerment fisheries. So, yeah, it's pretty unique.
00:12:14
Speaker
Yeah. And what about the brewery, um for those you don't know, and sort of your relationship with it? Yeah, so the brewery started in 2013, and it was started by Tim and Simon. um Their story was, or their motivation for the brewery was to actually to build a commercial tourist um attraction for Tumit.
00:12:36
Speaker
Tim sort of, when he was younger, had ah a business in the main street, and he was always a little bit frustrated that there was you know, on a Saturday or Sunday after two o'clock, there was no way you could go get a coffee you know, like things, things were all closed up. And he always had this. Yeah, there used to be eight. So for a town of 8000 people used to be eight pubs is now, know, a mere five, a couple of pubs.
00:13:01
Speaker
um But yeah the the driver for for the brewery opening was to to to to establish a commercial tourism attraction in town. And so it started in 2013. I think it was actually like the one hundred and fifth microbrewery in the country at the time. And um and ah Obviously, the journey from there, there's been a lot of ups and downs throughout that period, obviously culminating the brewery closing last year in September and us taking over. We can talk about that in a little bit more detail. I feel like I've just jumped straight the end there. Thanks for coming, guys. You guys are both working for the brewery in different roles in its first incarnation, I guess.
00:13:45
Speaker
you'd but You've been with it for a long time. Yeah. so i um so I'm married to Melissa who is Tim's sister. So we met in Melbourne and moved here seven years ago. got two little kids and it just so happened that when we moved here, um and so it was when the brewery was commercially kicking off so that the tanks had just arrived and um I wasn't actually in a very good state mentally. I needed a break.
00:14:09
Speaker
um and sort of came to tumour just with that intention of just coming here for a couple of months and tim said i'd you want to come and work at the brewery and i just pictured myself sitting back and drinking after working in an office job for 15 years i thought that sounded pretty good um and my my first job here was actually painting this whole building inside and out which um for me like the the whole like starting with the brewery when it was just meets him and simon and then sort of and It was actually quite a sort of healing experience because like I said, I was in a very very good mental state and whether it was like painting a wall or, you know, helping in the brewery, you know, bottle beer or whatever, I just like had this sense of purpose. And over the years as the brewery grew from a couple of people to,
00:14:52
Speaker
you know, what it ended up being just prior to its closure. It's sort of that sense of purpose linked with a, like a bit of a sense of identity as well. I can envision sort of crassy kid, you know, the wax on wax. Yeah. Yeah. yeah There was a bit of that. It was, yeah. Don't look at the paint job too closely. that um Yeah.
00:15:09
Speaker
We've done most of it. Yeah, we have. We had a professional painter in just before we opened. It was one of the first things Mary booked in, actually. She's like, I've got a professional painter friend. And Mary, when did you join? So Michael being the first employee, um I'm very different to that because I was kind of almost the last employee.
00:15:31
Speaker
um So I was only here 12 months before The brewery shut down. um I moved from Canberra after meeting my fiance Jimmy, who's fly fishing guide on the river here.
00:15:44
Speaker
you want to give his business a shout out? I better. Snowy Valley's fly fishing. we so We saw some photos yesterday. Michael was very proud to show us the size and some of the fishies we've been catching with people. They were little ones too.
00:15:58
Speaker
No, he does a really good job. um But yeah, I had moved from Canberra. I'd sold my business. So it's funny, it's kind of similar to Michael. I was in between.
00:16:09
Speaker
um I was sick of what I was doing. i was in real estate for 13 years in Canberra, really ready for a change. um So I applied for a job as an admin assistant here and I thought I'll just work if 12 months.
00:16:27
Speaker
um And then buy it. And then figure out from there, did I want to study or ah what was what was that going to look like to reskill out of real estate?
00:16:38
Speaker
um But my background before real estate was hospitality. Yeah. um I grew up down the south coast, so that's the main employment there. So I worked in a lot of restaurants and that sort of thing. So it's sort of full circle for me in a way. Yeah. yeah and um And so in terms of, guess, the process last last year, and when you were sort of aware of what was happening with the business, were you thinking, oh, we'd like to see this
Tumut River Brewing's Quick Reopening
00:17:06
Speaker
keep going? Or was it when the business actually closed that you you had you started having those conversations going, this thing needs to continue?
00:17:12
Speaker
No, like I think one of the things to say is that it all happened very quickly. So like towards the end, there actually wasn't a lot of time to to think uh to think about it was like oh shit what am going to do next yeah but yeah i think it's fair to say that prior to the brewery closing like we both loved it yeah as i said for me a lot of it was the identity thing and one of the hardest thing i had to do was tell the kids the brewery was shutting because they always saw this as a safe place and they always you know knew dad is working at the brewery and so max was like who's my 10 year old boy was quite upset oscar was mostly upset because the turtle ninja turtles machine was but like that was definitely a ah driver um for me um but also like i think we both had this sense that like i think
00:17:56
Speaker
there was a healthy sort of amount of what happens if someone takes over it who doesn't have the same sort of like passion or interest for for doing what we were doing here and just seeing someone else come in and just turn it into something completely um different but then Mary and I also had had quite a few conversations like obviously prior to the brewery closing um Tim was the managing director and we sometimes have chats oh maybe we could do this could do that so we had ideas about things we could do a little bit differently prior to the brewery um closing and and both really wanted to see it to continue so yeah when that opportunity sort of came up um I definitely wouldn't have done it if it's just by like myself um but I think yeah i have like Mary sort of putting her hand up and and then we've got Tony as well who
00:18:44
Speaker
we mentioned was our bar manager who's sort of, um, a silent partner as well. So there's like, we've got the three compadres, um, that, that have sort of ju jumped in together, um, to keep it going.
00:18:56
Speaker
Yeah. And it was a quick, um, turn events, wasn't it? I mean, I think it shot in September last year and doors back open before the end of the year. So it must've been such a rollercoaster. Yeah. It was, it was a really quick turn around.
00:19:09
Speaker
Um, so Yeah, as Michael said, we were pretty devastated when we heard the news and everyone that worked here was. So it was, I think, the 23rd of September, we got the news that, hey, you need to find a new job. And Michael and I started,
00:19:26
Speaker
um we decided pretty quickly we needed to throw our hat in the ring if we were going to do it. Yeah. And the process took a long time, but we sort of just um banked on the fact that it was going to happen.
00:19:41
Speaker
um And if we hadn't done that, we wouldn't have been able to open for the December trade. um So we actually got the landlord's permission to start renovating the place before our offer was even accepted. yeah home And the so it was a really stressful couple of months um renovating and and Putting everything into it hoping that everything was going to be okay. Yeah, not knowing if we're actually going to get there or not. Yeah, but then we kicked back off the 6th of December so
00:20:16
Speaker
Yeah. ye So, yeah, we we settled at 3 o'clock and opened at 5. So was that when we were on the road in SA? It might have been a day or two we were talking on the phone, yeah. ah it was It felt like a whirlwind and we weren't even doing anything. And just back on Chumit, so summer, what's that like compared to the rest of the year? Is it like in terms of just a huge amount of people coming here?
00:20:38
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, so um so the region brings a lot of people looking for outdoor activities, so lots of camping, fishing, hiking.
00:20:49
Speaker
um So a lot of sort of outdoor enthusiasts come through during the summer months. blaring dam is wall to wall with caravans and um campers so yeah you just cannot get a spot up there um but yeah we that's our obviously our busiest trade is the summer school holidays um yeah winter now yeah it's a different story so yeah we get sort of like with two peaks i guess yeah your summer trade sort of ah December, January, and then the Easter trade where tumid similar to Brighton that you get all the the European sort of colors changing, um you know, the Falling Leaf Festival at the end of April.
00:21:30
Speaker
And then winter is, you know, we're the gateway to the snowy mountains. We're an hour away from Selwyn. So unfortunately, you've got to go back four years, because you had the the COVID bushfires. And the last couple of years, you haven't had a lot of snow to um to to find some some decent sort of snow trade. But We do get a little bit of an overflow. Selwyn just opened last weekend and we're starting to see snow bunnies popping in here um for an early morning beer or coffee. um So yeah, we do get a little bit of an overflow from from the ski trade, yeah the snow trade, I should say. Yeah, during the winter. And more about sort of the ongoing locals trades. and
00:22:08
Speaker
That was a big part of what you talked about when you ah said you were taking the business over, so I'd really focus locally again. Yeah, definitely. um I think like ah for us, it was important to make sure that we've got a balance here.
00:22:22
Speaker
um and And one of the first things we did was was do a survey. um So we surveyed some people who had been regulars here and some people who hadn't been here as well, took some feedback on from them in terms of what they'd like to see improved and and changed in the place. And we're very mindful that Tumut is a seasonally sort of fluctuating town when it comes to tourism trade. So We know we need the support of the locals to to be able to um to succeed here. And that's something that we've, you know, i guess really try to focus on since reopening and sponsor a number of local local events and really make sure that people feel welcome when they when they come in here.
00:23:02
Speaker
We have seen people here we haven't seen before, haven't seen for a long time since the brewery reopened, which has been really sort of reassuring. a couple of guilty looking people. Sorry, I live three doors down. I thought, you know, better late than never. So yeah, it has been really nice in that respect to, you know, like to see the people um get around it. But, you know, as I was saying, it's very much a long long game.
00:23:28
Speaker
And we do also know that there's a percentage of people who sort of still drive past this place and go, what's going on in there with this craft beer stuff? So it'll take a little bit of time to sort of, you know, get get them on board.
00:23:40
Speaker
ah But yeah, we feel like we're sort of heading in the right direction. We've definitely got a lot of support behind us. lot of really cool stories as well with people who prior to the brewery shutting, you know, there'd be people driving in with their baby and said, you know, we met here a couple of years now.
00:23:57
Speaker
This was their halfway meeting spot or whatever. And, you know, so many events over the years with sort of wakes and weddings and funerals and baby showers and stuff. And there's that real, i guess, community feel to the venue, which is, again, part of the want to keep it alive. Yeah. Yeah. yeah and what sorry I was just going to say, um,
00:24:19
Speaker
For a brewery, funnily enough, the locals seem to really gravitate here as a family friendly um venue. So we sort of based on the feedback of the surveys that we did locally, um we put in a kids play area and video games for older kids and that sort of thing. and we've really leaned into that family-friendly atmosphere, think the locals are appreciating. think breweries are sort of capturing that in a way that some pubs maybe aren't these days. They are sort of more welcome to all ages, I think, as well, and even designed that way, I think, especially with some, I guess a lot pubs going down either the TAB or the sports route or whatever.
00:25:05
Speaker
Yeah, it doesn't it doesn't matter where you go. It's a common sort of theme area. when we visit other breweries, you know, like we've been trading here for nearly 10 years and count on one hand the number of sort of like alcohol related incidents we've had. I think we've only had ever had one person punch someone else and he got kicked out by the other patrons. um So, yeah, it's it's generally like more of a it's a different sort of atmosphere. I think you get ah you know but I think and that's so like you said, but sort of for a lot of people, it's the alternative and a ah more sort of relaxed environment. and
00:25:38
Speaker
Yeah, obviously, you still need the pubs and we go to the pub for a beer and a feed every once in a while. But yeah, it's so slightly different. And what are your roles within the business? so The relaunch piece, I imagine doing a lot of everything. i know that you're hitting the road lately and still out doing your sales calls and stuff like that. But so have you yeah worked out sort of the new team?
00:25:59
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, so it's, um I guess, a really quick way to summarise it is that Michael's beer and I'm food. Yeah, yeah, yeah. oh Michael's on the wholesale side of things and I'm more the venue side of things, but there's heaps of crossover, course. Yeah, we both sort of like there'll be times we'll have our HR hiring hat or whatever on or whatever.
00:26:25
Speaker
and then sort of had a hope coordinating events and things. We sort of work fairly closely together. we We are a lean team. One thing we should say is we're very lucky in that we've had a number of the people come back who were working here previously. So um there's been a couple of changes in the role. So Chiara, who was um the bar manager previously, is now taking more of an administration role and sort of like freeing us up to do some of this like get on the road and and and be behind the bar, which has been really,
00:26:53
Speaker
really nice but yeah it seems like it's sort of naturally kind of like we just divided the roles when we when we kick things off yeah and there's days where we come in and we're like what are we doing today again but yeah it seems to have been flowing pretty well yeah yeah and we're both are very hands-on with being on the bar every weekend and yeah and we each do a shift.
00:27:17
Speaker
um I do Wednesday, he does Fridays on the bar as well. So um yeah, we're very much bartenders as well. Yeah. yeah It's nice to pour beers every now and then, isn't it? And i have that sort of real face-to-face contact with your customers as well.
00:27:31
Speaker
Oh, for sure. And like, yeah, that's one of the things that, you know, i think we both, both love about it. You know, you're just getting to meet new people, but like seeing those familiar pat faces come back in and see people have been up to is, yeah, it's really, really nice. And I think the locals really appreciate that as well. That's been some really positive feedback is,
00:27:50
Speaker
Like it's good to see you guys here. and Yeah. Yeah. yeah So I think that's important in a small town as well. Yeah. yeah You know, we're hands on. Yeah. Yeah. yeah And I guess, you you know, you're now more than six months in as we're chatting today um since the relaunch.
00:28:07
Speaker
um What are any highlights that you've enjoyed most along those sort of six months to date? Yeah. I think the overwhelming thing has been just how much support, how much goodwill there is for the brand. I think Tim and Simon really built something special um and it's got a really great following. So the biggest thing I'd I'd say for both versus just how many people have said it's so good to see guys back. We're so glad that you're back.
00:28:36
Speaker
A lot of people saying we can get our ginger ninja. Everyone knows the ginger ninja in this whole wide region. You know yeah you mentioned we're going to Tumix. ginger ninja, ginger ninja. Yeah. And it's by fate. We've done a few events off-site.
00:28:49
Speaker
So like Cider Fest, for example, and Connor and I were – We've got a mobile caravan with the eight taps and it was literally just about every beer we poured, someone would come up and say, good on you for having a go. I think there's a bit of that too, like like um the the goodwill.
00:29:06
Speaker
um But yeah, some really cool stories about in the lead up to the brewery closing, people driving around Wollongong or wherever and trying to buy up the ginger, ginger, and whatever it was. um yeah and And yeah, so many people coming back. We were at Handmade Canberra last weekend and there were There were people there, you know, we had obviously there was that period of and absence there and they're really happy to see us back. And then quite a few of them popping back into the venue, just driving to Tumut via the Brenda Bellas or whatever, just to to come and see us, which is, you know, like a really nice, you know, it makes you feel good about it, doing the right the right thing.
00:29:40
Speaker
It's pretty humbling yeah the to know that people came all the way. he yeah just yeah Yeah, just to support us relaunching. so Yeah. yeah Yeah, well, I guess, you know, perhaps didn't realise what but they were missing until it'd gone, you know, and yeah and so that bit of relief going, oh, you know we do need to yeah get behind small business to ensure they they can survive, yeah.
00:30:01
Speaker
Yeah, I think there's a little bit of that and I think it's sort of – It's interesting, obviously, as you guys know, over the last couple of years, so many little breweries haven't sort of survived it. And I think, you know, that it feels like that sort of level of awareness around supporting the little guys is building again. It sort of lost a little bit bit of momentum there for a while, but I definitely do feel like it's sort of building in the right direction again. Yeah, people are sort of getting around it, which is really good. Yeah. Right.
00:30:30
Speaker
Yeah. Great. Well, we might take a quick break and we'll be right back after this. Cheers. No worries.
00:30:37
Speaker
Our Brewery of the Month is proudly presented by Bluestone Yeast. Did you know that Bluestone offers same-day shipping for up to 20 of their most popular liquid yeast strains? Find out more at bluestoneyeast.com.au.
00:30:51
Speaker
Welcome to another Bluestone Yeast, a brewery of the month. um We had a lot of nominations for one winner in the last month, but before we get into it, James, do you want to let us know about an honourable mention?
00:31:03
Speaker
Yes, well, the honourable mention has been put forward by Alan Gill, and it's a brewery that I spent a bit of time... They seem to have about 400 staff at Froth Town at the weekend. Wherever I turn, there seemed to be someone wearing a Rocky Ridge t-shirt or hoodie and trying to get me to try yet another, um limited release from Rocky Ridge, but yeah, he's nominated. They could just be super fans.
00:31:25
Speaker
but they They could well be, but when when they're pulling out a hot sauce barrel aged 5% Belgian beer that had the weirdest round of all things ever. and Rocky Ridge Glassware. I reckon they'd have to be uber, uber super fans.
00:31:37
Speaker
but um But yeah, I mean, it's is it easy to see why there's a lot of love for this brewery, um even before they went on this sort of, you know, um spree of ah of of expansion, which which isn't finished, as you'll be read on the Crafty Partners some point soon, I'd imagine.
00:31:52
Speaker
um But yeah, Rocky Ridge started out, you know, based on a farm in Jindong in the southwest, now got a brewery in Melbourne, a couple more venues in in Perth, um and grander plans ahead.
00:32:02
Speaker
um Alan says, you nominated they're constantly trying something new, introducing new styles and playing around with what beer can be. It's a learning experience every time you try their product. And I think that' that's true. They're not willing they not afraid to put stuff out out there that is divisive.
00:32:17
Speaker
I've had beers from them in the past. You're like, oh I don't know, but I get what they're trying to teach me with that. So I think, you know, very worthy, worthy nomination. and But as for this month's winner, and as you said, a ah flood of of nominations for Bell's Beach Brewing ah based down in Torquay.
00:32:33
Speaker
Yeah, and they also have a tap room in Geelong. um So starting off, we'll do two. I mean, it was hard to pick them because, yeah, there's there may have been several hundreds. But um this one from Ellison Bloomfield. Ellison says, locally owned craft brewery that does ah a lot to support the local community from fundraising events to being a huge supporter of live music.
00:32:52
Speaker
Great core range beers and always interesting limited releases. Good crew and always welcoming when you drop in for a pint. Yeah, well, I've been down there and enjoyed some live music there. They do get some pretty good bands in. i think that's that's a key thing of that some of two the to of the founders. They've got a real big sort of gig-going background, so it's definitely very central to what they do, as well as the beers and what have you.
00:33:15
Speaker
And the other nomination you selected from the many we received, Will? Yes, so this one's from Grant Nell. Grant says, Bells Beach Brewing is Torquay's answer to the question, what if your mate's garage made world-class beer?
00:33:30
Speaker
Inside, it's surfboards, fairy lights, mismatched couches that may or may not belong into a 1990 share house. And it's got that kind of vibe that says, yeah, we'll do keg yoga on a Sunday.
00:33:41
Speaker
Yeah. And then he goes on to say the beer ridiculously good from tropical hazy to chock stouts and a guava sour that tastes like a fruit salad in ayahuasca. Every pint hits like a clean right-hander. Staff are either super friendly or mysterious sages of the tap list.
00:33:56
Speaker
If one just points silently, that's your sign to go with the flow. ah Grant continues. There's food trucks, dogs lounging like they own the place. A music that feels like summer.
00:34:07
Speaker
It's not polished. It's perfect. How is that for a line? It's not polished. It's perfect. feel I feel like I should pack everything up here in Karajini and just head make a beeline straight for Torquay and say the family, I'm sorry, the road trip's over early. Grant has sold this place to us.
00:34:23
Speaker
yeah it's ah it's Yeah, he's got a beautiful turn of phrase there, Grant. i thank Thank you for submitting that. Congratulations to the team at Bells Breach. and Always lot of fun when you head down there. um if you want to get some nominations in for future Brewery of the Month, please do so to craftypint.com slash bluestone. And Will, what do they win?
00:34:41
Speaker
Well, thanks to our buddies at Bluestone, um Bells Beach Brewing get their hands on a box of Bluestone's brand new Zinc Booster from Bluestone Yeast Booster range. It's a cold side edition of sterile zinc, which replaces the zinc lost in the boil.
00:34:56
Speaker
And as we all know, zinc is essential for optimal yeast health and performance. Yep, and that's on offer to future winners as well, courtesy of our mate Derek at Bluestone. um So i do get those nominations in and we'll see you with a fresh bout of winners and honourable mentions in a few weeks' time.
00:35:13
Speaker
Back to the show. Thanks to Bluestone Yeast for their support. And you know what, they're here to support all Australian breweries with the highest quality liquid yeasts. In fact, many of their customers have gone on to win gold medals using their yeasts and even a few champion brewery trophies.
00:35:29
Speaker
Give Bluestone Yeast a call today to find out more.
Tumut River Brewing Rebranding and Product Range
00:35:34
Speaker
Uh, welcome back and guys, do you want to tell us a little bit about some of the changes you have made? Um, maybe starting on the rebrand actually. Yeah. Do you want to talk about that? Yeah. yeah Yeah. The, um, that was, that was pretty important to us and it was something that, um, both Michael and I had sort of brought up with Tim before the brewery closed, but unfortunately, you know, funds just didn't la allow, um,
00:35:58
Speaker
But it's something we've been thinking about for a while is just aligning the brand with the region and giving it that um outdoors feel. um And there was a really cool connection actually with the branding company that we got onto.
00:36:16
Speaker
um that Michael would talk about a lot more than me because you you met the... Yeah, so the the um we're working with a branding company called Creative Out of Sydney who um Kylie, who runs that agency, is um originally from Tumor. We had her dad's 70th birthday here a few years ago. where We actually like renamed one of the the the taps in his name for the for the day. So she was really she was one of those people that was really sad to see the the brewery close and really happy to to see it come back.
00:36:44
Speaker
um and they made us do a lot of homework. its about There's like about three days worth of surveys and stuff, which was really good actually right at the start because it made us think about who we want to be, what you know what do we want the brand to stand for, um and like take that sort of step step back um from it and yeah like really sort of confirm that you know our purpose is to drive the The brewery as a tourism destination it helped to promote the snot Snowy Valleys as a tourism destination and the branding kind of needed to tie into that.
00:37:19
Speaker
So hence the new bad mofo can with the the guy with a fish head holding a suitcase. um And ah yeah, like a lot more sort of theming around the river and and sort of the...
00:37:31
Speaker
the the region across the the board. the The little wave in the the logo actually closely mimics the the river just outside of town. So it's like a plaque of the topography of the river.
00:37:44
Speaker
And weve we've definitely, it's quite funny, we've had some really confused looks from people about what's that oh tumour yeah but it sort of does what we wanted it to do and that it sort of catches the eye and it sort of it seems like it's staying with people and like consistently the feedbacks despite a little bit confusion like well we were at handmade the the other day and guys but you guys closed what's happened it's a new brand like despite the confusion i think like the feedback on on the rebrand's been really positive from people and we've been really happy with it and grateful to yeah creating for helping us out. um
00:38:18
Speaker
Yeah, they really took it on as a passion project. was going to say, there'd be a personal sort of investment in Yeah. And we could never have afforded yeah the rebrand if they hadn't sort of taken on as a bit of a passion project. Yeah. um So we're really lacking that as they've done. Yeah, we just sent them a case the other day actually. Yeah.
00:38:38
Speaker
And actually the funny thing is Kylie told us, um so they gave us five concepts for the rebrand and we actually joked that here we go, we're going to have our first fight. We've been renovating the best. No one's throwing a screwdriver anywhere else. Yeah, yeah, that's right. um But we both immediately loved the same concept. So thankfully there was no fighting.
00:39:05
Speaker
And yeah, We called them back, i think, within five minutes of seeing the concepts yeah and landed on the one that we've gone with. And they said that we've got, we win the prize for the quickest. and night But we just, we loved the ah concept that they came up with and and how closely it ties the region into the brands.
00:39:28
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. And what about the beers? Um, it's, you have kept a lot of the core range beers that Chimit was named known for. Yeah, definitely. So it, right up to the brewery closing, we'll, I think we're, there was about 11 beers in the core range. So one of the changes we wanted to make is to just to review that core range and obviously cut down on that, that offering.
00:39:48
Speaker
So the first thing we confirmed was that the ginger ninjas definitely coming back. And then, yeah, we culled the the range down to five beers. As we said, it was important for us to have a beer that would kind of satisfy the locals, which is where the better Southern um came in. T-Bone gets credit for that. yeah He's still proud. I came up with that. um And then, yeah, we've sort of we've kept the Bad Mofo IPA, which is quite a cult following.
00:40:18
Speaker
Um, and then the panorama lager, which is our sort of full strength European, style. Lager as well. And then we've just been bringing back sort of very small limited releases, which with those again, we're trying to make sure that there's a story to tell with them um and that they tie into something in in the local region. So that's the Padlin, the pumpkin beer, for example, which was our first limited release made out of a 350 kilo pumpkin that was floated down the Tumut River. 426. 426, sorry. yeah no good
00:40:50
Speaker
fa lefted into the I'll get in trouble for getting that wrong now. But yes so make local yeah, sure that I had very little credibility. more now But umkin man yeah, be happy um but yes so tying that into the,
00:41:08
Speaker
the local region and um yeah, really having a think about the limited releases. What was that, you know, BRI sampled last night, which was tied to your Polish roots as well, like your triple smoke, but again, do not go to separate Voyager and other local business, as well, relatively local business as well.
00:41:22
Speaker
Yeah, that's right. Like we, I think that our location again is something that's that we feel very lucky about in that we're obviously a couple hours away from from Stu and Ben and the Voyager guys. And most of our grain has always come from Voyager and it and it still does. We've had a great working relationship with those guys and it's been amazing to watch them sort of grow over the years.
00:41:44
Speaker
So yeah, it's it's making sure that we have a real think about the the limited releases that we we put out and we're not just kind of like throwing them throwing them out there and i think that the recipe for now is just definitely do them in small batches so yeah you know like we're sort of doing three layers of cans and maybe 10 or 12 kegs um each time we do a limited release and so far that seems to be working pretty well yeah and and how far and wide are the beers going i know we when we talked late last year you were saying you know Yeah, it was about bringing the folks back onto the town. um But still doing a fair bit of driving. Is it something going into Canberra? Are you still going down the coast? Yeah, Canberra and the the coast is sort of our main and obviously the Riverino mountain main region. Canberra is our main kind of markets.
00:42:26
Speaker
Again, it it sort of plays into what we're trying to achieve from a tourism point of view.
Sustainable Local Distribution
00:42:31
Speaker
So, um you know, we've got a really captive audience there with people who are really well-educated on craft beer, thanks to Capital and Benspoke.
00:42:39
Speaker
And they love getting away from Canberra so for the long weekend, which they get quite a few of over there. So um if they're not down the coast, they, you know, they they do come over here. So we we're trying to tie in the wholesale side to overlap.
00:42:53
Speaker
with ah where we're trying to attract people from. So, so Canberra, the south coast and the Riverina within 150 kilometres of where we are and keeping that footprint fairly small so that it's sustainable.
00:43:05
Speaker
Because one of the challenges we've got being in tumour is we are kind of in the middle of nowhere. So freight's a bit of a challenge, which is why we do spend a bit time on the road ourselves.
00:43:16
Speaker
But trying to do it in a way that you know, we're we're dropping off a bunch at a time in Canberra. And then we're working with a couple of distributors over there to help us get it out there.
00:43:26
Speaker
um but You seem to like being on there. i remember during COVID, we did a story on you taking was it the yellow mini? Yeah, that's right. Doing deliveries. It seemed like hours from here, I think, weren't you? Yeah. well i was um I guess we were so we were doing pizza deliveries at the time. And so there was um a period there where Tim's dad, my father-in-law, who collects minis, let us a couple of those to deliver pizzas. um And people had ah locals had a bit of a chuckle at that, you know watching a little mini go up a muddy hill.
00:43:57
Speaker
But um beyond that, yeah, I do like being being on the road and obviously my my family's in Melbourne. So um that's sort of where the Pine of Origin thing originally started. Thanks to you guys introducing us to to Dave at the Rainbow. It's just so people know like when Pine of Origin comes, when we only discovered this, was it earlier this year? Yeah. So you hit the road at You go and drive around what a little but but about a dozen breweries picking up beers from them to get delivered to the the New South Wales venue.
00:44:23
Speaker
and yeah I guess you know you only get you know a couple of beers with your own on, but you're happy to do it as a sort of support the festival and support the wider region. Yeah, and I won't lie. It is a fun time a year like going around. and here you've got an yeah The other brewers are happy to see it because you're picking up a couple of kegs, but there's always you know like you sit down for a beer and catch up and um you know just kind of talk about what's happening in the industry. And the places you're going to aren't the worst, you know, Gingerbine, the South Coast. Oh, exactly, yeah. It's a horrible time. Late summer, early autumn.
00:44:55
Speaker
Although today doing the Gingerbine might not be the best within the name. But no, it's, yeah, like ah it's always been something that – that I've enjoyed doing it. It's, you know, it's for for a good cause and helping promote a great event as well, obviously. So, um, yeah, always really kind of enjoyed that side of it.
00:45:16
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. And what about, um, back on Tumut, like, like, where do you hope it sort of goes in the next few years? Do you think it, since it was on this sort of growth trajectory before COVID, like, do you see a way back there or once cost of living year is over, or is that hitting it a bit too hard?
00:45:33
Speaker
Yeah, I think, um, Well, our focus in reopening the brewery has been sort of to really scale things to a manageable level. So as Michael mentioned about the core range, cutting that back um and going from 24 taps to 16, going from seven days a week to five days a week.
00:45:55
Speaker
So we're sort of just trying to keep keep it as lean as we can ride out this current you know economic period. um But I think we both have big plans and and big hopes for um growth.
00:46:11
Speaker
But at the moment, I think it's, We just want to do what's achievable. yeah Yeah. Yeah. And I think that's important is just staying small. Obviously, we we kind of have to stay lean at the moment. We you know we haven't started with a whole bunch of um you know capital backing behind us. So it is still very much like that bootstrap sort of approach and really having to think about what we're spending money on and um you know trying to be behind the bar as much as we can. and and And basically, we're we're treating it as ah as a brand new business, even though it's been
00:46:44
Speaker
around for 10 years where we're very much kind of mindful of not falling into the same, are um i guess, traps of trying to grow too quickly and over overspend and over invest.
00:46:56
Speaker
Because, yeah, we've seen it happen here, but we've also seen it happen to a lot of other breweries around Australia as well. And when there is more disposable income flowing around, what does in in your dreams, what does that growth look like for Tumut?
00:47:11
Speaker
I guess there's but a lot we'd love to do with the space here. um And um another thing that I guess we haven't mentioned is that Tim had opened a bar in Canberra yeah and we chose not to to reopen that.
00:47:28
Speaker
So I guess long, long term there might be an opportunity there. there um But our focus will always be bringing people to Tumit and the Tumit venue.
00:47:40
Speaker
Yeah. and but like I guess for me the the dream is, you know, like again, coming from Victoria and seeing places like Brighton and Bridge Road who, you know, are of people Ben and Maria were actually sort of for Tim and Simon.
00:47:53
Speaker
That's sort of how where the journey started. They went on a motorbike to yeah ah motor bike trip to Beachworth and saw all these people enjoying craft beer. I think it's where Tim really sort of actually like fell in love with
Tumut as a Year-Round Destination
00:48:05
Speaker
craft. So seeing um places like that become year-round destinations is what I kind of hope to see Tumut become one day. And I genuinely believe that it They can, so that's sort of the the end game is to level out those bumps in in trade throughout the year and see like families pouring in here from Canberra and Sydney and and Melbourne like you guys year round. yeah So yeah, that's that's the dream I guess.
00:48:33
Speaker
yeah and we haven't talked about music yet but was a big part of tumult beforehand and it is something you're still doing as well to try and really activate this space right yeah you're saying it comes roses cover band coming up yeah we do yeah that's like when um when the brewery first opened um to the public. So we we didn't have a kitchen at the time.
00:48:53
Speaker
This was still being renovated. We're always sitting right now because it had been a tire service in the lead up prior to it. And obviously it was a good 12 months or so of going back and fro with with council to get everything approved. So when we first opened, it we just had eight taps in the shed and we'd get food trucks in on weekends and needed something else to give people an excuse to um to come and check the place out, especially the locals who as said, you know, like I remember the start people standing at the door having a look at you know what's going on in that place. It's okay, you can come in. your home your homerew shit Yeah, yeah, yeah. So yeah, bringing the live music was part of that. But it was also like, for me, I always loved live music. And that's one of the things I i miss about Melbourne. yeah And then when I realized hang on, and I can actually just book
00:49:37
Speaker
This sounds okay. So it sort of like became a bit of a, like a passion project for me. And like, obviously like we had some really cool things, like the collaboration we did with UMI a few years back, um the UMI PA, which was sort of like born in the middle of COVID when they couldn't go touring and thought it would be a fun idea to to work with a random brewery instrument they'd never heard of. um And yeah, and it's still something that we, I guess, see as important.
00:50:07
Speaker
and in particular like supporting independent original music. So like obviously we've get once a quarter our cover band. As we said, the locals are really important, which we hope the Guns N' Roses tribute show will help with that. but But then we've had everything from, you know, punk bands to jazz and everything in between here over the years and we still plan to continue building that again in a sustainable way like we can't afford to do it every weekend like we used to. It's a pretty cool space to do as well when it's all lit up with the brewery behind. Yeah, it looks good. Yeah, it does.
00:50:42
Speaker
It's a big reason I fell in love with the place even before I worked here as well. So I moved to Tumit and um ah once I found this place, Jimmy brought me here for dinner and there was a band on and I thought, okay, I'm going to be okay in Tumit. There is a place, there and you go there's a ah cool hangout yeah um yeah with live music. And yeah, Michael's worked really hard on on building that up and and putting so many cool events on over the years that um Yeah, I'd really, I'd love to see that us be able to do that more and more and, you know, bring the locals and enter us in for
00:51:22
Speaker
some cool music and a cool time yeah yeah definitely I think bands are looking for more places to play like it's just tough out there for you know live music venues as well so yeah yeah the more but you know you like to think over time it built the other way and bands be like hey you know can we come and play here and and that that is happening like again like location wise we're halfway between Melbourne and Sydney and two hours from Canberra so we are a really good filling yeah gig so yeah if you're a Amuso listening. you know email like Yeah, like it is, you know, like ah a good sort of Thursday or Friday or ah Sunday gig if you're on ah on a way to a, you know, bigger...
00:51:58
Speaker
Bigger city. Have a stopover, have some pizza, have some beer. I don't know if you're a really big fan. They're the sort of gigs, that you know the sort of things that, you know, get a bit of media coverage going, hey, so-and-so stopped in and played to 100 people in the show. Yeah, that's right. Yeah, we like, you know, we've had some um we've had some some names in here over the years.
00:52:16
Speaker
um ah you know everything from Nolsey to um you know like we've had Ash Grunwald and like people that do do the the there' the like proper Australian touring lap. yeah So there's been some great nights in here. Some of the the but the better ones ah are the ones where we've had live music and people really sort of still talking about it to this day.
00:52:35
Speaker
Your eyes are really supposed to be talking about that side of things. Just imagining the living end coming to tune out and playing parade. I think that's one thing we really have in common we both love gigs, both love live music. yeah Tony's always joking with us that um the amount of bands that we've seen Cause we'll be listening music with him and say, Oh, I've seen them live. I've seen them. Of course you have. yeah oldies so Great. Well, we might wrap up soon, but I mean, if you had one wish for the future of beer in Australia or or for Tumit to the town, what what would it be?
00:53:13
Speaker
Yeah. you ah um no no you give that na So for me, like, I think, you know, as far as the future beer in Australia, it's, um, it's probably repeating what a lot of the other breweries have said is to sort of level the playing field as far as the dominance of the big foreign conglomerates go and the control over the taps and making a bit more... I'd love to walk into a pub to try to sell a publican beer and then not say, let me just check with the CUB rep first. I'd love it for it be their call to make.
00:53:48
Speaker
for it to be there their call to make So I think, yeah, that's definitely a big, big wish. And and I do feel like the IBA, and you guys are helping to raise a level of awareness because as we know, a lot of people still aren't aware that a lot of the beers that were traditionally Australian-owned beers are now foreign-owned beers. So it's um sort of collectively, you know, raising the bar as far as that, you know, drinking local drinking, Australian-owned.
00:54:16
Speaker
yeah and Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. and And in terms of tumour, I'd love to see without it, I'd love it to stay a hidden gem without staying. In a way, yeah. I'd love to see more people travelling sort of rurally for their vacations and because um the regional towns really need it and and there's so many beautiful little spots that...
00:54:45
Speaker
people haven't found yet. And I've never been to Tumut until three and a half years ago. And it's a beautiful spot. So, yeah yeah. We got here when it was dark last night. I walked out to give my son a birthday call this morning. I was like, yeah oh, there's a river outside. That's my cabin. How lovely, you know? Yeah. yeah And it does tie in. We're in the Snowy Valley. So, as we said, we were half an hour from Batlow where Dave's just opened ah an amazing cider house and you've got a distillery and a little brewery in tumbarumba which just opened a mountain mountain bike trail so there is really is within an hour of here there's you know you could spend weeks in this region without getting bored so many cool little day trips you could do so oh yeah and you mentioned bright before and i think back to the first time i went to bright which are the very early days of the brewery brewery there when was just in the tin shed you know it's the little pizza machine on the side of the bar if it started if it started raining there's only room for six people inside or whatever and that's become this but
00:55:40
Speaker
That town, not just the brewery, but town has changed so much and it's it's so much busier, but it still has the same feel. It's still a beautiful place surrounded by the tree-covered mountains. It doesn't matter the fact it's got busier. It's still it a beautiful place to go and visit. I don't know anyone that doesn't love it. So you know i think you can manage that.
00:55:57
Speaker
making a place busier without losing his charm. kind of yeah Yeah, definitely. And I do feel like there's now more than ever a lot of other sort of like minor businesses trying to make that happen.
00:56:09
Speaker
um And I think, you know, like, i' unfortunately, through the through the bushfires, a lot of people sort of bit of an awakening as far as the reliance on the timber industry and and the importance of tourism in in the area. So I think, yeah, building that is seen as something that a lot more people are keen to get behind is as much as they they do still want to keep it a hidden gem.
00:56:32
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Fantastic, Michael and Mary. Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you. Thank you, guys. Thanks so much. Yeah, really appreciate it.
00:56:43
Speaker
Hey brewers, how much time do you spend thinking about flooring? If the answer is even a moment, it's too much. Solve your flooring issues for good with a hard-wearing, hygienic and safe epoxy floor coating from Roxette.
00:56:56
Speaker
For busy brewery environments, an epoxy coating is the perfect solution. Slip-resistant surfaces help avoid injuries due to spills or liquid escapes, making the brew deck a safer place for staff, suppliers and visitors.
00:57:09
Speaker
Epoxy is also super long lasting and is renowned for its durability and resistance to heavy foot traffic, impacts and chemical spills. With proper installation and maintenance, epoxy flooring can last for many years, reducing the need for frequent replacements and associated costs, which often results in valuable downtime.
00:57:28
Speaker
It can also provide great aesthetic appeal as you can add colours to match your unique branding or blend different blocks of colour to suit your brewery theme and vibe. Importantly, epoxy floors are easy to keep clean. It's non-porous and the seamless smooth surface doesn't harbour bacteria, the enemy of brewing great beer.
00:57:48
Speaker
A well-installed epoxy floor makes end-of-day cleaning a breeze, saving time and money in the process. Your brewery floor shouldn't be causing you headaches when you want to focus on making your amazing beer.
00:58:01
Speaker
Talk to the team at Roxette about an epoxy solution. Visit roxette.com.au. That's R-O-X-S-E-T dot com dot A-U today.
00:58:13
Speaker
The Crafty Pint podcast is produced and edited by Matt Hoffman. You can get all your beer-related news and reviews on the Crafty Pint website, craftypint.com, and can stay up to date on future podcast episodes via our socials.
00:58:27
Speaker
We wouldn't be able to produce the podcast or the website, events or festivals we run without the support of the beer industry, whether that's suppliers, bars, breweries or bottle shops. If you'd like to support the show or partner with The Crafty Pine in other ways, please reach out to Craig via the details in the show notes.
00:58:43
Speaker
And if you're a beer lover who'd like to support what we do, you can join our exclusive club for beer lovers, The Crafty Cabal. Visit craftycabal.com for more. And until next time, drink good beer.