Two venues shared the title of Brewpub of the Year and the Beer & Brewer Awards, with Adelaide’s Wheatsheaf Hotel and Melbourne’s Brewmanity sharing the honour.
At the 2024 Beer & Brewer Awards first-ever live ceremony, held as part of Sydney Beer Week on 20 October, one of the major awards – Brewpub of the Year – was awarded to two venues. Adelaide’s Wheatsheaf Hotel, which has been brewing beer on site for a decade, and newcomer Brewmanity in Melbourne shared the honours.
Publican and brewer at the Wheatsheaf Hotel, Jade Flavell, said she was “chuffed” by the result, and the quality and tenacity of brewers across the country.
“We’re in amazing company! I have enormous respect for the indie breweries that have held the line on quality despite the shitshow of the last four years, so to be counted in their number is pretty damn cool. More than a decade ago we picked up Best Venue for pouring other people’s beers, so it’s nice to come full circle and be recognised for brewing and pouring our own.”
For Brewmanity, whose South Melbourne venue has been open less than a year, the win validates a lot of work and consideration that went into the venue long before it opened, suggests co-founder David Neitz.
“It’s taken us a long time to get the brewery and the bar open, which was on purpose. You know, our venue is a bit different to most breweries, with a pretty significant hospitality offering, as well as a small brewery, but still a decent sized brewery.
“We took a long time to find the right location and the right place, and to think that people are really enjoying the space, the hospitality and the lovely beers is exactly what we hoped for. So to win this prize just feels just magnificent.”
Hospitality a winning factor
For both venues, the judges noted it wasn’t just the quality of the beers that distinguished them, but also the level of the hospitality within the venues.
When discussing the Wheatsheaf Hotel (pictured below), one judge noted the efforts of the staff in creating the pub’s reputation as a craft beer “institution”.
“Knowledgeable and friendly staff with one of the best beer line ups including their own award-winning Wheaty Brewing Corps. Every visit is like a journey into the echelons of beer and brewing with great banter and done in a way that entices you back for more. This place is an institution, and no other venue comes close in Australia,” they noted.
Open only seven months, the judges noted that Brewmanity had a great food offering, and an environment that welcomed craft beer aficionados and newbies alike.
“Brewmanity stands out as a top-tier brewpub, offering an exceptional experience through its diverse range of good quality beers and versatile food options. A nice welcoming atmosphere and the opportunity to explore the brewery and chat with brewers, providing a deeper connection to the beer is often possible. The staff have a good knowledge of the beer lineup, providing good recommendations for both connoisseurs and novices alike, elevating the hospitality experience.”
Always looking to improve
For both brewpubs, improving the offer and operations is always a big focus – and staff are a big part of that journey.
“There’s big work that goes into our little Brewpub!” stated Flavell.
“We’ve used the relatively quiet times to focus on getting better rather than bigger; putting new ingredients, procedures and gear through its paces – and learning heaps in the process, while still having fun. There are many, many moving parts at the Wheaty, and Maeve, Jimmy and the crew do an amazing job pulling it all together.”
Having been brewing since 2015, but not having a hospitality component until the beginning of the year, Neitz and the Bremanity team are focused on improving that side of the brewpub offer.
“We’ve been selling beers for a long time, but in terms of the hospitality side of things, we haven’t got that much experience. Our staff and our venue manager, Amelia, in particular, has just been delightful to work with. She has a wealth of knowledge, and she really creates a beautiful atmosphere. And I’m glad to say that people will come again because they’ve just been brilliant.”
Both venues are now gearing up for a massive summer period. Catering to a crowd that includes a lot less seasoned craft beer drinkers, Brewmanity will be focused on their paddle offer, which will treat patrons to a whole new range of beer styles; while Wheatsheaf has some exciting brews coming up for its patrons, including two single hop, dip-hopped Kellerbiers; an all NZ hop IPL; a Black Lime Gose; Mighty Mild for the Handpump; Zwickel Pils for the Lukr Sidepour and of course Solar Cerveza.