Western Australia’s Beerfarm plans to replicate their sustainable brewing and paddock-to-plate experience on Australia’s east coast after applying to build a production facility and restaurant on a rural property north of Sydney.
Last month the Margaret River craft brewery lodged a Development Application (DA) and a Statement of Environmental Effects (SEE) through land surveying company Beveridge Williams with the Central Coast Council. Beerfarm’s founders told Beer & Brewer the plans for expansion were in their infancy, “with many hurdles to overcome”, but they were excited at the prospect of delivering “something the Central Coast of NSW can be proud of and can call their own”. (You can read Beerfarm’s full statement below).
Beerfarm’s plans to expand their reach out east follows the appointment of the Sydney-based Josh Quantrill as their head of sales late last year while they have this week advertised for a NSW territory manager to help grow the brand across the state.
At 92 Mountain Rd in Halloran, near the major M1 motorway and effectively half way between Sydney and Newcastle, the DA and SEE show Beerfarm plans to build a 1,750-square-metre production brewery and packaging facility plus, in a separate building, a 1,369-square-metre 450-seat restaurant with a mezzanine level. The proposal for the 10 hectare property also includes allocation for approximately 150 carparks to cover both staff and guests, tour bus set-down areas and a series of gardens to grow produce for the restaurant. Once operating, the proposal said Beerfarm would employ 42 full-time and 27 casual staff.
“Our intention, much like our brewery in Margaret River, is to add value to the local region by bringing genuine and authentic experiences and products, that locals can enjoy at their leisure,” Beerfarm said in the statement.
If the application proves successful Beerfarm will be following in the footsteps of fellow WA brewery Gage Roads who made their own raid into NSW last year when they opened their off-shoot brand Atomic’s brewpub in the inner Sydney suburb of Redfern.
Unlike their Metricup farm, where they have their own herd of Black Angus cattle which are fed their spent grain, Beerfarm plan to repurpose the mash waste from the Halloran site by sending it up the M1 to Macka’s Australian Angus Beef farm in Port Stephens.
Further to this, Beerfarm plan to bring the sustainability practices they have championed in WA to NSW in multiple ways. These include: using GEOHEX (an Australian-made plastic grid turf and substrate stabiliser made from 100 per cent recycled post-consumer plastics) for much of the car park and driveway areas; installing a BioGill wastewater treatment solution; implementing a 100kw solar system; and a gas-fired boiler is proposed for the brewery.
In the closing statements of the SEE, Beveridge Williams said Beerfarm’s plans were consistent with the Council’s strategic objectives for the area and that the venture will enhance the local economy, environment and community.
“The proposal will have positive social and economic impacts for the local community and encourage the redevelopment of other industrial land in the area,” the SEE said.
Here is the full Beerfarm statement:
Recent articles have been published by Central Coast News and The Daily Telegraph regarding a proposed expansion plan for Beerfarm to bring its award-winning venue and production brewery to the Central Coast region. To date, Beerfarm has not been contacted or contributed to either article and we are unsure of the origin of this information thus far.
Our plan, as always, was to ensure those people who have contributed and supported Beerfarm and the beer industry are engaged appropriately and in due course. Unfortunately, we have been pipped to the post; the “hypothetical” cat is out of the bag.
The details in the article are factually correct and have been taken directly from the submitted Development Application that has been lodged. The project is still in the very early stages and we have many hurdles to overcome before this proposal becomes a reality. Not only do we need to navigate the usual trials and tribulations of getting a development approval, this site is also contingent on working with local development partners and a newly formed “super council” which is navigating its own issues.
We are working very hard alongside the relevant local authorities on the proposal of this, our second production facility and venue, to bring it to the Central Coast.
We are extremely proud of what we have contributed to the Margaret River region and its community. We are also as excited about the potential of this new project and have already made some exciting relationships within the local community to ensure we deliver something the Central Coast of NSW can be proud of and call their own.
We prioritise working with local businesses and suppliers over anything and are excited about generating lots of employment opportunities for the local community and across the Coast.
Our intention, much like our brewery in Margaret River, is to add value to the local region by bringing genuine and authentic experiences and products, that locals can enjoy at their leisure.
We are an independently owned brewery, cultivating good times, premium beverages and seasonal food menus for all tastes and requirements.
We welcome the support of the industry and the general Australian public in making our dreams a reality in bringing our small brewery and our ethos from the West to as many lips as possible.
Fingers crossed, we will have more good news to share soon.
Cheers, Team Beerfarm