News brewed on 25/07/17
DOWN UNDER-DOG: SCOTTISH CRAFT BREWER, BREWDOG SETS SIGHTS ON AUSTRALIA WITH INITIAL HIRES, AND ANNOUNCES POTENTIAL LOCATIONS FOR BREWERY IN OZ.
Scottish independent brewer, BrewDog is one step closer to establishingitsinitial production facilitydown-under with its first recruitment under way in Oz, as well as indications as to where it plans to establish an Australian brewing hub.The craft beer business, which was launched by school friends James Watt & Martin Dickie in Scotland in 2007, recently opened its second brewery in Columbus, Ohio, and announced plans to expand into Australia at its AGM in April.
Today, BrewDog has announced the appointment of Zarah Prior as ‘Top Dog’ for Australia. Having worked for BrewDog in the brewery’s Aberdeenshire HQ between 2011 and 2016, Prior re-joined the pack this monthwith the mandate to identify potential locations for the company's third international brewery. Zarah – an Australian native – previously held the role of ‘Head of People’ for the Scottish business, and also contributed to marketing and business development over 4 years based at BrewDog’s HQ in Scotland.
BrewDog is the only business to be named in the UK’s Sunday Times ‘Fast Track 100’ in five consecutive years, staking a claim as one of the nation’s fastest-growing food & drinks companies. The brewery’s crowdfunding initiative – Equity for Punks – has garnered an investor community of more than 55,000 people around the world, and these shareholders have collectively invested more than £40million in the brand over the past eight years.
Commenting on their plans for Australia, Prior stated,
“Our Australian Equity Punk communityhasbeen crying out for BrewDog to set up shop closer to home, so we are excited to finally be making that happen. We’vethrived on the loyalty that our shareholders and peers have shown over the past 10 years, and we can’t wait to deliver brewery-fresh beersto our Equity Punks and BrewDog fans in Australia!”
BrewDog is currently exploring possible locations for a brewery in Australia, with initial searches focused on the fast-developing Brisbane or Newcastle areas. In line with the business’ philosophy of local community partnership and engagement, a location that is actively promoting urban renewal or transformation is high on the criteria forBrewDog’s latestbrewery hunt.
Prior continued;
“We are open to re-developing an existing industrial site with a2,000 - 4,000m²built up facility,or alternatively a plot of land able to comfortably accommodate a new build of that sizewith expansion capabilities in the future. However, what’s non-negotiable is finding the right community where BrewDog’shardcore values and Punk attitude will be fully embraced. Since BrewDog was born, we’ve been on a mission to make other people as passionate about amazing craft beer as we are. Now, we’re bringing that ethos all the way across the other side of the planet, to Oz.”
Through its exclusive Equity Punk online forum, BrewDog has reached out to its Australian shareholder community for contacts and advice, with the aim of identifying a suitable council, and navigating local planning and legislative hurdles.
Zarah is also seeking contributions and proposals from locals in Australia; any residents with ideas on where BrewDog should establish its Australian division should contact with the following:
- Details on what makes their neighbourhood perfect for BrewDog's craft beer business
- Any information about councils locations that are looking for new investment
- Any details about the environment that could positively impact BrewDog’s launch plans
- Specifics of green field sites that could be used to build a brewery & taproom
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About BrewDog plc
Since 2007, BrewDog has been on a mission to make other people as passionate about great craft beer as they are. From the Headliner series, which includes bold, uncompromising pack leaders like the flagship Punk IPA, to the Amplified range (beer, but turned up to 11), BrewDog creates beer that blows people’s minds and has kick-started a revolution.
Cofounders James Watt and Martin Dickie shook up the business world in 2009 with the launch of pioneering crowdfunding initiative Equity for Punks, an initiative that has seen the company raise £40m since 2009, taking more money through crowdfunding than any other on record. The funds, and the army of punk shareholders (55,000) enabled the Scottish craft brewery to scale up without selling out.
With almost 50 global bar launches, export into 60 countries, and a second brewery in Ohio, BrewDog continues to take the craft beer revolution stratospheric, whilst continuing to push the boundaries, invest in people, put the beer first, and champion other small breweries in its venues.
For more information, please contact:
Zarah Prior
t: +61 (0)409 160 165
e: