Last year we bought a building across the road, 27 Orchard Road, with the intention of turning it into a second venue. Yep, we’re going large! Opening a food-centric, 120 seat venue, complete with barrel aged beers that pair perfectly with seasonal foods prepared by a chef in an actual kitchen, not a food truck – Don’t get me wrong, we love a food truck!
It’s gonna be epic, or it was. Not now. It’s a jungle out there and I’m scared.
We went a fair way down the approvals process: Architectural plans drawn, traffic and parking surveyed, building compliance assessed, but…
Ploughing massive funds and energy into a second venue a stone’s throw from our current home seemed like a good idea in 2023. “I can see a free stool in there, let me in damn it! ” was a common snarl from those lined up at the front, sometimes for over an hour.
When we opened, we were the fifth brewery in Brookvale. But there are now eight, and a couple of distilleries, all competing for the same customers, within just a few hundred metres of us. Does Brookvale need another?
Brookvale brewing pioneers, NOMAD’s, are selling up, the owners migrating to Mudgee. Maybe they see the writing on the wall, maybe they just really like wine and cheese? Likely both! I don’t know. What I do know is that things are much tighter than they used to be, and we all live and die by the patronage in our tap rooms.
The days of multimillion dollar acquisitions of independent breweries are done. Before we opened, breweries could barely keep up with demand, desperate to find space to squeeze more tanks into heaving warehouses. Not anymore. I see equipment for sale, and friends going into voluntary administration.
Maybe this is simply the life cycle of any industry. Right now, we’re on the downward slope, an oversupply of product and increasing competition. But – Craft beer is different. Our industry is unlike anything else I’ve experienced. We’re a team. We share common values and collaborate better than Dr Dre & Snoop Dog. Through our combined efforts we’ve changed beer and hospitality across Australia. Hundreds of communities are richer for the small independent breweries that dot our vast landscape. Us independent breweries, we pay it forward and help each other out.
So, I’m hopeful that with collaboration we can build on the success of Brookvale as a destination for booze connoisseurs and people wanting an experience outside your traditional pub or club. A place for people that reject weird carpets and “VIP rooms”. And you can help keep the dream alive. Spread the word and get down to Brookie for festivities, or a quiet mid-week meal whenever you can. We need your help to keep this little patch of magic thriving. Even 4 Pines, those guys are alright too.
And the future for 27 Orchard Road? The sitting tenant is expanding to take over our intended venue. Their business of restoring VW Kombi’s is going gangbusters, bursting at the seams with locals wanting $100,000 vehicle restorations! Could there possibly be any clearer sign of the changing social fabric of the Northern Beaches than that?
Most importantly, get down to Brookie and share the love whenever you can. Us indie breweries need your support to stay healthy and navigate this tricky period we’re in right now.
*Keep up to date with Bucketty’s latest brews and events by following on Instagram @buckettys, online at www.buckettys.com.au and be sure to pop into 26 Orchard Rd Brew Vale to taste the action for yourself.