Hobart Brewing Co is pouring its last drinks in the iconic Red Shed at Macquarie Point tonight, closing the doors on a venue its general manager calls “a bit of an institution” after more than a decade.
The brewery’s final session is expected to see a big crowd turn out to farewell the well-known waterfront spot in the shadow of the IXL building.
General manager of Hobart Brewing Co Greg Butterworth said there’ll be sadness but also excitement about what’s ahead for the craft beer company.
“It’s a sad day for us, obviously,” he told Pulse.
Butterworth said despite the bad weather, he’s expecting a strong turnout for the send-off.
“We’ll have quite a lot of people there tonight, even though the weather’s bad,” he said.
“So it’ll be a good send-off I’m sure.”
The brewery is relocating its entire operation to 284 Argyle Street in North Hobart, the previous home of Overland Brewers & Distillers.
Butterworth said the new venue is expected to open in early to mid-July and will keep 16 taps pouring beers unique to the brewery.
“We’re replanning the bar and hoping to keep as much of the Hobart Brewing Company DNA, but also offer some new things up there as well at the same time,” he said.
The company last year took over the lease of the Hope and Anchor pub on Macquarie Street, which will see the company maintain its own local presence before the new Argyle Street venue opens.
Butterworth said the highlight of his time at the Red Shed over the years has been the people.
“We’ve had some terrifically skilled and committed staff over the years and that makes all the difference in an ordinary business to a good business,” he said.
The Red Shed building is expected to be dismantled by Macquarie Point Development Corporation.
Butterworth urged anyone who can’t make it tonight to visit the new Argyle Street venue when it opens next month.
“We’d love to see people come and stick with us and keep enjoying Hobart Brewing Company beers,” he said.
The closure comes on the same day Boag’s Brewery in Launceston announced it would shut its doors, with more than 40 staff learning the news when they arrived at work this morning.
Butterworth said the news from Boag’s hit close to home.
“It’s pretty sad,” he said.
“I feel sad for the 40 plus people that got a shock this morning when they went into work.”
Butterworth said he had worked for Boag’s for several years through the 1990s and 2000s when it was still independently owned and still has friends there.
“It’s a sad thing and there’s no doubt about it,” he said.
“I understand business is business and public companies have to justify every dollar spent and I don’t think there’s anyone to blame.”
“I certainly feel for the people in Launceston for sure.”
He said the Boag’s closure was a sign of the pressures facing the broader beer industry in Tasmania, pointing to disproportionate taxation and rising costs, including a 6% price increase from his can supplier he found about this morning.
“It’s just a sign of how hard it is to make money in beer really,” he said.
