Brewers toast big expansion
BLACKMAN’S Brewery is set to triple its original brewing capacity.
The Torquay boutique brewery and restaurant is set to install two 5000-litre tanks before the start of the summer season
Owner Renn Blackman said the $100,000 investment would see beer production increase from about 200,000 litres a year to 350,000 litres.
“It will be about triple what we started with (in 2014),” Mr Blackman said.
The upgrade includes adding tanks that service the restaurant.
Business founders Renn and Jess Blackman shared insights into their business journey, which includes setting up a bar in central Geelong in 2016, at Entrepreneurs Geelong’s monthly In Conversation . . . series on Friday.
Ms Blackman said the business had grown every year with its two arms employing a core workforce of 15, rising to about 25 in peak season.
“(The business at) Torquay moved ahead more quickly than we ever imagined,” she said.
Soon after opening, they added a canning line to meet the demand for packaged beer which accounts for about half of their beer production.
Mr Blackman said for small-scale brewing, cans were better for quality control.
“But if you are into your beer and you really want to taste it, you need to pour it into a glass,” he said.
The first boutique brewer in Torquay sees other craft brewers entering the market, including Bells Beach Brewing, as encouraging people to try different beers.
They told Entrepreneurs Geelong president Matthew Fletcher a key lesson had been to delegate and to trust people who often had the skills and motivation to do a better job.
Ms Blackman said at the start the pair did everything they could, including early morning cleaning duties.
Delegating had led to greater efficiency and freed them to focus on other things.
“And everyone is working in a space they are good at,” she said.