Distillery in hands of creative spirits
NEW owners of a 25-yearold family distillery want to transform the little-known but much-loved business into a global phenomenon, all while maintaining the brand’s quirky charm.
The founders of Tamborine Mountain Distillery, Michael and Alla Ward, have sold the business they created after growing surplus fruit on their hobby farm.
After navigating the complex process of obtaining liquor and Australian Taxation Office licensing, new owners Shumei Hou and Gordon Chalmers have taken over the distillery, which is as much a tourist attraction as it is creator and supplier of more than 80 unique spirits.
Ms Hou, a former judge in China, has more recently turned her talents to helping Chinese investors navigate the web of regulations when setting up shop in Australia.
With Mr Chalmers, whose background is in marketing and IT, Ms Hou hopes to bring a new dimension to the property with wholesaling, online sales and exports.
“There is a lot of hidden value Michael and Alla have sat on,” Mr Chalmers said.
A boom in demand for locally made products in restaurants and bars provides more potential for growth.
It’s a lot of change for a company which has always been a mostly two-person operation with handwritten receipts and online ordering restricted to Australia.
Over the years the Wards have beaten Italians at making Limoncello and Poms at making gin – taking out more than 300 national and international medals to make the business the most awarded Australian distillery of the century. As Mrs Ward works her magic at the stills, Mr Ward has been the face of the business, always ready for a chat with the customers.
Ask him how one of their bestsellers, the Davidson’s Plum Liqueur, came about and he’ll happily tell you about the native plum glut of 2009, which left 90-year-old Cudgen farmer Hec Smith and his daughter Donna with 130kg of fruit nobody wanted.
The pair drove them up the mountain to the Wards who turn them into a popular drink and have been taking their crop ever since.
Or ask about the origins of the Gingerbread Liqueur and you’ll hear about a request from a Melbourne bartender, who was sent 12 bottles soon after and continues to keep the orders coming.
Mr Chalmers said this carefully curated and authentic product history gave the distillery a ready-made marketing pitch.
The tweaks they’ve already made have seen an increase in business, opening the new tasting room on Sundays for the first time, and extending the daily closing time from 3pm to 4pm.
Although the Wards have sold the business, they will retain the property, with their home at the back, and lease it back to the new owners.
Mrs Ward will help with recipes, and Mr Ward wants to keep mowing the lawn.
He hopes the customers would continue to knock on his door and say hello.
“It was always our dream for the brand to become an Australian icon and to take it globally and under the strong leadership of Shumei Hou and Gordon Chalmers we are confident this will happen.”