Growing beer opportunities

Aregional development leader is confident the Wimmera and southern Mallee are primed to ‘tap in’ to Australia’s evolving microbrewing industry.

Wimmera Development Association executive director Ralph Kenyon said it made sense for anyone considering making grain-based beer or other beverages to set themselves up where farmers grew the product.

Mr Kenyon made the comments in response to news of entrepreneurs establishing micro breweries at Rainbow and possibly Stawell.

“This might well represent the start of a realisation of the opportunities that exist in the region and have probably existed for many years,” he said.

“In fact, it is really quite amazing, considering the depth of raw materials in our region, that this opportunity is only emerging now.

“It has certainly been an idea that many people have regularly raised.

“What is critical is that beer has become a drink that is not necessarily produced in mass-market way.

“People are choosing beer traditionally choose wine.

“This means, similar to the wine industry, that it might open the door for an industry based on small-scale producers at many sites – ultimately to the benefit of individual towns.”

Despite farmers growing grain, includ- like they ing barley, commercial-scale breweries have long been absent from the Wimmera.

Plans for Rainbow Brewery, based at the rear of the town’s Eureka Hotel, are underway and there is community discussion surrounding a Stawell venture.

Mr Kenyon said there were many advantages to establishing breweries in the Wimmera and southern Mallee.

He said supply chains for high-quality ingredients would probably be shorter than in other circumstances and there were also opportunities to exploit onhand raw-product expertise.

“There would certainly be opportunities to establish links and collaborations with education and training and research and development institutions,” he said.

“This might include links with Federation University Australia’s renowned brewing courses through its Wimmera campus, Longerenong College and Grains Innovation Park, which could help in product research and development.

“It all comes down to a value-adding opportunity for something that we already do to take advantage of trends.

“We possibly have the potential to create a Wimmera-mallee beer region and that would depend on the number of people who moved into the market place.

“If there was sufficient demand we would certainly help make that happen.”

The Wimmera is already part of an official Grampians Wine Region.