Redhill Brewery (vic) To Close Bar And Cellar Door

[Wolfy]

Quote from an email just sent to RedHill's mailing list:

"It is with very mixed emotions that Karen and Dave Golding have decided to close the bar and cellar door of the brewery.

A New Direction We plan to consolidate our energy into our brewing business, and focus on producing more great beer than ever with new styles in the pipeline, new packaging and more places than ever to be able to buy our beer.
...
LAST WEEKEND IS SAT 21st / SUN 22nd JULY SECRET STASH WEEKEND."

A visit to their brewery has always made going down the Peninsula (usually for markets/shopping for SWMBO) a much more enjoyable experience, so it's a shame that they're going to close. As far as I'm aware they were one of the first micro's to open their doors and serve food/beer at their venue as well as giving tours of the brewery etc.

Interesting to note is that I was recently told that the growing trend in the industry is to have a bar-door and venue where people can come eat/drink, and one of the reasons for the changes at 3 Ravens is that they are seeking a new location where they can do just that.

 

[Truman42]

I just received that email too, Thats a real shame and quite a surprise as they were always very very busy on the weekend. Was a great place to go and enjoy a nice sunny Sunday afternoon.

Its just a pity they cant keep running the bar whilst expanding the brewing side of things.

Only place left to go down that way now is Hickinbotham.

 

[jayahhdee]

Very sad news, I've spent many lovely weekends down there.

Fortunatley for me, I have a lunch booking with my family there in 2 weeks for my birthday celebrations, so I get to enjoy it one last time.

 

[DU99]

Found this on Gumtree

 

[GalBrew]

I just received that email too, Thats a real shame and quite a surprise as they were always very very busy on the weekend. Was a great place to go and enjoy a nice sunny Sunday afternoon.

Its just a pity they cant keep running the bar whilst expanding the brewing side of things.

Only place left to go down that way now is Hickinbotham.

There is also the Mornington Peninsula Brewery in Mornington.

It is a shame, people like to have a place where they can connect with a product that has provenance. I think a cellar door is a great way of engaging customers. I'm not sure drinking a beer from Red Hill will be the same knowing I can't actually drink one in Red Hill. Not to say they don't make great beer, but there is nothing like having one or two with a ploughman's lunch at the brewery.

 

[///]

We run both, definately hard work having both, but we would not change it for the world ...

 

[Truman42]

There is also the Mornington Peninsula Brewery in Mornington.

It is a shame, people like to have a place where they can connect with a product that has provenance. I think a cellar door is a great way of engaging customers. I'm not sure drinking a beer from Red Hill will be the same knowing I can't actually drink one in Red Hill. Not to say they don't make great beer, but there is nothing like having one or two with a ploughman's lunch at the brewery.

+1 Their ploghmans lunch is awesome. The wife and I often called in on a Sunday arvo and enjoyed a few beers and a ploughmans lunch.

I know theres MPB but its in an industrial area of Mornington and while their beers are great they dont have that rural countryside charm that RHB do.
When my folks were down here at xmas time from Cairns we did the whole winery, beer, cheese, and chocolate thing with them down around Red Hill and hastings and they loved the whole area. Wont be the same without RHB, just wine cheese and chocolate..

 

[seemax]

Selling beer on tap... with food... isn't that where the money is?

 

[brettprevans]

Seems like a big mistake to me. I recon it's NE of 3ravens problems as it didn't have that 'face'. But comp is tough ATM and if they r struggling then they are prob thinking it will save money. Big mistake. Marketing 101 when sakes are down u don't cut down on marketing u increase it. Having the bar etc is a form of marketing.

Best of luck to them

 

[Wolfy]

Wont be the same without RHB, just wine cheese and chocolate..

And strawberrys!

 

[DU99]

Lion Nathan might have taken them over B)

 

[bum]

I recon it's NE of 3ravens problems as it didn't have that 'face'.

But 3Ravens doesn't have their foot in Uncle Dan's door like Red Hill do.

 

[fikuss]

Yeah I'm spewing about this. We have a place a couple of Ks down the road and we often pop in for a cheeky pint or two and a snack. Really going to miss it as a place to drop in on the weekend.

 

[Fents]

Seems like a big mistake to me. I recon it's NE of 3ravens problems as it didn't have that 'face'. But comp is tough ATM and if they r struggling then they are prob thinking it will save money. Big mistake. Marketing 101 when sakes are down u don't cut down on marketing u increase it. Having the bar etc is a form of marketing.

Best of luck to them

imo sometimes to go bigger you have to sacrifice. closing the restraunt means they can fit more tanks in and grow as a brewery. at the moment they are in a stale mate, restraunat only holds so many people and the brewery is only so big and you cant expand one without the sacrifice of the other. tough decision but i think it will pay off for them.

 

[Phoney]

Hopefully they'll now start selling their beer north of Wodonga.

 

[Truman42]

imo sometimes to go bigger you have to sacrifice. closing the restraunt means they can fit more tanks in and grow as a brewery. at the moment they are in a stale mate, restraunat only holds so many people and the brewery is only so big and you cant expand one without the sacrifice of the other. tough decision but i think it will pay off for them.

Its going to cost them a lot of money to knock down the restuarant to expand the brewery. The current brewery is just a small shed and the restuarant is an old house type structure with a verandah added.Not suitable to expand the brewery into it. They would have been better off building onto some of their hop fields. Who knows what theyre planning?

 

[Spiesy]

imo sometimes to go bigger you have to sacrifice. closing the restraunt means they can fit more tanks in and grow as a brewery. at the moment they are in a stale mate, restraunat only holds so many people and the brewery is only so big and you cant expand one without the sacrifice of the other. tough decision but i think it will pay off for them.

is there the ability to simply renovate and expand the brewery with an additional building, without having to close down the bar/restaurant? Sounds like it's a popular place... I'll have to try to get down there before it shuts up shop, have not been there before.

 

[bum]

It may not even be a real-estate issue. Take the time from managing a secondary service and re-direct it towards the primary business fucntions. Take the costs of running the secondary service and channel them towards developing the primary business. They may not even touch the restaurant area - leaving it for possible future re-opening. They may just let hops grow all over it, who knows?

A lot of assumptions are being made here, is what I'm saying.

 

[DU99]

This is what's posted on their website

 

[Truman42]

I asked David to eloborate on what their future plans are.

Hes going to post an update.