Share holder in Hopsters Co-op Brewery Sydney for $250.

[Hopsters]

Hi guys. This is Marco from Hopsters Co-op Brewery. Thanks for the comments and feedback. We will take them into consideration. Any questions please kindly ask me here or via email: [email protected]
We are six founders and we are creating Australia's First Cooperative Brewery for you, the home brewers of Australia and the local communities where the breweries are located. One of the main objectives of the cooperative is to become an incubator for home brewers who want to master their craft and launch their ow brand/brewery. The cooperative will have two systems. One commercial brewery and one pilot brewery. To be honest Hopsters Co-Op Brewery is much bigger than any of the six founders. Cheers guys.

 

[Yob]

But only open to NSW residents, you're giving yourself a fair restriction there.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Is Mica Rees back in Australia?

 

[Mardoo]

From the website it looks like it's a cooperative from the drinker's perspective, but not from the perspective of the brewing. Sounds like they've started a business based on customer input, rather than a cooperative business, where all the workers own the business and contribute equally. Might be of interest if you lived in the neighbourhood. Cute idea. Just darling...

 

[wide eyed and legless]

I would like to know what if any is the affiliation with Hopsters in MA, are they a co-operative also?
Six founder members, surely between 6 they could organise a loan of $500,000, its not a large sum, are they asking for a promise of payment, or the actual payment, what happens to the money if targets aren't met, sucked up into admin costs?
It is beyond me why someone would want the headaches of starting a business only to find that at the first AGM they could be out on their ear and someone else takes over.

 

[Mardoo]

I'm guessing it's just crowdfunding. I sincerely doubt the organisational structure is actually as a cooperative.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

If I was interested which I am not I would be doing a quick check with ASIC, they could be based in Nigeria for all we know.

 

[DU99]

wonder if they tried the "shark tank" with their idea

 

[Hopsters]

For a brewery truly rooted in the community, consider forming a cooperative
http://microbrewr.com/for-brewery-truly-rooted-community-consider-forming-cooperative/

 

[Yob]

I'm guessing it's just crowdfunding. I sincerely doubt the organisational structure is actually as a cooperative.

I wonder if the 'free pints per week' are cumulative and don't expire, go once every 8 weeks...

It's an interesting idea, 'paid' members are more like a captured client, if they've paid in, they're more likely to be return customers but I think the catchment will be too small personally...

 

[n87]

Do you get your own pint glass hanging up on the wall?
I have seen alot of bars/brew pubs with this type of thing where you get your glass (usually personalised) and you get a discount, or only need to pay for a schooner/midi to fill it etc.

 

[kaiserben]

One of the main objectives of the cooperative is to become an incubator for home brewers who want to master their craft and launch their ow brand/brewery. The cooperative will have two systems. One commercial brewery and one pilot brewery. To be honest Hopsters Co-Op Brewery is much bigger than any of the six founders. Cheers guys.

This is better. Much more how I expect a co-op to operate. But this info isn't mentioned anywhere on the website that I could see. All the available info suggests is that the best members can hope for is to have 1 vote in >1000 when considering what beers to brew, which I guess some people might get a kick out of, but is useless for anyone wanting to take their own brewing to the next level.

 

[Hopsters]

Hello, the first 100 members will have a plaque and a customised mug at the brewery.
Will update the website about the home brewers incubator.
Any feedback is good, this is the beginning of the co-op guys, we have not taken any money from anyone yet until we secure the site, which will be in Leichhardt, just working with the town planner and the owners.

Hopsters Co-Op brewery will be:

• A community brewery.
• A place where people can get together, drink awesome fresh, cold and delicious beer, learn about beer, how it is made and also brew beer ( if they like ), we will have a full commercial brewery and a pilot brewery consisting of 10 x 50 liters kettles where our members can brew beer, even ginger beer with the kids on Sunday's.
• The creator and main supporter behind Craft Inner West, a monthly event to promote everything craft in the Leichhardt Council and Sydney Inner West.
• An incubator to our home brewers members, we will support them so they can create their own beer brand or even their own brewery when they are ready to take that step while using the co-op assets and resources. This will be a partnership between the co-op and the new beer brand.
• Your Brewery.

Hopster's Co-op Brewery is getting close to its first meeting, for the last several weeks we have been working hard on the business plan, getting quotes for the brewery equipment, looking for suitable locations and we have founded one in Leichhardt, now talking to the town planner and getting the co-op legal before we sell any memberships.

We look forward to meeting you and welcome you as a member-owner of the best craft brewery in Sydney.

Please email us on [email protected] so we can add you to our data base to keep the communication flowing, we have over 100 founding members ready to go as we speak as soon as we are ready and confirmed the location for the brewery, 99% it will be on the Leichhardt site.

At the moment, there is no link to buy a membership on www.hopsters.com.au, but we will have it activated soon.

With warm regards,Ross, Andrew, Louie, Bob, Bart and Marco

 

[Mardoo]

I should have been more specific. I was responding to the takeover comment and should have said "I sincerely doubt the organisational structure is actually as a worker-owned cooperative."

I see a reasonable difference between crowdfunding and a consumer-owned cooperative. Depends on the execution, really. I've been very involved in three consumer cooperatives, and one worker-owned cooperative. In one of the consumer ones the consumers decided all products that were sold by the cooperative and did all the work that was not management. Management consisted mostly of ordering products and arranging distribution. In the second and third you had to do two 2-hour shifts a week to access products and prices, and had an equal say to management in the direction of the overall business. They were all not-for-profit businesses.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but this sounds like a for-profit business with some level of customer participation. Giving back to the community is just good business.

Don't get me wrong, sounds like you all are going to make a great little brewpub that intends to participate in the community. I'd likely participate if I were in the area. I'm just not sure it's yet true to the spirit of cooperatives. Brewdog gives plenty back to its community and works to incubate new Brewers, as well as give back to and take input from the people who help fund it. However it's distinctly for-profit. Nothing wrong with that. Co-ops can be hell to run.

 

[DU99]

i gather the beer is ALL GRAIN..not extract

 

[Weizguy]

I'm surprised that so many Victorians have so many opinions about a NSW venture, and I can't see that you are excluded by anything other than distance.

Is it a slow news day there?

 

[Yob]

Les, it says it's open only to NSW residents..

 

[Mardoo]

We might be a bunch of fussy cnuts...

 

[MichaelM]

Brew dog in the UK raised capital for their expansion in a similar way through crowd funding. Shareholders don't have access to brewing on their brew houses but can attend the Agm and special event. It seems to have worked for them. I am guessing some of their crazy stunts and award winning beers also had something to do with their success.

 

[Yob]

brew dog are a bit different to a cold start with 6 unknown folks with their hand out...

I read the brewdog release through, didn't excite me either..