Perth is set to have a new brewing company, with property developer Adrian Fini a key player in the Mindarie development of a micro-brewery pilot plant for the new Indian Ocean Brewing Company led by hospitality veteran St John Hammond.
Mr Fini is a seed investor along with Mr Hammond and some of his partners in the Waterfront at Mindarie where they plan to launch the new label in an expansion of the seaside complex.
The $3.5 million redevelopment will house a new Canadian-built microbrewery to by run by Sail & Anchor head brewer Deo Lule.
Mr Hammond is the driving force behind the development which comes on the back of the success of Fremantle-based Little Creatures which has won international acclaim and recently listed on the Australian Stock Exchange as Little World Beverages. Mr Fini was one of several high-profile early investors in Little Creatures.
"We want to establish and develop a brand we hope to develop further and build a bigger brewery," Mr Hammond said.
Aside from Little Creatures, which listed on the stock market recently, the newcomer will also have to contend with recent start-up Gage Roads as Perth reclaims the crown as Australia's independent brewing capital which was lost when Matilda Bay sold to what is now Fosters more than a decade ago.
Mr Hammond said construction had already started with an Easter opening anticipated for the new boardwalk level additions to the Mindarie seaside complex, including a 250-seat restaurant (run by an as yet unnamed but notable young chef from Melbourne) and a courtyard with cinema licensed for 400 people under the Indian Ocean Brewhouse and Grill banner - already affectionately dubbed the Indi by its developers.
He said he was thrilled with just-finalised look of the premises with Graham Taylor, from architecture and interior design firm Taylor Robinson, who worked on the Brisbane Hotel redevelopment.
Mr Hammond said the population mix of the northern beachside suburbs had helped formulate the development plans.
"The demographic is very English-orientated," he said.
"We thought that was a captive market that was used to hand-crafted beer."
