New brew to knock over English

The Note is always griping about what Perth lacks, so it’s nice to crow about a new addition – a beer company.The lads behind the hotel Waterfront at Mindarie are expanding their complex with a $3.5 million redevelopment that will house a new microbrewery, as a pilot plant to a new Western Australian beer producer called Indian Ocean Brewing Company. Hospitality veteran St John Hammond is the driving force behind the development, which comes on the back of the success of Little Creatures. Apart from beer, the two companies also have interests associated with Adrian Fini represented on the share register. 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 tries to reclaim the crown as Australia’s independent brewing capital, which was lost when Matilda Bay sold to what is now Foster’s a decade or so 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. Mr Hammond said he was thrilled with the just-finalised look of the premises, designed by Graham Taylor of 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. “The demographic is very English-orientated,” he said. “We thought that was a captive market that was used to hand-crafted beer.” Mr Hammond said the new brewing operation would be run by Sail & Anchor head brewer Deo Lule, using a state-of-the-art microbrewery shipped from Vancouver, Canada.