It takes a village

Launching a business amid a global pandemic is no mean feat, but a shift towards supporting local set White Bay Beer Co up for success.

An idea hatched by beer biz professionals, friends, and peninsula locals back in 2019 came into fruition in April 2020 when White Bay Beer Co opened its doors, and the peninsula got its first craft brewery. Adam TrippeSmith, co-founder explains, “We opened at a crazy time. Sydney had just gone into lockdown and pubs were a no go, so we put most of our beer into cans and hoped locals would support us.” Excited to try the new local brew, residents turned out in force, buying every last can available.

Once lockdown lifted, the beer started flowing at local pubs and restaurants as well, and it wasn’t long before White Bay Beer Co established itself as one of Sydney’s top quality breweries. Testament to the fantastic new brew, it’s now stocked in pubs and bottle shops across NSW and ACT.

The long-term plan was always to transform the 1,400-square-metre former steel mill into a brewery and tap room. In June this year it opened with 14 taps dedicated to pouring quality beers. White Bay Beer Co’s much loved core range is served alongside limited releases, giving the brewers a chance to flex their creativity. The impressive space lets customers sample the goods brewed just a few metres away. A kitchen and pizza oven are yet to come and when the tap room is fully up and running it’ll be available for private functions of up to 100 people.

Adam says, “We knew locals loved our beer, but we were overwhelmed by the support for the tap room. The weekends were buzzing with couples, families, kids and dogs all enjoying this great space.” But the buzz was short lived as another lockdown hit Sydney and the team had to revert to takeaway only. “Of course it’s disappointing but what can you do? This time around we’ve got a bigger offering and our mix and match crowlers have been really popular as has our free local delivery.”

The team behind White Bay Beer Co never doubted their ability to bring their dream to life, however, the past two years have taught them that without community support, they would be nowhere. Adam says, “From the beer nerds religiously buying our limited releases and locals stocking up on Sunny and Lager during lockdown to the pubs and restaurants pouring our beer, every single person has contributed to our success.”

WHITE BAY BEER CO 26C Mansfield St, Rozelle whitebay.beer hello@whitebay.beer

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