The Byron Bay Brewery has been bought by beverage giant Lion, who are very conscious of fitting into their new space.
As was widely reported in late April, brewing giant Lion have purchased the Byron Bay Brewery. Wholly owned by Japanese company Kirin Holdings, Lion are responsible for the likes of well-known brands XXXX and Tooheys. In recent years, however, the company has successfully branched out into craft beer, amply evidenced by their effective running of, among others, Little Creatures and James Squire, two of Australia’s biggest craft-beer brands.
Their acquisition of the Byron Bay Brewing Company will take their craft brew tally to six; the fact it’s based in one of the most sought-after locations in the country is not lost on the multinational.
‘If you look at Australia, Byron Bay has got to be in the top three “must do” locations, so for us to have an asset in that space and be able to [be a part] of the tranquillity and the amazing location, it’s really good,’ says Will Wood, Lion’s business development manager for hospitality.
As Wood goes on to explain, Barry Schadel, the former owner of the brewery, was looking to retire and approached Lion regarding a sale. An agreement was reached and so now Lion do have a foothold in Byron Bay, something Wood is quick to acknowledge comes with a responsibility.
‘We do have great history with Geelong and Fremantle (where Little Creatures is brewed), the communities benefitting from our investments,’ he says. ‘[It’s very important for us] to reach out into the community and ask, “How can we help you?” We’re a successful business, and we want our community to be successful, so we purchase locals where possible, we recruit locally, and we look to engage community groups to see how we can, through our success, help showcase their success as well.’
How Lion will look to do this remains to be seen. The company in the immediate term is conducting a full refurbishment of the brewery and restaurant, which is currently closed until September. Plans include a move away from counter service to table service, while the focus on the beer itself will still be strong. ‘We’re very much [about] brewery-led hospitality spaces,’ Wood confirms. ‘So when customers come in, they get a very strong sense of who we are from our beer.’
The Byron Bay Brewing Company has won a slew of awards over the years, and so stands as a feather in Lion’s cap, and not just because of the location. All that remains is for Lion to properly transition into Byron Bay itself. Meanwhile, Pighouse Flicks and The Buddha Gardens Day Spa are still open. 
A ‘brewery-led hospitality space’ might look something like this interior at White Rabbit.
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