Gold Coast business: Black Hops takes over Brisbane-based taproom Semi-Pro Brewing
A Gold Coast brewery is expanding to Brisbane and taking on the big boys of the craft beer scene.
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A GOLD Coast brewery is expanding to Brisbane and taking on the big boys of the craft beer scene.
Black Hops Brewing, founded in 2014 by Dan Norris, Eddie Oldfield and Michael “Govs” McGovern, has taken ownership of Semi-Pro Brewing’s 1000-litre facility and 100-seat taproom in East Brisbane.
Mr Norris said Black Hops had a long association with Brisbane’s craft beer scene dating back to its launch in south Brisbane six years ago.
He said his company had a close relationship with the Semi-Pro Brewing owners, including Shaun Stubley who was an investor in Black Hops and accountant for both businesses.
“I was chatting to him about their plans and he mentioned they were potentially selling and joining something bigger,” said Mr Norris, the Black Hops CEO.
“That sounded super interesting to me as we have always wanted to do something in Brisbane.”
Semi-Pro Brewing Co launched in 2015 and opened its premises three years later.
In two-and-a-half years it gained a strong reputation for its beers and was awarded first prize at the 2020 Royal Queensland Food & Wine Show.
The pub will be renamed Black Hops Brisbane from its relaunch on October 26, providing the Gold Coast operation with its first presence in Queensland’s capital, home to 80 craft breweries including giants of the scene, Newstead Brewing Co.
“We are going to leave it very much as is other than making it look like a Black Hops room and brewing our beer there,” Mr Norris said.
At 1000 litres per year, Semi-Pro’s production pales into comparison with Black Hops, which makes 2.5 million litres each year.
However, Mr Norris said the acquisition was more about securing a toehold in the city.
Black Hops’ main production facility is at Biggera Waters, a 2000sq m facility it opened in 2019 after raising $400,000 from investors in a crowdsourced funding campaign.
It also had a smaller brewery and tap room at Burleigh Heads.
Mr Norris said bottle shop sales had surged 130 per cent in the past 12 months and it was delivering to a network of 2000 across the country.
He said the company was spending $1 million buying new fermenting machines from China.
“It is business as usual for us. We are selling more into bottle shops and less into bars. Our tap rooms are very busy. The hospitality scene has picked up a lot on the Gold Coast.”
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