The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre has been crowned Brewpub of the Year, at the 2025 Beer & Brewer Awards, a recognition that cements the Marrickville venue as one of the country’s most distinctive and authentic expressions of modern Australian beer culture.
Opened in 2022 by the team behind Hawke’s Brewing Co., the Beer & Leisure Centre was conceived as a living tribute to the late Prime Minister Bob Hawke’s enduring legacy of mateship, good humour and community spirit.
In the three years since opening, this is the second time the venue has taken home this award, with Co-Founder of Hawke’s Brewing Co. Nathan Lennon explaining that being recognised once again by industry peers is truly an honour.
“It honestly means even more than the first win, as we’re not leveraging the honeymoon period anymore. It’s a sign we’re doing something right, consistently. Especially in the eyes of our peers, who understand how tough hospitality can be. But above all of that, it’s a testament to our team right across the business, who work so hard and with so much passion to bring a little leisure to our guests every day,” he told Beer & Brewer.
The venue combines a working brewery with a retro-styled pub, Chinese-Australian bistro and memorabilia-filled leisure hall, which all combine to create a nostalgic yet sharply executed take on the classic suburban social club.
From the award-winning Hawke’s range, brewed onsite under head brewer Justin Fox, to the Lucky Prawn bistro’s homage to 1980s Chinese-Australian dining, the Beer & Leisure Centre has created a distinctive experience that resonates across generations.
Lennon says that the secret to having a successful brewpub is creating true to brand experiences with the help of a team that understand a shared vision for great hospitality.
“For us, it’s always been about delivering an experience that connects guests to the core feeling behind the brand, through a space that feels like home in the way only us Australians know. The next step is ensuring our team understands how meaningful that can be for our guests. That gives us the motivation to care hard about the product we deliver, whether it’s the beer we brew, the food we cook, or the service we bring.”
He added that it is also important to balance a great product with great hospitality to ensure a memorable experience.
“It’s easy to compartmentalise product and hospitality, but to us, they’re part of the same story. Our ideal guest experience is one where they don’t think too hard about the various components at the time and just soak it all in.
“Perhaps later, if we’ve done our job, they might reflect on the beer, the prawn toast, the random conversation they had with one of our team, and feel compelled to share it with a mate, which is the ultimate review moment for us,” said Lennon.
This award also acknowledges the centre’s success in creating a genuinely inclusive and sustainable hospitality model. The venue channels a portion of its profits to Landcare Australia, continuing Hawke’s long-standing environmental advocacy, while maintaining an atmosphere that encourages community connection.
Since its opening, the Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre has become a destination for both beer enthusiasts and locals seeking a relaxed, character-rich space. It reflects a broader movement within the craft beer industry toward venues that balance quality and authenticity with an unmistakably Australian identity.
