After acquiring Fox Friday Brewing in May, Mountain Culture has shared plans which will see the Blue Mountains-based brewery expand its hospitality footprint nationally.
Having entered voluntary administration in April this year, Mountain Culture acquired Fox Friday Brewing and its associated assets – including taprooms in Hobart, Melbourne and Perth, the award-winning Carwyn Cellars and the Moonah Hotel & Cellars in Hobart.
Mountain Culture has now announced that it will rebrand the two Fox Friday venues in Melbourne and Hobart and take over brewing operations for both sites. Fox Friday Richmond Brewpub will be rebranded as Mountain Culture Melbourne, while Fox Friday Hobart Taproom will transition to Mountain Culture Hobart.
The transition is expected to happen in July, and until then, both venues will continue to operate as Fox Friday branded venues while Mountain Culture makes its way onto taps and into fridges.
The brewery intends to retain the majority of staff across both sites, with the takeover of the two venues and breweries allowing Mountain Culture to better service existing and growing demand for its beers in both states. The two sites will also allow for local customer collaborations and unique limited releases.
DJ McCready, CEO and Co-founder of Mountain Culture, describes the deal as a bold move.
“We started as a humble brewpub in Katoomba and it’s never lost on us that the fans we first met there are what built this brand into what it is today. Buying Fox Friday’s assets gives us a chance to create new fans and most importantly, new local communities. Connecting with them in the most authentic way possible… in person, at our pub.
“Melbourne is quickly catching up to Sydney as our biggest city. We already have a big team down there and capitalising on that with an incredible venue in Richmond just made sense. We now have the chance to build a really special authentic community around this pub and create personal relationships with our drinkers there. Of course we can’t wait to get everyone in there, open the roof and throw a big ol’ Mountain Culture party.”
Also in Hobart, Mountain Culture intends to continue operating the Moonah Hotel & Cellars as it is.
“Harriet and I both love Tassie,” says McCready. “In some ways it has similarities to the Blue Mountains and I can’t wait to take my bike down there and get to know the locals. Everyone has been so welcoming since the announcement and again we’ll be looking to work with all the locals to build something special that they can be proud of.
“Look out for lots of exciting local collaborations and events to come, including our first year as the official beer of Red Bull Hardline.”
In November last year, Mountain Culture celebrated the opening of Mountain Culture Redfern – the group’s first inner-city venue, with the three new venues indicating the brewery’s interest in further expanding its hospitality portfolio.
Changing hands
While Mountain Culture welcomes three new venues into its growing hospitality footprint, the brewery has already sold Thornbury-based bar and bottle shop Carwyn Cellars back to its founders, Ben and Nicole Carwyn.
Ben and Nicole sold the business in 2023, with the collapse of Fox Friday leading Carwyn Cellars to change hands twice in just two years. Ben told Beer & Brewer he is incredibly proud of the business and looks forward to rebuilding relationships with suppliers and customers.
“This wouldn’t have been possible without the support of DJ from Mountain Culture,” Ben stated.
“The relationship between Carwyn Cellars and Mountain Culture has been strong from the start, and we will be forever grateful that DJ, and the team at McGrath Nicol have been so open to us taking Carwyn Cellars back. Looking forward to many collaboration beers in the future!”
Finally, Mountain Culture has also made the decision to on-sell the Fox Friday Perth Brewpub to an independent West Australian brewery, which McCready describes as a positive move for both independent businesses and the craft industry as a whole.
“Right from the start, it was important to us that we did what’s right for the craft beer community in each location. Ultimately that meant on-selling two of the assets to independent businesses we greatly admire,” he explained.
“There is no one better to usher in the next era of Carwyn Cellars than the people with their name on the door, and while we can’t confirm the news for Perth just yet, we know this will be a great move for fans of craft beer out west.”