“We tend to check it off as soon as we go anywhere, we look for the local craft brewery and there just wasn’t a great deal of choice up this way in such a beautiful part of the world.” - Penguin Beer Co owner Scott Seymour.
Self-confessed ‘foodie’ Andrew Turner has successfully run popular Burnie café The Chapel, ultimately leading him on the path towards Communion Brewing Company. Not one to do things in half measures - the venue plays host to a 500L, three vessel brewery with six 1000L fermenters and boasts a commercial kitchen with seating for 120 - Turner ploughed ahead despite the setbacks and delays from the Covid pandemic. It was all worth it following November’s successful launch. “Up at the Chapel we make everything from scratch as much as we possibly can, that includes roasting our own beans and baking our own bread, that sort of expanded into the beer as well,” Turner said. “I’ve always been a foodie, I did all of our coffee roasting and so it [brewing] was the next sort of step.” A big focus for Turner with Communion, like Penguin Beer Co and Buttons, is remaining loyal to the locals, while he is also mindful of the environmental impact.
“There’s pride to be had in your local drop, it’s similar to restaurants, if you go to a restaurant, you don’t want to eat something there that’s been made somewhere else. You want it to be made there. “This is the same. It’s beer in Burnie, made in Burnie for people that live in Burnie. “Our taps are also five metres from the tanks. We’re not shipping beer all around the country and generating a heap of horrible environmental impact as a result.” With the region now spoilt for choice in the craft beer stakes, rather than see themselves in competition with each other, the trio firmly believe working together will only enhance the Coast as a tourist hotspot when the borders reopen.
Hospitality Review: December 2021 18
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker