SOUTH COAST SUSTAINABLE SUCCESS STORY BRINGING BREWS TO SYDNEY & CANBERRA

Three years ago, Jervis Bay Brewing Co. was a brown tin shed, concrete floors soaked in grease from decades as a mechanic workshop, literally surrounded by the worst bushfires in living memory. As the ash rained down on the 4 mates who dreamed up a sustainable brewery on the shores of Jervis Bay, they found themselves wondering if this crazy little venture was actually going to work.

Cut to: three years, one global pandemic, over 30 national and international beer awards, and a quarter of a million litres of beer later, and the dream has become a reality; and a massive sustainable success story for the tiny rural town of Huskisson.

With a population of just 786 residents, this small “Husky” business has expanded to employ over 27 staff, and is still growing. The magnitude of this growth for the township, and the flow-on effect of the emerging local craft beer industry, cannot be underestimated. Boosted by the NSW Government’s Jobs Creation Fund in 2021, they have been able to expand their operations from the little tin shed, to a massive production brewery next door, increasing their output 5-fold in just 12 months.

Head Brewer Dr Oísin Sweeney couldn’t be happier with the journey so far. “We’re really proud that our beer has been recognised with so many awards, but the highlight for all the founders is how much our local community has embraced the brewery and what we can give back to this amazing place.”

This rapid growth has JBBCo set to expand their stockists outside of the South Coast where they’re already a local favourite, into the Sydney and Canberra markets this summer, bringing a taste of their beautiful bay to a much wider audience in 2023.

A big component of their expansion will involve innovations in sustainable brewing. The construction of a floating wetland on-site to purify and recycle wastewater, solar power and hot water systems meeting all of their energy needs, and the upcoming commercial trial of switcH2’s wastewater-to-hydrogen conversion technology for use as fuel are just a few of the ways that Jervis Bay Brewing Co. is proving that sustainability is a commercially viable value for small businesses in rural NSW.