This week we have a slightly different conversation as we meet Tim Maxwell and Alastair Gillespie from the Lord Howe Island Brewery.

The brewery was announced in 2020, when I spoke with then Lion Managing Director James Brindley who, together with Chuck Hahn, told how Lion was working with the Maxwell family to build a brewery on the island. That caused a bit of a kerfuffle on the Island, as many locals – including the competing Lord Howe Island Brewing Company – were unaware of Lion’s involvement.

It turned out that due to their enthusiasm for the project, I probably put too much emphasis on Lion’s involvement in the project. In any event, with the brewery now open Lion’s changing strategy, which has seen it close or rebrand its smaller craft breweries, leaves the multinational’s involvement in the brewery uncertain…despite that, there is now a brewery on Lord Howe Island and I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to visit it.

I recorded this interview with Tim and Alastair on the island and in it we hear the background to how Lion was involved and where that stands now. More importantly, we talk about the very unique challenges of building a brewery on a very small, world heritage listed island as part of a very small and tight knit community.

It’s an interesting conversation that is as much about sustainability and community as it is about beer, and I hope you enjoy it.

This episode of Beer is a Conversation is presented by HPA. Australia’s leading hop grower offers a huge range of Aussie, international and innovative hop products that can help breweries of all sizes become more efficient, more sustainable, and more profitable. Check out their new product catalogue at www.hops.com.au/product-catalogue