The Brisbane suburb of Wynnum is set to welcome two craft breweries.

Hudson Brewing Pty Ltd and Lightbrim Pty Ltd have both submitted and progressed planning applications with Brisbane City Council.

Lightbrim Pty Ltd is planning to convert the former Lawson Seafood Market at 18 Fox Street into a microbrewery and restaurant.

The application for Lightbrim’s site was first submitted in December 2017. Civil engineering firm Rienmac Pty Ltd has been instructed to spearhead the development, which consists of the market buildings and car park, totalling 2,196 square metres.

The project will see the refurbishment of existing buildings into a seafood restaurant and craft brewery.

According to plans, the new site will have up to 12 staff at any one time, and an average capacity of between 100 and 300 people is expected.

The project is the brainchild of Mark Lawson, who has been involved in the beer distribution industry for more than a decade.

“I always had a plan to set up my own brewery, but because I was distributing all these other beers and didn’t want to compete, I never did it,” Lawson said.

He said that the new site is very much a family affair, as well as a labour of love. The site has been owned by the family for several years, though it has been in disuse for the past eight years.

“We’re somewhat recreating that 1940s seafood market, where boats would come from the bay and deliver fresh seafood, but with a very new twist.

“It’s a difficult site because its on a creek, it’s not as easy as a warehouse. There’s a lot of environmental issues and we need to take our time and make sure we get it right.”

Lawson said they have big plans for events in the area, which is adjacent to Wynnum Creek.

“There’s a lot of different ideas we can bring out there and the community is looking forward to having something new. Manly tends to get a lot of the love, but this will be a great asset for the Wynnum community.”

Lawson said the decision to launch in Wynnum was because the place is close to his heart.

“I grew up there and it’s a suburb on the move – there’s a lot of redevelopment happening around the CBD, including more condensed unit construction,” he said.

“With the views across to Moreton and Straddie, it’s one of the prettiest places you’ll find, with a really tight knit community, and a changing demographic.

“If you look at where breweries are located over Brisbane, there’s always been a gap on that eastern bayside, luckily we already had this site.”

Lawson said the family has extensive experience in the hospitality industry, with three hotels in their portfolio already and a new cafe-bar acquisition on the Sunshine Coast.

“It’s a family business, and it’s about creating a legacy for my kids.

“We’ve been in Wynnum a long time so we’ll hopefully have a lot of support from local community.”

Hudson Brewing

Brisbane-based Hudson Brewing has also applied to Brisbane City Council to develop a brewery and cellar door in the suburb of Wynnum.

If applications are approved, Hudson Brewing will launch at 28 Gibbs Street, just a short walk to Wynnum train station.

Hudson Brewing, which was incorporated in February, submitted its planning application at the end of March 2019.

The initial application proposes a craft brewery, which will take up 84 per cent of the existing floor space and a smaller cellar door area.

The brewery will be an estimated 251 square metres while the cellar door will reach 41 square metres.

Current site at 28 Gibbs Street

If approved, the current unoccupied site will see a redevelopment of the front section of the existing building, which is a short walk to Wynnum Train Station.

Hudson Brewing, launched by Richard Hudson, said in its application it will produce less than 200,000 litres a year.

Kevin Stewart of Lamond Bayside Real Estate was the commercial property agent for the site which was listed under a $30,000 per year lease price.

Up to two people will be employed in brewing operations and up to four people in the cellar door operation

The brewery will operate Monday to Friday 6am-6pm, whilst the cellar door will operate 4pm-midnight Monday to Wednesday, and 2pm to midnight Cellar Door on Thursday and Friday, according to the application.

Brewery openings are presented by Spark Breweries and Distilleries.