Joining the Australian Distillers Association and therefore also the NSW|ACT Distillers is a pivotal move for distillers in our thriving region. As we continue to craft exceptional spirits and raise our collective profile, your participation amplifies our shared success.

We strongly recommend encouraging fellow distillers in your network to join this influential community. Uniting we advocate for industry growth, regulatory reform, safety and sustainability. Your membership opens doors to a valuable network, exclusive resources, and the opportunity to actively shape the future of distilling in our region. Together, we'll achieve remarkable results.

Please share this news page with someone in your network who would like to know more.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN

The committee of NSW|ACT Distillers Association has been pursuing the goals set since our formation, here's a glimpse of what we've been up to:

Container Deposit Scheme Expansion

We are actively monitoring the expansion of the Container Deposit Scheme. As there is more information about this initiative, we will share details. In the coming weeks, we shall all receive valuable insights and answers to frequently asked questions compiled by ADA (Australian Distillers Association).

Networking and Collaboration

One of our achievements was the successful convening of a meeting with representatives from various government departments and other stakeholders interested in craft distilling in NSW. This meeting marked a significant first step in the right direction. It was an opportunity to introduce them to our vibrant community and to explore ways they can contribute and assist. We are optimistic about the follow-up from this meeting and look forward to further collaborative actions that will bring our industry even closer together.

Destination NSW wants to hear from Distilleries!

We are excited to announce a burgeoning partnership with Destination NSW. They are keen to showcase our region's craft distilleries and the unique experiences they offer. They are actively seeking content from our members to promote inbound tourism. This is a fantastic opportunity for our members to gain visibility and connect with a broader audience. If you have a distillery experience to share or if you're interested in getting involved, Get Connected is Destination NSW’s website membership program. Simple and easy to use Get Connected membership is free and is open to all tourism operators within New South Wales. This is a fantastic way to get your distillery door listed, all you need to do is follow the steps here. They also have a resource kit to check out.

And they wanted to share that they have an upcoming webinar on Wednesday 25 October 2023 at 10:30 - 11:30am, Elevate Your Culinary Experience; register here.

In this session, they will discuss how you can enrich the visitor experience by delivering world-class tour, attraction or accommodation experiences that showcase the culinary offering of your destination. Join a panel discussion with experts and discover how you can elevate your current offering through incredible local produce and telling the story of your destination.

Started in 2015 by Jesse and Griffin at the tender age of 24, Poor Toms was born kicking and screaming into the urban light-industrial chaos of Sydney's Marrickville. Since that time Marrickville has grown to become one of the premier destinations for craft alcohol in the country, with 5 distillers and 9 breweries in the suburb.

During that time Poor Toms has grown alongside it, first opening a tasting space in 2017 then obtaining a second warehouse on the same street in 2018 for blending, bottling and storage.

In 2021 Poor Toms began work on a brand new state-of-the-art facility, 5 minutes away from where they started all those years ago. The new facility will be 1000sqm, contain a 300-person capacity bar and have a restaurant onsite. Its purpose built design allows for maximum consumer engagement while also complying with all relevant safety standards.

Here's Jesse, Owner and Director of Poor Toms to talk more about the project ...

Give us an overview of the facilities

Our new site will be located behind the Factory Theatre in Marrickville, it used to be an old foundry but sat unused for years until the owners got in touch with us asking if we would be interested in the space. The development also houses Messina Gelatos and Heaps Normal Brewery new headquarters. The site will be a 1000sqm building split in two, one end production the other a 300-seater cocktail bar. We've also built a kitchen, a 'lab' to provide a space for RnD and masterclasses, and an outdoor Gin Garden.

What's involved in a project like this?

These kinds of projects are always so much bigger than you expect them to be - we had significant delays due to covid, la nina rains and raw materials availability so being flexible with planning became very important. The largest amount of work is definitely corralling the sheer amount of consultants needed for a project like this, from architects, designers, structural, electrical and fire engineers. The DA is also obviously a very important and challenging aspect, things like acoustic reports, odour reports, dangerous good reports, soil testing, environmental impact assessments etc. can all be time consuming and expensive but it's good to know that no stone is left unturned when it comes time to move.

Can you give us a rundown on the safety features

Safety was a top priority for us in the design of the new production area. Being able to build something from the ground up and design it ourselves is every distiller's dream. We've taken the lessons learnt from the previous 8 years and applied this knowledge to our build. Things like in-slab ethanol piping, and an in-slab bunded tank farm means we can operate much more safely and much more efficiently. Things such as firewalls, sprinkler systems, ethanol venting and detection systems, ex lighting and electrical fittings are also a lot more easy to incorporate into a build rather than grandfather them in.

When's the move in date?

Production and office staff will be in late this year and the bar/kitchen open to the public early next year

What's your take away from this whole experience?

Always plan for the unplanned, things will, and do come out of the blue and you have to be able to roll with the punches.

We had the privilege of asking our Committee Co-Convenor Eddie Brook from Cape Byron Distillery a few questions about himself and our industry, this is what he had to say.

Can you share a bit about your journey into the world of craft distilling?

My journey into the world of spirits began when a fresh-eyed 17 year old Eddie moved from Byron Bay to Brisbane to start University. As most uni students do, I started working in Bars and quickly fell in love with the incredible world of spirits and found my creative output in cocktails. I spent the next 5 years learning the trade and working for some great cocktail bars through Brisbane (whilst attending the odd uni course), this led me to an opportunity to become an ambassador where I would educate bartenders and customers about the incredible world of Spirits and how they are made. From Tequila to rum, Bourbon, Scotch Whisky, Gin and everything in between. Growing up in a family that farms Macadamias and regenerates rainforest, I’ve always had a strong connection to how products are made from the ground up. Cut a long story short this led me to a Sales & Marketing career with Southtrade for a number of years and then fate would have it that I met my Idol, legendary master distiller, Jim McEwan. From this meeting and work, we formed a great friendship and the idea to start Cape Byron Distillery was born. I was then lucky enough to be trained and mentored by Jim and my journey of Craft distillation began.

Do you have an anecdote or story related to your involvement in the industry, perhaps something you are very proud of?

There is no one specific memory that springs to mind, when I give it some thought, the thing I am most proud of and in awe of is the growth and development of our industry. We started our distillery in 2016, back then we were one of around 60 distilleries in Australia and very much an up-and-coming industry. To look at our industry today of 500+ distilleries with many distilleries at global scale and the breathtaking level of quality across so many spirit categories. We are so proud to be a part of this incredible industry

In your day, at your distillery, what is your go-to productivity trick?

I am forever in search of greater productivity. I will always ensure that I block out time in the calendar to get my project work done. I’m also trying to say no a lot more than I’d say yes…it’s still a work in progress. My other tip would be to find a good project management framework/software that works for you. We use Trello at the distillery to ensure all projects and departments are on track and everyone is across what needs to be done.

What is your outlook for NSW|ACT Distillers? How do you hope the group will shape the future of the industry in the region?

If I pressed fast forward and we stepped into the NSW|ACT Distillers group in 5 years time, this is what I hope it would look like. The group is a strong State-based industry body that is championing the success and growth of the Distilled spirits industry. Similar to other states, we would have achieved funding and support from State governments to support NSW/ACT distillery's Tourism/Cellar door operations, Export strategies (NSW/ACT export road map) and export development and will be the lead body to improve Safety practices working hand in hand with Safe work NSW.

Our Vision is for this group to be a driving force for the support and growth of our industry. It is brilliant to see the success of other State organisations such as Distillers South Australia, Spirits Victoria Association and the Tasmanian Whisky & Spirits Association. These groups have broken the ice and we will be working towards many of the successes that they have achieved. In order to bring this to life, we are going to need your involvement. There is a great old African proverb that I think sums up why we exist ‘If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together’. We look forward to building the NSW|ACT Distillers group into a body that will drive and support growth for our State industry

And finally Eddie, If you could only drink (when you are out at any bar) one cocktail for the rest of your life what would it be?

This is an easy choice for me, a Negroni…with Brookie’s of course!

The NSW|ACT Distillers Association is pleased to announce the formation of three subcommittees which will be filled by board members and members alike. The committees will each have specific goals and priorities to further The Associations objectives. They will report to the board on a monthly basis.

The three committees initially will be:

Safety:

Priorities will be to liaise with SafeWork NSW to create an open an mutually beneficial dialogue assisting in helping NSW|ACT Distilleries to know their obligations and become compliant to relevant safety standards in a way which doesn’t financially or operationally cripple them.

Organise seminars for members to educate on responsibilities around safety, changes to relevant standards and sharing of tips, ideas, consultants and everything safety related.

Tourism:

Dedicated to enhancing the visitor economy by promoting our local artisan distillers and their products. Through lobbying for state and territory government support and funding, we seek to raise awareness and create more opportunities for distillers in the region.

Export:

On a mission to champion the premium quality products produced by our distillers on the global stage. With a focus on direct lobbying and government support, our goal is to secure funding for marketing initiatives, trade missions, grants & build a blueprint for NSW|ACT Distillers export strategy. This subcommittee will build a pathway to success for NSW|ACT Distillers looking to export.

October marks Mental Health Month, shining a light on the importance of good mental health and encouraging help-seeking. This year's theme is 'we all have a role to play' which serves as a reminder that whether you're an employee, manager, or employer you can help contribute to a happy and healthy workplace.

While awareness days and months are valuable for highlighting key issues and themes, we encourage you to champion mental health in your workplace all year round.

Training is an effective way that you can build better mental health at work. To learn more about Black Dog's range of skill-building mental health training programs, you can download their workplace brochure or schedule a time to talk with one of their Workplace Engagement Managers about training options.

ACCESS FREE MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING.

Black Dog Institute has received further funding from the NSW Government to continue to deliver Mental Health at Work training programs. Proudly delivering the programs since 2019, over 38,000 individuals have completed the free training, resulting in a 35% increase in knowledge about workplace mental health issues.

Tailored for employees, managers, and leaders, these programs provide individuals with practical skills to protect mental health, respond to mental ill-health, and promote wellbeing in the workplace.

Training is free to privately owned NSW businesses with less than 200 employees and not-for-profit organisations of any size.

Learn more and book training

ACCESS THE ADA MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

If you’re an eligible e-commerce business looking to expand into new international markets, Investment NSW is here to help. Register your interest to receive a free ‘Digital Health Check’ that will help you enhance your e-commerce capability to export your products or services to international markets.

The Digital Health Check will help you assess and improve your business’ digital strategy including the overall effectiveness of your website, Search Engine Optimisation, use of analytics, cyber security and international sales channels. Limited places are available and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

How the Digital Health Check works

Investment NSW has partnered with a digital specialist to provide the free check-ups.

Registrations close on 24 September 2023. There is no cost to participate.

Register for e-commerce export support

An update from the recent webinar from the Night Time Industries Association, with 24 Hour Economy Commissioner Mike Rodrigues.

We’ve distilled the key take outs from our Uptown Program Webinar with 24 Hour Economy Commissioner Mike Rodrigues and Programs Director Victoria Moxey.

If you missed the session these take outs below are the must know facts from the webinar.

Applications for round two of the Uptown Accelerator Program are now open until 20 July 2023. You can apply here.

If you are considering a new precinct you can see the existing precincts which have been funded under round one of the Uptown Program here.

The NTIA is offering a support service for existing precincts to assist with administration, governance and measurement. To find out more contact the NTIA.

As always, please reach out to me if you have any questions or comments.

Until next time,

Mick

WHAT IS THE UPTOWN ACCELERATOR?

The Uptown Accelerator program is about attracting and encouraging collectives of businesses to come together under a unified vision, to promote their local offering and their local area with those great and distinct stories.

The Accelerator Program provides the resources, the skills and networks to enable those businesses to develop districts into going out destinations. The Accelerator Programme is a free eight week capacity building programme for businesses. It covers a few different modules of skills that have been identified as essential to accelerate precinct development.

WHAT IS COVERED IN THE UPTOWN ACCELERATOR PROGRAM?

Accelerator Program Modules include developing a vision for the district, understanding branding of place, learning how to work with sponsors and partners as a collective and as a district, understanding governance structure for the district and its members and then of course upskilling on skills like pitching, digital marketing and grant writing in order to access all of those opportunities that might be there across different levels of government.

Each module is delivered by a specific leading expert in their field.

Two modules are presented online while the rest are in person. There's two different locations that are offered for each one of those modules. One is in Parramatta and one is in Sydney, CBD.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE UPTOWN ACCELERATOR?

The Uptown Accelerator Program finishes in a ‘District Showcase’. This is an event that will take place on the 24th of October this year. It brings together an audience of corporate brands, event organisers, government agencies, local councils and creative leaders from the night time economy. We invite all of the team members that have participated in the Accelerator to pitch their district with a two-minute pitch to the audience. This is an opportunity to broaden and expand the networks for each district. Last year, there were 23 districts pitching on the district showcase night to 240 attendees. That night created more than 300 new connections for districts.

WHAT IS REQUIRED TO APPLY?

Every application needs to be a team application, not a business application. Each application needs a minimum of three businesses coming together as a district team in order to apply. The application form is a series of very simple questions. The program is looking to see teams coming together representing various sectors within that district with a clear understanding of the geographic boundaries of the district. We are looking for an identifier cluster of going out experiences that is defined then as a district. Ideally an application will include the long-term vision and a commitment to developing that district and understanding the future potential available.

A precinct is a geographically distinct area like a high street or block of streets that has a unique identity and diverse cultural and entertainment offerings across multiple venues within a short walking distance.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD PRECINCT?

Districts need good leadership. That tends to be people that understand that there is a time and cost approach to it. But ultimately the benefits of working together as a collective outweigh the time and effort spent. The program speaks to those people who are very proud about their city and want to see areas thrive. That's the type of collaborators, the leads that will get in and bring others along that journey.

It's not for the Government to describe what precincts should be, it's really up to each area to say, "Hey, we're from Bondi, the way that we think about our area is this. This is what works for the community and what works for us." If there's enough people who are behind that, then the impact can be felt. That gives rise to those different stories and different characters of Sydney that we know are there, but it isn't necessarily broadly communicated.

I HAVE A PRECINCT IDEA, HOW CAN I BUILD MY PRECINCT TEAM?

Nothing beats just going out around your area and speaking to people. A second option is working with your local council. There are councils in different areas at different stages of their night time economy journey who often have business engagement teams.

The Night Time Industries Association can also help new and existing precincts along their precinct journey. For existing precincts the NTIA is offering an administration and governance service.

WHAT ABOUT NEON MARKETPLACE?

The Neon Marketplace is an online B2B platform. It’s an opportunity to showcase all of the Uptown Programme graduates online in order to connect these districts to opportunities. Any stakeholders wanting to connect to districts can do it very easily online through this soon-to-be-launched platform. We are expecting to launch the MVP for the Neon Marketplace at the district showcase on the 24th of October.

Applications are now open for the NSW Small Business Month October 2023 competitive grants program!

The NSW Small Business Month 2023 program has been designed to support small businesses in tackling their current challenges and to prepare for the future. From financial health to mental well-being, upskilling staff to selling online – this year’s events will cover seven different subcategories, focused around the theme ‘My Small Business’.

The NSW Government is offering grants to eligible organisations to deliver events during NSW Small Business Month October 2023. Events must align to the program theme and benefit the small business community. This is a competitive grants program with a total funding pool of $600,000.

The funding amounts available are:

All grant applications must be submitted through the SmartyGrants system by 9:00am on the 1st of August 2023.

Apply now

NSW distilleries can grow tourism revenue by developing bookable experiences, selling them online or targeting international visitors, are welcome to reach out to Destination NSW for advice and assistance.

Destination NSW delivers the NSW First Program to assist visitor economy businesses to develop, promote and sell world-class experiences. It includes workshops, webinars, resources and training programs. Recent content includes tips for becoming more sustainable, accessible and inclusive, and for targeting LGBTQIA+ travellers and cruise visitors.

Marketing, digital and PR Assistance

Destination NSW has a number of marketing channels that NSW distilleries can leverage. These include:

Insights industry newsletter

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