Brisbane craft beers hop to Hong Kong

Beer lovers in Hong Kong will soon be able to quench their thirst with some of Queensland’s stand-out craft brews.

Brisbane’s Newstead Brewing Co has just secured its first export order with 9 different brews – 4 from their popular core range and 5 special limited release beers being shipped to Hong Kong.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the export deal followed Newstead Brewing Co attending the major food and beverage exhibition HOFEX 2019, as part of Trade and Investment Queensland’s Taste of Queensland trade mission.

“Exporting is a great step forward for the Newstead Brewing Co as they have already done the hard yards in ensuring their beers are world class, well marketed and of course taste great.

“It’s a big ‘cheers’ to the company and the 45 staff which have achieved so much in just eight short years since it was established in Doggett Street, Newstead.

“Now they’re tasting export success, I’m sure this is just the beginning for the brewer.

“As more consumers experience Newstead’s well-crafted beers, demand is certain to grow,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

Treasurer and Minister for Investment Cameron Dick said the shipment to Hong Kong was a testament to the tenacity of a business like Newstead throughout the pandemic.

“Time and time again, we’ve seen the resilience and ingenuity of Queensland businesses as conditions and markets have changed through COVID,” the Treasurer said.

“To be able to sell beer into a new market like Hong Kong is a sign of the passion and dedication of Queensland entrepreneurs to identify new opportunities and to adapt to take advantage of them.

“The Palaszczuk Government recognises the importance of backing these businesses to gain a foothold in new markets, wherever they may be.”

Newstead Brewing Chair and Co-founder Peter Howes said the company was grateful for Trade and Investment Queensland’s support in securing the deal.

“Working with Trade and Investment Queensland to participate in HOFEX, gave us an early chance to talk to local distributors and clients in Hong Kong, which helped immeasurably in gaining this deal,” he said.

“Growing an export market is far more than just the revenue – it’s showing how competitive you can be in a global marketplace.

“We see export as being a critical performance indicator of how well we’re running Newstead Brewing.

“We think this export breakthrough is just the beginning of what will become important part of our business over the next two to five years.”

Newstead’s beers are scheduled to arrive in Hong Kong in the week commencing 15 February.

The export deal is further proof of the success of the Queensland Craft Brewing Strategy launched in 2018. It aims to foster and grow the sector by investing in people and infrastructure; improving market access and having appropriate regulation and planning in place for brewers to operate.

Newstead Brewing Co is not the only company to benefit from participation in HOFEX with Gotzinger Smallgoods, of the Gold Coast, sending its first shipment of German sausages to Hong Kong last August.

Media contact:  Geoff Breusch       0417 272 875