AUSTRALIA. Melbourne Airport is to get its own branch of award-winning craft beer pub The Local Taphouse, with 60 beer varieties on the pumps as well as local wines, spirits and seltzers.
The welcoming new venue will open in October in the Qantas domestic terminal, championing local producers and aiming to replicate the fun, community atmosphere of its original St.Kilda East outpost.
The new venue is the second partnership between Stomping Ground Brewing Co and leading hospitality and entertainment company Delaware North. The pair’s first venue, the Stomping Ground Brewery & Beer Hall in Melbourne Airport Terminal 3, opened in February 2020, becoming the first working brewery in any airport in the southern hemisphere.
It quickly became one of the most popular spots at the airport and was a winner at the 2023 Melbourne Airport Excellence Awards.
The Local Taphouse will focus primarily on championing Melbourne and Victorian breweries and will serve seasonal “pub food done right” in its wooden-clad venue with capacity for up to 200 guests.
A takeaway fridge will also allow flyers to grab craft beers-to-go, ensuring a refreshing onwards journey, or an original souvenir.
“Celebrating a diversity of beers from incredible breweries has always been important to us, so we’re so excited that we will soon be able to share our love of outstanding local craft beer with so many at the gateway to our home city,” said Stomping Ground Director of Hospitality Justin Joiner.
Delaware North Managing Director Gary Brown added, “We’re thrilled to be collaborating with the Taphouse/Stomping Ground team again and know that together we’re going to deliver another exceptional hospitality experience, this time in bringing the best of Melbourne to the Qantas terminal at Melbourne Airport.”
Founded by Steve Jeffares and Guy Greenstone, and originally managed by Justin Joiner, The Local Taphouse brand has become synonymous with a fun night out, not least thanks to its Ale Stars club nights that combine tastings with pub quizzes.
Its hugely successful annual beer festivals now attract more than 50,000 fans from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, New Zealand and even worldwide. Meanwhile the brand’s influential GABS Hottest 100 Craft Beers poll that started as a bit of fun for staff is now one of the most hotly contested titles in Australasia. ✈︎
FAB EZINE SET TO RETURNThe Moodie Davitt Report is delighted to announce the return of the FAB eZine, a standalone digital magazine dedicated to airport and other travel-related food & beverage views, news, trends, tastes, people, product and principles. Initially quarterly, beginning in Q4 2023, The FAB eZine will devote year-round coverage to the burgeoning airport food & beverage sector, including broader hospitality services such as hotels and lounges.  The FAB eZine will complement the annual Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards and our already extensive F&B and hospitality coverage on The Moodie Davitt Report.com and in The FAB Newsletter.  Elişa Roche has been appointed Editor-in-Chief, bringing a rare combination of culinary and journalistic excellence and experience to the role. Elişa trained as a chef as part of ‘Jamie’s Kitchen’, a British TV show watched by millions and fronted by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. She went on to work as Chef de Partie at some of London’s top Michelin-starred kitchens, e.g. Fino (now Barrafina), The Ivy and Bambou. Cooking later turned to food writing and presenting, most recently as overseeing editorial partnerships at Food Matters Live. Elişa was also Host and Producer of award-winning B2B podcast ‘Career Conversations’, encouraging young people into the food & drinks industry. *For editorial enquiries please contact Elişa Roche at Elisa@MoodieDavittReport.com. For advertising please reach out to Martin Moodie at Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com |
