Front Bar Podcast - EP8: Richard Watkins

Kaiju from Victoria are known for their Kaiju Krush, also Golden Axe cider and some of the best can designs going around. Callum let us know how business is going during COVID and plans for after the lockdown

Behind the brewery who made global headlines for their Dump the Trump beer, Andrew Childs who calls himself the owner, brewer, and beer giraffe of Behemoth Brewing Company. He is about to launch NZ's first brewery & butcher serving nose to tail food with their award winning beer.

Behind the famous craft beer spot in Newtown, The Union Hotel, Luke Hiscox and his family have been part of pub history in New South Wales.

Jason Crawley has been involved in the Sydney bar scene for years. With his Simple Syrup company, creative agency or his bar Fortunate Son in Newtown he has done it all with some of the best banter in the game. With experience at the heart of customer service Jason has been a big part of raising the bar in Sydney hospitality and he stopped by for a chat.

Jason Keays has a long history in hospitality. He has settled in South Gippsland and started The Fish Creek Farm. He shares his journey and what it takes to produce great produce in country Victoria. 

Richard Watkins is the co-founder of BentSpoke Brewing from the ACT. BentSpoke brews some of Australia's most popular craft beers and are available nation wide. They recently released one of Australia's first barrel aged beers in a can, Flemm - a Flanders Red Ale. He stopped by to tell us all about it.

After years running pubs for Australia's leading groups such as Palace Hotel Group, Redcape and Public House Management Group, Alistair Flower packed up and moved North to Port Macquarie where he has lifted the standard of hospitality with his hotels & cafes. He tells his story and how he's adapting to the current conditions. 

Marcello Colosimo is the head of Momento Hospitality and has recently launched the Help Out Hospo initiative to support hospitality workers hit by the sudden effects of venue closures in Australia. He gives us insight into his thoughts on the lockdowns and how he sees the future for hospitality in Australia. 

Mick Bain gave up the corporate hospitality world to open his own pub in Sydney. Not just any old pub - one of the first in Australia to only serve independent brews. What was a challenge in the beginning has turned into success with the Royal Albert Hotel in Surry Hill being one of the country's best craft brew pubs.

Sam left the corporate world in 2012 to establish Willie Smith’s Organic Cider, with 4th generation apple orchardist Andrew Smith, based out of the Huon Valley in Tasmania. Prior to that Sam had a corporate career spanning 15 years and 3 continents.