After more than three years, Bathurst's historic Crago Mill site is poised to welcome a brewery back as a tenant; a brewery that has already garnered plenty of exposure across the country.
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Reckless Brewing, the brainchild of head brewer Grace Fowler and co-owners Jarrod Moore and Alice Wilson, is in the process of negotiating a lease for the site's downstairs commercial space, with a goal to be up and running by September.
After spending the last two and a half years on contracts to brew their beer at larger Sydney brewers, Ms Fowler and Mr Moore, who live together in Oberon, said they have long desired to find a more permanent home for the Reckless brand.
"We already have the brand and exposure, as we're in over a hundred places across Australia; we just needed a place to call home," Mr Moore said.
"It's a beautiful venue, and we don't foresee too many issues with this brewery bringing people to the venue; people love their beer and there's no brewery with a physical site in Bathurst, we're pretty confident this will be a successful venture," Ms Fowler added.
Once operational, Mr Moore said the brewery will look to produce around half a million litres of beer per year.
"We've got some ideas for a good decade of growth at this venue, and by the five-year mark, our aim is to have a workforce of around 50 in numerous roles," he said.
"We're looking at helping transition Crago Mill into a premier craft beer hub in the Central West, but we'll also be open to other products and events, such as festivals."
Ms Fowler, who has seven years experience as a brewer across a number of Sydney breweries, said she's confident the Bathurst community will embrace the Reckless brand with open arms.
"We wanted a brewery somewhere with a bit of character and is closely connected to the community, and Crago Mill ticks all the boxes," she said.
With council to have the final say on the business' approval, Crago Mill project manager Bernard Vance is hopeful the venue's existing fitout for the purpose of brewing will streamline the process.
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