By JESSE GRAHAM
WHITE Rabbit Brewery will be hopping off to greener pastures, with its parent company announcing the iconic Healesville venue will close down next year.
Owning company, Lion, announced early on Wednesday 12 November that it had made the decision to close down the Healesville brewery, following a review of its operations through the year.
The brewery will close at the end of May 2015 and be relocated to Geelong, where the many of Lion’s other craft beer breweries are located, as a dedicated brewery.
The Mail reported in September that the company was reviewing the brewery’s operations, with the potential for a move flagged and rumours circulating that staff would get the bad news in October.
Lion spokeswoman, Elise Gare, said the decision stemmed from a “restricted” ability to expand at the current site.
“White Rabbit is an essential part of our craft portfolio and it is becoming increasingly popular with lovers of great craft beer,” she said.
“Unfortunately, our ability to expand our brewing capability to meet the growing demand is restricted at the Healesville site, so we have decided to move White Rabbit to our Geelong Brewery, where we will be better able to meet demand.”
Ms Gare said that redundancies would be expected as part of the closure, and that the company would be working with staff to provide support during the transition period.
Healesville Chamber of Commerce President, Graham Taylor, said the decision was disappointing both for the staff, for the town and for tourists.
“We’re extremely disappointed in the decision to relocate to Geelong ,” he said.
“White Rabbit has become an iconic institution at the east end and as a business trading centre in Healesville.”
“Our first and foremost consideration is for the staff – White Rabbit has always been known for their excellent service and great promotion of tourism and business in the region.
“It’ll be a shame to see them go.”
Mr Taylor said that many chamber members were shocked by the decision to relocate, though he noted that the closure had been expected, following the Mail’s report in September.
White Rabbit brewery opened in 2009, and has since grown in popularity, with tourists and residents often filling every seat in the venue on weekends and sunny days.
Events held at the brewery, including the Save Healesville Hospital Action Group (SHHAG) fundraiser in August, have often filled to capacity in minutes, and the venue became a meeting place for many in the town.
Mr Taylor said the brewery had completed a dining precinct in its area, with Innocent Bystander and Beechworth Bakery adjacent.
The official White Rabbit Brewery Facebook page posted on Thursday 13 November that the move came as a result of growth that exceeded expectations in the last five years.
“In order to support the future growth of our unique White Rabbit range, we need to give it the space and investment it demands to flourish and so after many challenging reviews we reached the critical decision to re-locate to a larger premises,” the post read.
Staff at White Rabbit Brewery were contacted in regards to the announcement, but declined to comment.
