By JESSE GRAHAM
HEALESVILLE’S White Rabbit Brewery will be closed next year and relocated to Geelong, with the head company handing down its decision this morning.
Owning company, Lion, announced this morning (Wednesday 12 November) that it had made the decision to close down the Healesville site, following a review of its operations.
Lion spokeswoman Elise Gare said the brewery would be closed at the end of May 2015, and that redundancies would be expected as part of the closure.
“Our people are our number-one priority and we will be working with them to provide all the necessary support during this period of transition,” she said.
The Mail reported in September that the company was reviewing the Healesville brewery, and rumours were circulating at the time that the brewery would be closed.
Ms Gare said that a dedicated White Rabbit Brewery would be established in Geelong, where many of the company’s craft beers are located.
“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.”
The Healesville brewery has been well-loved by community members in recent years, with large turnouts for events, including for the Save Healesville Hospital Action Group’s (SHHAG) fundraiser in August, which raised $10,000 for the community group.
Staff at the brewery declined to comment on the announcement.
For the full story, see next week’s Mail.
