The Valley Brewhouse | Crafting the Hunter Valley's Beer Scene
If craft beer and good times are what you’re after during your stay in the Hunter Valley, the Valley Brewhouse should be at the top of your must-see list of destinations.
Home to the region’s original craft brewery and located at the site of the heritage-listed brickworks at Nulkaba, it offers award-winning craft beers and tasting experiences, delicious food and live entertainment in a spacious family-friendly venue with a large beer garden and enormous kids playground.
You know you’ve arrived at the Valley Brewhouse when you spy the distinctive heritage-listed beehive-shaped red brick kilns out the front. These are the kilns that were used to make clay bricks, roofing tiles and sewage pipes required by the region for the best part of a century. The 10-acre site was originally chosen in 1880 for its rich clay deposits in the soil, which were considered ideal for making bricks. At one point, it was the largest employer in the region outside the mines, and during the Second World War, it was deemed an essential service for the war effort.
It was in 1989 that the property was converted to a tavern, and the accommodation was added in 2002 for visitors to Hunter Valley wine country wanting to extend their time here. Ironically, just as the local mainstream breweries were closing down in Cardiff in the 80s, what would become the region’s first craft brewery was enjoying the first phase of its development as a tavern. But it wouldn’t be until 2003 that the brewery would be built, and the founding Head Brewer, Luke Scott started brewing craft beer under the name of the Hunter Beer Company. Current Head Brewer Keith Grice was employed by Scott in 2006, taking over as Head Brewer when Scott left in 2007.
“When we started out here, there were around 50 breweries in Australia,” said Keith.
“Now, even in this economic climate, there are around 700. Blue Tongue came along just after us, but we were the original craft brewery in the region after all the mainstream closures in the 80s.”
Grice has a well-earned reputation in the industry as one of the founding fathers of the craft in the Hunter Valley and has won multiple awards over two decades for his brews.
“I moved to Newcastle from the countryside around Junee and Albury to study chemistry at the university. I had ambitions to be an academic until I realised it was all about securing funding for your research. I used to make home brews as a student to make cheap beer, but it wasn’t until years later, when I took it up as a hobby, running science experiments in my garage, that I caught the beer bug! It became an obsession, and it just made sense to get a job to subsidise my brewing habit!”
Grice has remained at the brewery even after it changed hands and is looking forward to a more stable future now that it is under the Rogers Hotels banner.
“Campbell Rogers and business partner Josh Gamgee purchased the property earlier this year, and we’re already seeing huge positive changes. The Rogers Hotels group has a wealth of experience in running pubs. They’ve set up processes and systems that provide a smoother-running operation and a better experience for our customers,” said Keith.
Rogers Hotels also owns and operates several venues across Newcastle and the Hunter Valley, including the Sunnyside Tavern, the Mayfield Hotel, the Colliery Inn, the Central Hotel in Stroud and the Holmesville Hotel. Campbell Rogers was in finance before he started running hotels in Sydney around 2009 because he “enjoyed being in them”. He’s been running hotels in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley since 2014.
“When it comes to running a good pub, it’s all about the atmosphere, the staff and the locals who come regularly.
"It’s all about creating an environment that people enjoy and want to spend time in."
"It has to be fun, safe, and serve delicious food. All our venues are a little different and a bit quirky in their own way. The Valley Brewhouse is obviously a brewery of craft beer and it’s my first time working in this space. It’s a lot of fun,” said Rogers.
According to Grice, the location so close to wine country makes the market different to that of other breweries.
“Being so close to wine country means our market is a bit different,” said Grice.
“People are on a visit, on holiday, looking for fun experiences, and wanting to try different things. We tailor our beers to suit that market. We have a small core range, and we do a lot of one-off limited releases. Sometimes they’re classical and other times, they’re more whimsical.
“We’re always trying to make our beer better. If you’re resting on your laurels, you get left behind by the market, and the beer quality in Australia is getting better and better with a more sophisticated consumer palate. I always try to catch up with the home brewers who are a weird and wacky bunch, but that’s where a lot of innovation happens.”
Grice is joined in the brewery by fellow brewer Daniel Gayner and the Cellar Door Manager Claire Bullen, and he sees their work as a team effort. Visitors to the Valley Brewhouse can take brewery tours, which last up to one hour and include three 200 ml beers on Fridays at 5pm and Saturdays at 12pm and 5pm, or guided tastings, which last up to 45
minutes and include eight 75ml beers at 11am and 2pm from Tuesday to Saturday. You can also purchase tasting paddles and choose four 200 ml beers. The tours and guided tastings are widely considered to be the best in the business.
“The three of us are passionate about what we do. Although Claire is not actively brewing, she certainly plays a big part in what we produce. Claire’s love of Bounty Bars inspired our coconut and chocolate-flavoured stout, we call it the Bounty Hunter. And her next idea, which we’re not sure how we will create, is a chocolate pretzel-flavoured beer for Oktoberfest. We’re also working on four other German-influenced beers for Oktoberfest, and we’ve started brewing our Spring beers – we’re working on a hoppy amber and a ginger and lime recipe.”
Other limited-release beers available now include Tea Time, an English Bitter with a biscuity malt flavour with hints of honey and caramel, a delicate floral, musky, citrus note and a light bitterness to finish. The Pilsner malt flavour drives the Czech Lager – think freshly baked bread, with a gentle spiciness from the Saaz hops. Perhaps the best-selling beer is the Draught, an approachable golden ale that Grice calls his “gateway beer”. For people who are already comfortable with craft beers, the Hazy Pale Ale proves a popular choice with its tropical and citrus fruit flavours. Each month, on the Thursday before the last weekend of the month, a Beer Pre-Launch event is held in the Brewery, featuring that month’s
limited releases paired with canapés and dessert for $49 per person. Then, on the last Sunday of every month, patrons can enjoy the new limited-release beers with delicious melt-in-the-mouth smoked meats from the Smoke House Kitchen located in the outdoor Beer Garden while listening to a Blues band.
There is live entertainment every weekend, and the Smoke House Kitchen is open from 11.30am to 5pm every Saturday and Sunday with a constantly changing menu. Locals are encouraged to become regulars with a local’s discount card – just ask at the bar. And for those who aren’t into beer, there is a wine list featuring local Hunter Valley wines and a cocktail menu with all the classics.
The Bistro is open for lunch from 11.30am to 2.30pm, with a bar snack menu from 2.30pm to 5pm and for dinner Sundays to Wednesdays from 5pm to 8pm and Thursdays to Saturdays from 5pm to 8.30pm.
The main menu features premium pub meals that include house smoked chicken wings tossed in chipotle honey and served with a blue cheese sauce or mushroom and cheese arancini with truffle oil, garlic or chilli prawns, schnitzels with all the toppers, wagyu or brisket beef burgers, chicken or veggie burgers, steaks, salads, and classics such as bangers and mash or lamb shanks. Plenty of mains are on offer for under $30, and the bar snacks menu starts at just $10.
Three separate function areas are available to host parties and events: the brewery, the lounge and even the beer garden. There is also an extensive catering menu available. Weddings and conferences are held in the newly renovated, separate KilnHaus, a dedicated and separate function space that features beautiful, exposed beams, adjoining private bar and restroom facilities.
The Valley Brewhouse is set on five acres with a massive lawn featuring twenty picnic tables and a very large, brand-new kids’ playground. It’s the ideal place to relax with family and friends, whether you’re a local or a visitor to the area. If you’re serious about your beer, this is the place to be. With ten craft beers on tap, a changing menu of creative brews developed by the onsite team, and regular live music and delicious food, The Valley Brewhouse is open seven days until late on Wine Country Drive at Nulkaba.
