What started as a beer-fuelled pipe dream between two in-laws turned into a beer-fuelled business journey neither Rhys Porter nor James Thomson saw coming.
After five-and-a-half years, four core beers, 20 limited beers and over 120 stockists, including Dan Murphy’s and BWS, Wild Life Brewing will pour its last beers next month.
“It was a devastating decision to make,” Mr Thomson said.
“We could probably keep going for another few years, but we wanted to be realistic and go out on our own terms.”
Mr Porter said that 10 minutes before they put the announcement out, he still had second guesses about whether it was the right decision.
Ultimately, he knew they wouldn’t think of something in those 10 minutes that they hadn’t thought of in the last few months or years.
Despite continuous growth with trade customers, Mr Thomson said the economy had shifted, making it very hard for Wild Life Brewing as a manufacturer.
Increases in grain costs as high as 30 per cent and energy costs were contributing factors.
Consumers feeling the pinch of higher mortgage rates had also impacted sales as people simply “don’t have the cash” to spend on craft beer.
“Interest rates and inflation have made our premium products less attainable,” Mr Porter said.
“There’s just no margin.”
Mr Thomson said the business was built in 2019 for an entirely different economy, and things had changed.
It shouldn’t have even been possible for the pair to make it this far.
They launched in 2019, coincidentally within a month of the Shepparton Brewery, in a small tap house in Maude St.
Following the pandemic, they moved the business to Williams Rd and have been there for the last two years.
The two are brothers-in-law with a passion for their craft.
They decided they wanted to own a brewery, so they started researching, studying and experimenting at home, consulting family and friends along the way until they were happy with the product.
“We were only meant to be in Maude St for six months,” Mr Thomson said.
“We just couldn’t get a big enough space for all our equipment, so we took a short-term lease in a hole in the wall.”
To their surprise, more than 300 people showed up to the opening.
They only had one beer at the time and needed more space for everyone.
It vindicated the duo’s vision, urging them to push forward and look to expand.
And then COVID-19 hit.
“We were trapped there for the better part of two years,” Mr Thomson said.
“We renovated it, did food, all sorts of drinks and all sorts of stuff just to survive.
“We were able to get council on board and get a space big enough, because distribution is what we do.
“We got everything done and sorted and moved in here.”
Through a pandemic, floods and the cost-of-living crisis, they’ve continued to grow as distributors, hold functions, and accrue a local community that supported them through it all.
In their own words, the two started with “bugger-all” to create a business that saw them travelling all over the country to attend festivals, meet like-minded people, build connections, expand their products and become stocked in major retailers.
“We managed to do this off sheer grit and will basically,” Mr Porter said.
“We got this far off our determination and stubbornness to not throw in the towel.
“It shows how much you can get done if you just go for something and don’t take no for an answer.”
They thanked their customers for all the memories and for motivating them to fight to keep their dream alive.
“We’ve prided ourselves on a bit of old-school hospitality and instilled that in our staff,” Mr Thomson said.
“There’s not a single person who comes in the door that doesn’t have their beer poured by the time they get to the bar.
“It’s amazing to have those people (the customers) let you in their life and to be more than just a beer brand.”
Their final message perfectly demonstrates their love for the craft of brewing above everything else.
“Go support Shepparton Brewery,” they both said.
The beers will keep pouring at Wild Life until next month; they’re open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, before closing shop on Saturday, February 10.
The guys plan to go out with a bang, so stay tuned to the business’ social media for details.
The two are unsure what the future holds for them, whether it will be behind the taps again or doing something completely different.
“We’re open to ideas,” Mr Porter said, laughing.