When The Suburban Brew opened its Goodwood taphouse in 2020, it was immediately embraced by locals for its neighbourhood atmosphere, great live music, and beer that’s the real deal. Now, its trio of brewers is launching an expansive new project in Glynde – where the only thing that’s fake is some freshly laid astroturf.
When we meet with co-owner Tony Dichiera just before opening for a site tour via Zoom, we start facing a giant shed that looks (for the most part) like any of the other industrial buildings dotted through the surrounding backstreets – except for a section of car park, which has been converted into a shady, picnic-style zone with timber tables and market umbrellas.
Stepping into the venue proper, the transition from outdoors to the interior is almost imperceptible – at least in sunny November – such is the deluge of natural light flooding into every corner of the space. It’s vast and high – as you might expect – with a red-brick bar separating a shiny new brewing facility from a mess hall-style drinking room. Suburban’s distinctive street sign-inspired drinks menu hangs above the bar.
There’s no kitchen, but a rota of food trucks are on call. “I’m also going to fire up the barbie on Sundays for a Bunnings-style barbeque, to support local clubs and community groups,” Dichiera tells us.
The 2000-square-metre venue, with capacity for 200 people, is larger than what the owners had originally envisaged, but the architecture, the existing infrastructure (including two huge cool rooms) and the heavy-hitting natural light made it too good to refuse.
The Suburban Brew began in 2017, working with a nomad brewing model – basically, bouncing between a handful of SA breweries, utilising their equipment to craft its own beer. Having started with a small home-brew set-up, the first large-scale batch was produced at Regency Park Tafe, where Dichiera had studied.
From there, The Suburban Brew partnered with established SA breweries including Clare Valley Brewing Co, Little Bang, and, most recently, Big Shed Brewing Concern “This approach helped us not only maintain stock and establish the brand, but also improve our knowledge and understanding of the brewing process on a commercial scale,” says Dichiera. “Ultimately it’s helped us know what we wanted from a brewery when it came time to finally get our own.”
The new 2000-litre Glynde facility is a big step up from the 200-litre “pilot batch” rig the team had been tinkering with in Goodwood. It allows the brand’s core range – as well as seasonal specials – to be brewed entirely on-site. “It’s time we grew up,” Dichiera tells us.
The venue boasts a total of 12 beer taps, pouring whatever Suburban has on brew, and leaving plenty of room to shout out other brands that have supported them over the years.
The Goodwood taproom will stay, with the new Glynde site becoming the centre of a “hub and spoke model,” Dichiera says. “Now we have a production facility, we can bolt on little suburban taprooms that will take on their own character, and appeal to the areas they’re based in.”
In fact, the Goodwood site is about to undergo a makeover and expansion of its own with a little additional space, including a new kitchen. Watch this space.
The Suburban Brew
26-30 Provident Avenue, Glynde
Hours:
Fri & Sat 12pm–11pm
Sun 12pm–7pm
