“We want to be inclusive, and be a place where people can feel comfortable and proud to be themselves.”

We had Stomping Ground penciled in for a chat later in the year when the Melbourne-based brewery turns ten. But when they announced they were launching a crowdfunding campaign – one with an ambitious maximum target of $4 million – we decided to bring the episode forward.

It gave us a chance to discuss their decision to go down this route, as well as their views on the often-vexed topic of crowdfunding itself, their expansion plans should the campaign go well (including the proposed location of their first brewpub outside Melbourne), the maturing of the business as it approaches the decade milestone, plus the “brutal” experience and silver lining of their proposed merger with Good Drinks Australia.

Sitting down with co-founders Guy Greenstone and Justin Joiner, plus marketing manager Abbey Packer, also gave us the opportunity to explore the way they’ve built a brand synonymous with their hometown, their come one, come all ethos, the importance of good governance, and forging strong relationships with customers – Friday fuck-ups and all.

This week’s intro comes from Nelson, where Will and James have been hopping between hop farms at harvest time, checking out beating heart of the vibrant NZ hop industry while recording a few podcasts along the way. It covers our feature on the launch of Ryefield Hops’ first exclusive hop variety, a postcard from an honorary Aussie Export in London, and the lessons learned from ten years running Newcastle Beer Fest.

Start of segments:

• 0:00 – Intro
• 11:57 – Guy, Abbey and Justin part 1
• 45:10 – Preview of The High Country Hop Technical Symposium
• 51:49 – Guy, Abbey and Justin part 2

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