Written by Samantha Morris for Blank Gold Coast, published 3 March 2016.

It’s no secret that we are BIG fans of Burleigh Brewing, here at Blank. They were early supporters of the magazine as we were finding our feet, they’re avid supporters of local, original artists, and they were the first organisation to jump on board for the Gold Coast Music Awards as presenting partner.

Anyone who attended the Gold Coast Music Awards last year would be astounded by the transformation of the ‘shed’ located a couple hundred metres down the road from their existing facilities, that acted as a last-minute venue change due to bad weather.

It is now a world class brewing facility. Complete with its own grain silos, polished timber bar, big stand-up tables, fancy toilets and shiny shiny brewing equipment. (I’m not going to pretend that I know what all those things do. Did someone say Black Giraffe?)

Tonight, when CEO Peta Fielding formally opened their new, expanded brewing facilities, surrounded by the growing Burleigh Brewing Co team and her master brewer husband Brennan Fielding, she explained their ten-year evolution beautifully.

“We’ve likened it to kind of decking out a nursery. When we opened the brewery the first time, we were building something based on what we were imagining it was going to be and a dream, I suppose,” she said.

“Over ten years we’ve come to know Burleigh Brewing pretty well and we thought it was time to build a big teenage bedroom with room for all the friends.”

“We still have the nursery by the way. It’s become a storeroom down the road, which is what usually happens, isn’t it?”

More than 150 people – a mixture of local media and bloggers – joined local politicians and avid brewery supporters – including Councillors Greg Betts, Glenn Tozer and William Owen-Jones as well as Michael Hart MP to officially open the brewery. Gold Coast Music Awards People’s Choice winner Casey Barnes provided the entertainment.

“When we first opened, we opened the doors of the brewery and waited for a crowd, and there wasn’t a crowd there,” Peta said.

“We spent several years pounding the pavement, not only to explain to the Gold Coast what craft beer and craft brewing was, but about brewing itself,” she said. Adding that people sometimes thought they were coffee roasters.

“Fast forward ten years and we had to move to keep up with demand.”

Peta explained that the brewing company is still making the same size batch that they were making when they opened but “back then we were brewing about twice a week,” she said. “We can now brew four of those in one day.”

And as we walked around the new premises, it was obvious that Peta and her Brennan Fielding are exceptionally proud of their “teenager” and excited about what the future holds.

“The expansion wasn’t just about being able to make more beer,” Peta told the crowd. “It was also about creating a place that has a certain flow, and a certain feel, a special somewhere where we could do even more with and for the community that’s built up around us and that’s going to be exciting.”

I can’t help but share that excitement. When the Gold Coast Music Awards take place on Thursday 16 June, it will be in that exact same space.

You made a good baby, Burleigh Brewing Co.

Bring on the teenage rebellion.