Bright Brewery, in Victoria’s High Country, has acquired the Prince Alfred Hotel in Melbourne.
Firmly ensconced in the Bright community for the last years, Bright Brewery has now expanded into Melbourne with the acquisition of the Prince Alfred Hotel in Carlton.
Situated right near Melbourne University, the Prince Alfred Hotel has always been a favourite for students, particularly since 2018 when 100 Burgers Group took over the reins of the venue. Taking over the pub, Bright Brewery have committed to ensuring the venue remains a favourite watering hole for students and locals alike.
Known as “P.A’s”, and established 99 years ago, Bright Brewery has committed to honouring the rich heritage of the Prince Alfred Hotel, while also updating the offer of the venue with its brews.
“We’re incredibly excited to expand into Melbourne and continue our journey with a venue that holds such an important place in the community,” said Scott Brandon, founder of Bright Brewery.
“P.A’s Carlton will be a fantastic space for friends to gather, enjoy great beer, and be a part of the next chapter in both the pub’s and our brewery’s history.”
Brandon said the brewery had been looking to expand it’s hospitality presence outside of Bright for a while, with a focus on Melbourne.
“After 20 years of operating in Bright, we were eager to expand our hospitality business, and Melbourne was the natural choice. With so many of our customers being Melburnians on holiday—along with it being our largest wholesale market—it made perfect sense.
Our mission has always been to showcase Bright and our stunning Alpine region, and the opportunity to bring a piece of that to Melbourne is truly exciting,” stated Brandon.
“When the chance to take over P.A’s came up, it felt like a perfect fit. Linking our brand to such an iconic Melbourne venue was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up. Many of our staff over the years have studied at Melbourne Uni, including my own daughters, so bringing an institution like Prince Alfred’s into our brewery family is a meaningful step. It allows us to not only showcase our beers but also become part of the venue’s long-standing history and Melbourne’s vibrant hospitality scene.”
Prince Alfred Hotel will proudly showcase Bright Brewery’s award-winning beers across both levels. The ground floor public bar will focus on high quality pub classics, great service, as well as an independent beer and drinks list for every kind of customer. The upstairs bar and rooftop beer garden, renamed the Bright Rooftop Bar, will have an increased focus on the nationally recognised Bright Brewery brand.
The acquisition of Prince Alfred Hotel is the latest achievement from Bright Brewery, who recently also were named Australia’s number one independent lager in the GABS Hottest 100. It’s Alpine Lager secured the #18 overall ranking in the GABS Hottest 100, jumping 20 places from its #38 ranking. Alpine Lager is on of Bright Brewery’s core range beers, and is brewed with pure Alpine water and many locally-grown hops varieties.
After securing the Top 20 ranking in the latest GABS Hottest 100, Bright Brewery’s national sales and brand manager highlighted the strength of the north east Victorian brewing scene.
“This last weekend was a dream manifest for the Bright Brewery team. Our flagship beer, Alpine Lager has for the first time cracked the Top 20 of the GABS Hottest 100. As well as taking out the title of Australia’s #1 Independent Lager. Not bad for a beer made in a town of less than 3000 people, 4 hours north of the city!” stated Craney.
“This year’s result is even more special as it’s sweetened by having two independent brewers from North East Victoria place in the Top 20, highlighting the strength of our region’s beer scene. This result is a tribute to the incredible effort and dedication of our team, and we’re so proud to share this success with our community.”
Bright Brewery is excited to now create a Melbourne home for their award-winning beers at the Prince Alfred Hotel in Carlton.
This piece was first published by our sister publication, Beer & Brewer.