Retail unfiltered dives behind the counter to uncover the real people of Australia’s liquor retail industry. This week we meet Ben Duval of Carwyn Cellars, long-time champion of independent beer and a familiar face in Melbourne’s craft community.
Known for his easy-going nature and deep knowledge of traditional beer styles, Duval has helped steer Carwyn Cellars through some of its toughest years while maintaining its reputation as one of the country’s leading independent retailers.
Carwyn Cellars was opened in 2007, when Ben and Nicole Carwyn purchased a run-of-the-mill bottle shop and set about reshaping it into something unique. Three years later, Duval joined the business and was quickly immersed in its growing focus on craft and independent producers.
“Back then we were 100 metres down the road from the current site – I have fond memories of the vintage green carpet tiles and selling lots of beer without lactose,” he recalls.
From student job to lifelong beer passion
Duval’s appetite for drinks began in his student days, when he worked at Booze Brothers in North Adelaide.
“For the time, they had a great selection of beers – mostly Belgian and English – and I would take a different beer home at the end of every shift. By the time I left that job, I had a true passion for traditional beer styles,” he says.
That love for tradition continues to shape his palate and his retail philosophy today, guiding the way he selects products, champions classic styles, and balances innovation with the timeless favourites that customers keep coming back for.
“Traditional beer styles have seen a huge renaissance, which is awesome. I think they offer great value, but also consistency… how undeniably delicious is a well-brewed ESB or a Czech Pilsner!”
Carwyn Cellars has earned a reputation as one of the most dynamic independent retailers in the country, something Duval credits to a philosophy of buying what excites them.
“It’s just full of interesting and diverse booze. Ben (Carwyn) and I split the buying, and we simply buy what we like. That means tasting a lot of great booze – but somebody has got to do it! I’d say Carwyn doesn’t feel overly curated or staged though either – it has a comfortable feeling to it, which is welcoming to absolutely anybody, no matter their walk of life or their preference of tipple.”
That sense of inclusivity extends beyond the shelves. In 2020, when Covid forced the cancellation of their flagship street festival, Carwyn Cellars turned the setback into one of its most memorable achievements.
“We had organised 11 of the world’s best breweries to fly in for the event and to collaborate with a local brewery. Thanks to Covid arriving first, we had to cancel two weeks out – we had brewers in transit and airfreighted beer already landed. Not wanting to waste our hard work, we changed to a virtual festival and our community massively got behind us. We sold out the 3,600 mixed festival beer packs and it’s safe to say the virtual festival was one of the highlights of lockdown for many people,” says Duval.
Looking ahead, Duval sees flavour experimentation as a defining trend, one that’s reshaping not only beer but also the broader spirits and RTD categories, as producers and consumers alike search for new ways to experience familiar drinks.
“Every brewer in the country right now seems to be playing with terpenes. This has allowed brewers to really dial in and enhance specific flavours. It’s a real game changer and not something that is likely to go away soon,” he explains.
Technology also plays a pivotal role in Carwyn’s future, shaping everything from how customers discover new products online to the systems that keep the store running smoothly behind the scenes.
Duval says: “Being so online focused, technology and data are king. We recently rebuilt our website and changed over our systems in the interest of staying ahead of the digital curve.”
Tough years, strong culture
The past five years have not been without challenge for Carwyn Cellars, which experienced a change of ownership, a period of voluntary administration, and eventually a return to its original owners.
“I’ve had to take on new responsibilities and above all I just tried to keep a cool head through it all,” he says. “We managed to keep the same team together through it all, which is testament to the culture of what we have built and the awesome people who work here. All in all, the business is back in safe hands, and we are well positioned to get back to what we do best and explore more exciting booze adventures.”
Asked what he would change about liquor retail in Australia, Duval points straight to tax, highlighting how high excise and duties on beer and spirits have driven prices up and shifted many products into a luxury spending category.
“Beer and spirits cop the rough end of the stick, and it’s caused prices to rise to a point that for many, these drinks now fall into the luxury spending category and consumers are choosing alternatives,” he says.
Away from Carwyn Cellars, Duval is a keen golfer with a rather unusual prize story, having twice claimed the closest-to-the-pin title at the Moon Dog trade golf day and walking away with a haul most beer lovers could only dream of.
“I took out the Moon Dog trade golf day closest to the pin competition, twice, and won 100 free kegs of beer!”
And when it’s time to wind down, he doesn’t stray far from the classics, preferring a beer that delivers balance, refreshment and a sense of timeless tradition over anything too experimental.
“I’m going to go with The Albert Czech Pilsner from Tassie – full flavoured, spicy, bitter and as refreshing as any drink in the world.”
For Duval, the heart of Carwyn Cellars has always been about people – the team, the producers, and the community of customers who share a love of great drinks. Through challenges, innovation, and a relentless curiosity for flavour, he has helped build a store that is as welcoming as it is adventurous.
With a renewed sense of stability and a finger on the pulse of emerging trends, Duval and Carwyn Cellars are well placed to continue shaping Melbourne’s independent liquor scene for years to come.