Akasha Brewing Company and Wayward Brewing Company have announced their strategic partnership grounded in the two business’ shared passion for beer, cultural alignment, and a long friendship between respective founders, Dave Padden and Pete Philip.
The partnership will see all production for both businesses take place at Akasha’s facility in Five Dock, which is expected to streamline operations not just for efficiency, but to free up resources for even greater creativity, quality control, and market reach.
Philip told Beer & Brewer the initial idea for the partnership stemmed from the lease ending on Wayward’s Camperdown brewing facility.
“As everyone in Sydney knows, rents are going through the roof. So, we were in the process of looking for alternative production space, which kicked off a conversation with Dave. He has been a mate for 15 years, so it was a very natural conversation to have, and we developed this concept into a much bigger strategic partnership.”
Philip said this is not the first time he and Padden have worked together, with decades of combined brewing experience and complementary strengths.
“We have always collaborated, in fact some of the first brews that Wayward did were brewed at Dave’s first brewery, Riverside Brewing Company in Parramatta. We were using his brewery before we had our own site in Camperdown. So, there is definitely a huge amount of trust and synergy between the two of us.”
Padden added to Philip’s sentiment, looking forward to their continued working relationship.
“For over 15 years, Pete and I have shared a vision for what independent Sydney craft beer can be. This partnership is the culmination of that shared respect and friendship. By combining our strengths – Akasha’s focus on precision and quality with Wayward’s incredible creativity and brand connection – we’re creating something stronger and more resilient, with the capacity to grow, innovate, and keep delivering quality at scale.”
Blending their operational capability, Akasha and Wayward aim to build a stronger, more agile and scalable business, without compromising the independence and quality that have earned both breweries loyal followings.
Philip said the brand identities of both Wayward and Akasha will remain unchanged as a result of the partnership.
“All the brands will continue as is. We have a different focus on our brands, with Akasha known for their hop-forward beers whereas Wayward has got a great reputation for being innovative and moving with alternative beverages. There won’t be any changes to the brands themselves, and we will continue selling to the same loyal customers.”
The venture also brings together three venues in Sydney’s Inner West – Wayward’s Camperdown taproom, Akasha’s Five Dock taproom, and The Akasha Barrel Room in Leichhardt – that will sell products from both brands.
Local Drinks Collective, a distribution partnership between Wayward Brewing Co and Batch Brewing Co, will also be rolled over into the new venture.
As these award-winning brands are uniting under experienced leadership and a clear strategy for a profitable future, Philips is confident in the team. “We expect to see an uptake for both of our brands in the future. Through the merging of the teams, the same people will continue to be involved in the process. One production team and one sales team allow us to leverage off each strength and grow our distribution,” he said.