Good Things Are Brewing South Of Hobart
Sandwiched between rolling green paddocks 20 minutes south of Hobart, Hopfields Brewery is bringing fresh vibes and very good brews to Margate.
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Hopfields Brewery
When Bec and Nick Blacklow chose a heritage-listed Margate shed as their wedding venue, they had no idea that less than one year later, they would open their own brewery, bar and restaurant in the very same spot. Brookfield Shed - as it was known then - already carried significant memories for Bec, having grown up in Margate, a semi-rural suburb 20 minutes south of Hobart, and observing its restoration from mid-twentieth century seed-drying shed to cafe and events space under the custodianship of new leaseholders Helen and Peter Lindsay in the early 2000s. By 2023, she and now-husband Nick were meeting with those leaseholders to plan their wedding - unaware that they were also laying the first foundations for what would become Hopfields Brewery.
“As we were leaving one of our final meetings with Helen before we got married, she happened to mention that ours would be the last wedding in the shed because they were nearing the end of their lease,” Bec recalls. “One minute we were talking about the food that we were going to serve our wedding guests, and the next I couldn’t stop thinking about how we had to take over the lease of this beautiful building and do something special with it.”
Nick and Bec Blacklow
Nick, a Hobart eastern shore local with decades of experience in corporate finance with wine and spirits multi-nationals Diageo and Brown-Forman, had a similar vision.
“We got in our car and sat in silence for a bit, but I think we were both imagining the same thing,” he says. “We wanted to create something with a real purpose, and a brewery delivers on that. There’s something a bit romantic about the idea of being able to come and have a drink in the very place where the product is made - it’s something for people to get behind.”
And get behind it they certainly have. Since opening in November 2024, Hopfields Brewery has become a southern Tasmanian institution, attracting crowds for its core and limited release beers, locals-heavy wine list, hearty menu of elevated classics (think fried free-range chicken with pickles and ranch dressing, a daily pot pie, and beer and honey-glazed lamb rump), and always-fun vibes.
“We set out to create a community hub, just like a traditional pub, and the way that the locals have gotten behind us has totally exceeded our expectations,” says Bec. “It’s so special to see families and friends hanging out on a Sunday afternoon, and to see people drinking and enjoying the beers that have been brewed right here on site.”
Hopfields Brewery beer garden
The beers are themselves a product of pedigree, each brewed under the watchful eye of JJ King, previously of Hobart’s The Albert Brewery, and Four Pines and Green Beacon on the mainland. A core range of five varieties deliberately touches on the tried-and-true flavour profiles of everyday beer drinkers, covering the spectrum from light and fruity (the Pale Ale Mid) to rich and malty (a not-to-be-messed-with 7% Stout), while limited releases are typically dictated by seasonality, and a healthy dose of just-for-fun.
“We obviously lean into things like sours in summer, and darker varieties in winter,” says Nick. “But our limited releases are also an opportunity to be experimental, be bold and go a bit crazy.”
Case in point? The Watermelon and Chilli Sour - a margarita-style brew that’s currently in the tank and due for release just in time for longer, warmer days. Also still in progress is Hopfields’ second-ever Vintage Release: a cherry porter due to be handbottled into just 160 magnums this December, after six months in ex-Overeem single malt whisky barrels.
As Hopfields approaches its first anniversary this November, that early dream to create a space as special as the building and region it occupies remains as strong as ever. Plans are already underway for an outdoor bar in the venue’s beer garden, which Bek and Nick hope will be ready to pull beers and pour wines in time for a November 1 birthday celebration, complete with all-day live music, a special birthday keg, and plenty of other surprises.
“There have been plenty of stressful moments along the way, but we look back now and see that we wouldn’t do anything differently, because it’s remained authentic to our vision,” Nick says. “Our birthday party will be a big thank you to all of the locals and the people who have supported us along the way - it’s our opportunity to give a little something back.”
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