GEOFF CHAMBERLAIN
Director

Whilst the majority of projects come from independent operators or small groups some of the larger clients in recent times have included:

Asahi

Coca-Cola Amatil

CUB

Federal Hotel Group

Network Gaming

Vantage Hotel Group

Basheer Group

Hi Fi Group

MCG

Etihad

AAMI Park

Geoff Chamberlain (GC) has been actively involved in the Hospitality and Leisure Industry for over thirty-five years. He graduated with tertiary qualifications in Hospitality (William Angliss College Melbourne) in 1977, and then began his career with operational management and consultancy roles in both Victoria and Western Australia.

Of note was his association with Australia’s first craft brewing development in Fremantle, Western Australia (1984), as the inaugural manager of The Sail and Anchor Pub-Brewery. This was the dawn of craft brewing in Australia where Phillip Sexton established the Anchor Brewing Company, a full mash ale producing brewery on the ground floor of the Freemasons Hotel located in South Terrace, Fremantle.

As manager GC went through the redevelopment and launch stages of the project effectively having a ring side seat to what was at that time a truly unique development in Australia. The project enjoyed unprecedented and immediate success creating interest from both brewing and hospitality industries Australia wide.

Around the same time Sexton also established the Matilda Bay Brewing Company on the banks of the Swan River at Nedlands. Whilst the Anchor Brewing Company produced a range of draught ales to be sold at the Sail and Anchor, the Matilda Bay Brewing Company was set up to produce bottled Lagers, Pilsners and White Beers some of which were put into swing top bottles yet another innovation for the Australian market. Matilda Bay would go on to introduce the iconic Redback beer and eventually be sold to Carlton and United Breweries (CUB).

In 1985 GC returned home to Melbourne and became a founding partner, and Managing Director, of Alehouses of Australia Pty. Ltd., which was incorporated to introduce the concept of craft brewing to Melbourne. To achieve this end the Alehouses Group purchased the Aberdeen Hotel in St Georges Road North Fitzroy in December 1985 re-launching it as the Loaded Dog Pub Brewery in mid-1986. Like the Sail and Anchor this was going to be a full mash ale producing brewery that similarly enjoyed substantial uplifts in trade given the novelty of the concept when it launched.

In the following year Alehouses purchased The Auburn Hotel (Hawthorn). This hotel was re-branded The Geebung Polo Club and was officially opened in 1989 following extensive refurbishment. Like the Loaded Dog the Geebung established itself as a popular pub becoming known not only for their craft beers but also the range and diversity of the entire draught (up to 20 styles) and packaged beer list (up to 100 types)……. effectively a cut and paste of the Sail and Anchor concept. The award winning Geebung also prided itself on the quality of its food proposition as well as the live entertainment offered on every night of the week.

The Alehouses Group continued to grow and diversify during the late 1980’s owning and operating hotels in the Victorian Alps, the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula. Further, it purchased and redeveloped The Doutta Galla Hotel (Flemington) in 1990, re-launching it as The Sydney Liars Club Hotel in 1991. This hotel was later re-branded The Geebung Polo Club-Flemington, in 1999.

When Lion Nathan came to Melbourne in the late nineties to buy pub and bar businesses as part of a strategy to secure market share both the Geebung Hotels were secured by the brewer by mid-2000. Since that time GC has provided consulting services to the hospitality industry initially being retained by CUB as a venue development consultant providing integrated concept, design, operational and commercial advice to predominantly pubs, clubs and bars throughout Australia. The advice was provided to new entrants to the industry as well as experienced operators whether they were located in the CBD, suburbs, regional areas or interstate.