There’s something about the artisan origins of craft beer that attracts passionate support and loyalty. They’re small and independent, compared to the brewery giants, but they still need to run on sound business principles, with good distribution, great marketing and a strong point of difference.

Steve Jeffares is one of the pioneers of craft beer and ale houses in Australia, and he recently opened Stomping Ground Brewery & Beer Hall, in the Melbourne suburb of Collingwood. He now has his own brewery, a large bar, and a terrific restaurant open 7 days a week. Ken Burgin talked with Steve about the range of beers offered, the food, the customers, and how they promote the business. We also discussed the huge growth of craft beer in Australia, and the importance of his Great Australian Beer Spectapular festivals.

Also mentioned in the interview: the annual list of Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers, the Handle Your Own PR website, and an interesting article on The Future of Business is Giants Pretending to Be Small.