Craft Brew House at Birkdale has credited its success to its close-knit community and traditional British hospitality after claiming Business of the Year at the Redlands Champions of Business Excellence Awards.
Craft Brew House owners Tracy and Martin Robson took over the Birkdale bar in 2021 and said they were amazed at how far the business had come.
“When we took over, it essentially was a failed business due to COVID,” Ms Robson said.
“We spent the first year working hard and I never thought only a few years later we would be named Business of the Year.”
Ms Robson said the award had been completely unexpected and she had been blown away when the winner was announced.
“We initially aimed for the best small food and hospitality award, but when they announced us as the Business of the Year, it was unbelievable,” she said.
Ms Robson said in the past year, Martin and herself had learnt so much.
“We entered last year and did not win anything except being named as a finalist,” she said. “This year, I changed from an IT professional and took up the bar full time.”
Craft Brew House offers a diverse selection of pizzas, wings and tapas, and creates a space for the local music scene to thrive on Friday nights, Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons.
Ms Robson said they were looking at adding more events next year to give the community more than just a place to drink and chat.
“Our cocktail-making classes have been hugely popular this year and we have started doing trivia as well,” she said.
Ms Robson said Martin and herself had aimed to create a unique vibe at Craft Brew House with the central focus being on community.
“We really tried to bring that old-school British hospitality in, and I think that resonates with everyone,” she said. “The local community we have at Craft is second to none.”
Ms Robson said a highlight of the year was holding their first fundraiser event for local Birkdale girl Kora to raise funds for the Rett Syndrome Association Australia. The event consisted of raffles and auctions with Rett Syndrome Society president Claude Buda flying from Sydney with his family for the special event.
