The Hop Shoppe started with an idea during the difficult days of lockdown.

At the time, my own business, The Jazz Emporium, was closed because of the restrictions. Like so many small businesses, we were facing a really uncertain future.

Then my landlord called to tell me that the barbers next door were moving out. He asked if I wanted to take on the additional space and knock the two premises together.

I said yes.

I started researching what could work in the larger space and came across craft beer. It was something different, exciting and, more importantly, it gave me an opportunity to support other small businesses at a time when so many were struggling.

So The Jazz Emporium became The Hop Shoppe.

My son Lochlan and I spent day after day working on the premises, knocking through, building and getting everything ready. On 9 December 2021, we finally opened the doors.

We started small, with just six craft beer taps, three hand pulls and some cans in the fridges.

Since then, The Hop Shoppe has grown organically into the 21-tap craft beer shop and bar it is today, alongside our online shop and our mobile bar, the Hop Shoppe Hop Wheels Defender.

But one thing has never changed: our reason for doing it.

Everything at The Hop Shoppe is sourced from a small business. We deliberately choose to support independent breweries, producers and other small businesses because we know how hard those families work to build something of their own and provide for their families — because we’ve been there ourselves.

When so many small businesses were closing their doors, I wanted to do my bit to support the people behind them. Every time we buy from an independent business, we’re helping another family keep doing what they love.

For us, being independent isn’t just a label. It’s the reason The Hop Shoppe exists.

And somehow, alongside all of that, we’ve also managed to add two-year-old triplets to the mix. So life at The Hop Shoppe has never exactly been quiet!