10. Brew Society
Launched in a garage in 2020, Brew Society is a fast-growing premium beverage distributor. See their Smart50 rank.
Revenue: $4.1 million
Growth: 109%
Founders: Harry Spartels, Andy Rault, Matt Baxter
Head office: Braeside, VIC
Year founded: 2020
Employees: 11
Industry: Wholesale and distribution
Website: brewsociety.com.au
How Brew Society started
Like many success stories, Brew Society started in a garage, with founder Harry Spartels launching the tea-brand business from his mum’s home in 2019. Initial efforts to sell online were fruitless, and when changing tack and attempting to sell direct to cafes, Spartels was told by managers that his product was good but orders were easier through distributors.
The 2020 onset of COVID sent sales plummeting, but the addition of Andy Rault and Matt Baxter as co-owners led to the inception of ‘premium beverage distributor’ Brew Society.
Growth
Brew Society’s biggest challenge so far has been bootstrapping a business with a high-percentage revenue growth rate. Strong top-line growth inherently puts pressure on cash flow, and this pressure has been exacerbated by Brew Society’s desire to reinvest in the business. Having said that, the company anticipates revenue growth of upwards of 80% in FY25.
Where to next
Strategically, Brew Society is working on shaping itself into a vertically integrated platform, which can be used to further accelerate growth in its company-owned brand portfolio and its imported partnership brands. Its focus is on developing portfolio brands in independent retail and food service markets, intentionally keeping them out of the majors.
