Serial hospitality entrepreneur Michael Vale is one step closer to opening his ground-breaking Urban House of Brews, after securing agreements with the five craft brewers to reside in the Newtown venue.
Following news in March that the old Hub Theatre was to be the site of the innovative new concept, a selection of Australian craft brewers have now been enlisted to drive the beverages. Representing NSW is Murray’s brewing, for Victoria is Urban Alley, for WA is Spinifex, for Tasmania is Moo Brew and for Queensland it will be Catchment Brewing.
On a visit to Munich, Vale was impressed with a Bavarian tavern that had been brewing for over 640 years, and hosted dozens of local pop-up brew bars during Oktoberfest.
He says he felt Sydney lacked a comparable up-market live music, food and beverage venue, but sees the historic Hub theatre in the heart of Newtown, a classic Vaudeville theatre built in 1913, as ideal for the combination of boutique beverages with live entertainment.
The ground floor will accommodate five craft brew bars, each with ten taps, while the mezzanine level will sport a unique artisan ‘Distillery’ bar for their finest quality produce.
Throughout the venue will be every genre of live entertainment imaginable: jazz, blues, reggae, rock, hip-hop, as well as stand-up comedy, drag shows, open mike nights and indigenous and cultural musical events. There will also be a state-of-the-art digital theatre screen, showing programs including musical tributes from the likes of Barry White to The Blues Brothers.
The UHOB will also live stream jazz, blues and stand-up comedy directly from New York City clubs and comedy houses.
Patrons can indulge in a packaged ticket for a show matched to food and drinks, such as a two-hour tribute to Bob Marley, accompanied by Caribbean stout or a spiced rum cocktail, with a three-course Jamaican meal.
Vale has enlisted a crack 15-member team of hospitality and technical professionals, headed by Paul Kelly on design.
“The interior concept here is going to be something that Sydney has not seen before,” suggests Kelly.
“It’s almost like an evolving indoor festival space, with a really quirky Newtown twist; should be a game-changer!”
The foodservice aspect of UHOB will involve multiple kitchens, coordinated by Con Dedes of The Dedes Group.
“Like Paul, I feel Con is the best man in Australia for the task, which is huge,” says Vale.
“Running three commercial kitchens feeding up to 650 people in one hit is no mean feat!”
The kitchens will be fitted with the latest equipment, including wood-fire ovens, display rotisseries and a unique Argentinean-built revolving barbeque with ‘dancing fire’, hooked up to cameras so guests can watch their meal being created.
All commercial equipment will be the domain of Vale’s long-term associate Tony Hayek.
Having visited and signed all five breweries, Vales says there will soon be more news on the opening of Urban House of Brews.
