The magnificent Mardo’s Hotel has been sold to an up-and-coming craft beer operation, with plans for space for hacks and some onsite-brewing.
After coming to market earlier this year, the 1860-built Mardo’s in Port Melbourne saw a lengthy sales process and settlement, finally producing a transaction to Chris Nicholls and partners of Hack Brewing, as the incumbent Nic ‘Mardo’ Mardling takes his Student Training Services hospitality business to the next level.
Hack celebrates everybody’s imperfections, suggesting the every-man relax and laugh at life’s peccadilloes and enjoy a good beer.
Nicholls’ background is in hospitality fit-outs, but he has a keen interest in brewing. He is joined by partners, one to move on from a successful career in banking.
The team had been looking for a warehouse-type space to open a brew-pub, and although ideas were floated around installing a modest brewery in the old pub, the logistics did not stack up and no more than a micro-brewery set-up for seasonal batches will likely occur.
“I got a call to come to this place – a magnificent old pub … we fell in love with it,” Nicholls told PubTIC.
“We talked about putting in tanks, but we’d rather have people in than tanks. Such a beautiful place and we’re going to breathe new life into it.”
The revised offering will see plenty of recipes from other craft brewers, as well as Hack’s own product, which will continue to be produced in the shiny state-of-the-art facilities of Holgate Brewing. Upstairs the pub will host artisan experiences and workshops, and maybe even the Hack Par 9 invitational putting green.
“Hopefully we’ll find a brew-pub down the track, a warehouse, and convert that,” poses Nicholls, “but now, we want to do justice to the building itself.
“We’re not claiming to be the best, we’re just having a crack at it.”
The sale was negotiated by CBRE Hotels’ Will Connolly, who believes the formula will be a great fit for the area and prove a worthy bookend to Bay Street.
“Port Melbourne has been crying out for this type offering,” he says. “Although the area is quite spoilt in terms of choice for pubs, there has been a distinct lack of options for the younger demographic who have moved to the area, and will no doubt welcome the Hack Brewing boys with open arms.”
