The Monk Brewery and Kitchen business operations manager Jonathan Kunz says November’s Beer and Cider Festival is a good fit for the city.
Camera IconThe Monk Brewery and Kitchen business operations manager Jonathan Kunz says November’s Beer and Cider Festival is a good fit for the city. Credit: Supplied/Elle Borgward

Council’s cheer for the beer

Staff ReporterFremantle Gazette

The WA Brewers Association proposed that the festival be held on November 9 and 10.

Councillors had some reservations when the item came up in Wednesday’s council meeting, with a couple unsure about whether it was appropriate for the event to be held during the popular Fremantle Festival, stating the timing was only a means to capitalise on the big crowds that would already be in Fremantle at that time.

However Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt said he thought it linked in well with Fremantle’s pioneering history in beer.

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‘I think the benefits will outweigh the cost and that it will be an interesting event,’ Dr Pettitt said.

‘We are clear that we want to be a city of festivals.’

The Monk Brewery and Kitchen business operations manager Jonathan Kunz said Fremantle was already a destination for beer enthusiasts and this would capitalise on that.

‘Beer in Fremantle isn’t just a commodity, it’s a part of the culture,’ he said.

‘Having an event of this scale brought to Fremantle would be a massive boost in terms of tourism but also in simply shining a light on the brewing hotspot that is Freo.’

The festival is one of several approved by the City recently, with the green light given to the Laneway Festival last month and the Kite Racing Oceanic Championships approved last week.

Fremantle Chamber of Commerce chief executive Tim Milsom said Fremantle was already known as a festival city and those involving food and drink were becoming increasingly popular.