Brewery with 159 Years of History Enters Voluntary Administration

Owners of the 159-year-old Billson’s Brewery in Beechworth, Victoria, have announced that the drinks manufacturer has entered voluntary administration.

Despite this, there is hope that the company may still have a future.

In a statement on Billson’s Brewery’s Facebook page, co-owner Nathan Cowan described the decision to go into administration as “excruciatingly difficult.”

“In 2017 Felicity and I moved to Beechworth with dreams of restoring the historic brewery and creating a special experience for everyone who visited,” he said.

“Together with the team, we’ve poured our hearts and souls into Billson’s and we are proud of everything that has been accomplished.”

“Over the course of seven years, everyone’s hard work and passion has resulted in overwhelming support by people all over Australia and some pretty incredible business growth.”

Cowan admitted that the business growth had masked several mistakes made along the way as the company’s systems and processes failed to keep pace.

“We’re ultimately responsible for these mistakes and we know that we have let people down,” he said.

“We are devastated and sorry.”

Cowan expressed his heartbreak, acknowledging the impact on their team, suppliers, customers, and fans.

“We’ve tried everything imaginable over the past six months to avoid this situation, including restructuring on two occasions, however we now believe this to be the necessary step for survival,” he said.

“The challenges we’ve encountered in 2024 have been vast and incomprehensible in scale.”

But Cowan emphasized that he was not ready to give up on the dream just yet.

“We will do everything possible to work through this so Billson’s can emerge more resilient as a business and ready to take on another century,” he said.

“With so many family businesses teetering on the edge, any support you are able to provide your local businesses, in any way at all, will mean more now than ever.”

The business’s venue will remain open seven days a week and its online store will continue trading as usual.

“We’ll continue to supply our fans through all of our amazing customers in bottle shops and venues across the country,” the owner said.

Billson’s produces a vibrant array of alcoholic products and pre-mixed drinks.

A Sign of the Difficult Times: Retail Expert

Graeme Hughes, a prominent retail expert, believes that while individual business struggles are common, a series of incidents reflect a more serious economic issue.

“The hospitality and manufacturing sectors, in which Billson’s operates, have been particularly affected by rising costs, inflation, and consumer spending patterns,” he said.

Hughes pointed out that there is a “growing trend” of businesses facing challenges in the current economic climate.

“Factors such as inflation, rising interest rates, rents, wages, supply chain disruptions, and changing consumer behavior have created a perfect storm for many businesses,” he explained.

“This is evident not only in high-profile cases like Billson’s but also in smaller, local businesses struggling to stay afloat.”

Recent data from the Australian Securities and Investment Commission revealed that over 11,000 companies entered external administration for the first time in 2023 and 2024.