ANZ Sales update
It’s been a busy time for supply chain and the ANZ sales team, invoicing contract completions and supporting customers through the process. We’re starting to see green shoots with some new business wins across large, medium and small breweries, which is generating positive energy in the majority of states and territories. Lindsy is also building relationships and starting to get some traction in New Zealand which remains an opportunity to gain market share despite the headwinds of local NZ hops at very affordable prices.
In December we sold out of Eclipse®, Luna®, Citra® and Mosaic®. We have since replenished the US varieties, and are now using the shortage of Australian varieties to encourage customers secure their supply through contracts for crop 2026 and beyond. We have processed some early contracts for Luna® and the sales team are focused on selling this year’s crop by the end of December 2026 to drive contracted demand and justify planting more acreage for crop 2027.
International Sales update
International sales activity is also picking up, with some personnel from BarthHaas Beijing and Tsingtao scheduled to visit our farms for harvest. They are planning to top up their contracted crop 2026 volumes after harvest, with two large Chinese breweries currently exploring how Australian hops perform in existing products. Our Japanese distributor and seven people from Kirin will also be joining us for harvest.
Customer satisfaction survey results
More than 100 customers completed our biannual customer satisfaction survey in August. Our average satisfaction rating is 86%, and 88% of customers are likely to recommend us to a fellow brewer, but only 46% of customers said HPA is their preferred hop supplier. This resulted in a combined satisfaction score of 73%, which is 2% shy of our strategic target. We will now aim to improve our performance by responding to our customers’ feedback, particularly in relation to regular communication about contracts and drawdowns, more face time with their sales rep, and continued education around Aussie experimental hops and innovative hop products.
Harvest tours
The countdown to Aussie hop harvest has begun! Every March hundreds of brewers make the journey to Southern Tasmania and High Country Victoria to meet our growers, tour our farms and facilities, and learn about our hops. While the majority of activity will take place in Victoria this year, we’re offering to host a limited number of farm tours in Tasmania on Wednesday 4 March and Thursday 5 March. From Monday 16 March to Friday 20 March, brewers can take part in our broader celebration of the journey from paddock to pint, including Hops Academy. One of the world’s leading hop experts, Dr Christina Schonberger, is hosting half-day sessions that will combine foundational hop knowledge, sensory training, liquid hop applications and benchtop trial techniques for sensory, quality and brewing professionals of all experience levels. Check out the full program of events at www.hops.com.au/harvest/
Luna® launch
We are officially launching Luna®, formerly known as HPA-033, on Tuesday 3 March. Our new hop will have a prominent presence on our socials and website throughout the following months, as well as industry media platforms. Plus, every brewer who makes the journey to High Country Victoria for a farm tour will receive a limited-edition mixed pack of beers that will showcase the hop’s character across multiple beer styles. Bright Brewery’s annual hop harvest dinner has also been reimagined as the official Luna® launch party, where guests can enjoy a beer or two with our local growers, and spin the prize wheel for everything from exclusive merchandise to crop 2026 Luna. It’s sure to be a fun evening that brings together innovative hops, exceptional beer, and the best of the High Country.
We’ve also partnered with other members of the BarthHaas group to introduce Luna® to international markets. Haas will pour a Luna® beer at the Craft Brewers Conference in April, BarthHaas will feature the hop in a collab beers at Beijing Brew, Craft Beer China Conference & Exhibition, and Korea International Beer Expo in April as well as their Inspiration Range at Brew Asia in October and BrauBeviale in November. Both Haas and BarthHaas will also highlight Luna® alongside HPA’s other uniquely Australian hops at AusFest – a new series of guided sensory sessions and high-profile collaboration beers launching later this year to coincide with the international arrival of crop 2026. And Hops Connect Canada will showcase Luna® in a collab beer that will be shipped to their top 100 customers to grow awareness and encourage brewing trials. Together, these initiatives will bring Luna® directly to brewers around the world and contract demand for crop 2027.
