As tipped by Australian Brews News, Little Creatures will open its first overseas venue in Hong Kong later this year.

Tom Champion, formerly of Little Creatures Fremantle, was appointed head brewer in February after an internal recruitment process began last September.

The company has since embarked on the design and construction of a140-seat restaurant, bar and microbrewery in Kennedy Town, which will showcase the full range of Little Creatures and White Rabbit beers.

Matt Tapper, head of Lion’s new international division Lion Global Markets, said the time is right for the Kirin subsidiary to increase its investment and focus overseas.

“Australasian provenance is key. Consumers in Asia are looking for quality products with genuine credentials and we offer a portfolio of high quality products with great heritage and authenticity,” he said.

“The Australian dollar has structurally declined, free trade arrangements are improving access to international markets and an Asian middle class is emerging with an appetite to try new things.

“There is already a nascent craft beer scene in China and Hong Kong, but we think the Little Creatures hospitality team can bring something different to the region. As more people experience Little Creatures, we’ll look to achieve distribution in other venues,” Tapper said.

No launch date has been given but Little Creatures began recruiting for venue hospitality staff in late April.