Failed sale sends Black Hops back into administration

Black Hops Brewing has entered voluntary administration for the second time in just over two years after a proposed sale of the Gold Coast craft beer business collapsed at a late stage.

Christopher Cook and James Robba of Worrells were appointed joint and several voluntary administrators of Black Hops Craft Pty Ltd and Green Hops Brewing Pty Ltd on 21 July 2026.

The administrators intend to continue operating the business while they assess the companies’ financial position and conduct a sale process. Black Hops’ two Gold Coast taprooms remain open.

Managing director Luke McCormack said the business had been engaged in advanced sale discussions over recent months, but the transaction fell through shortly before completion. The directors determined that voluntary administration offered the best prospect of preserving the brewery and securing a future for the business.

Cook said the administrators’ immediate priorities were to stabilise operations, preserve value and provide interested parties with an opportunity to acquire the business.

The appointment follows Black Hops’ first voluntary administration in March 2024, when Deloitte administrators were appointed to the former operating entities. Their investigations identified debts exceeding $7 million and raised concerns that the companies may have traded while insolvent.

A consortium of existing and new investors subsequently acquired the brewery through Black Hops Craft in May 2024. The ownership group included early investor Darren Hill and McCormack, who later became managing director.

Black Hops was founded by Michael McGovern, Eddie Oldfield and Dan Norris, and opened its first Burleigh Heads taproom in 2016. The business expanded into a larger production brewery at Biggera Waters in 2019 and, at its peak, reportedly produced more than 2.5 million litres of beer annually and employed about 70 people.

The brewery also raised substantial capital through crowdfunding, including approximately $400,000 in an equity campaign in 2019 and a further $2.2 million in 2022.