There’s people will tell you Campbelltown’s best watering hole in 2021 is the Beer Shed in Leumeah.
It’s got more beers on tap – 14 at any one time, thank you very much – than just about anywhere else, and great food on the weekend.
And the atmosphere, especially on weekends, is just the way a good pub should be like – the sort of buzz that makes you feel good to be alive.
It’s perfect for families or members of the Bullpen, the active supporters group of Macarthur FC who are there whether the team plays at home or away.
Hang on, you say, the Beer Shed? Isn’t that the place in Hollylea Road where you go for home brew? It’s now a bar that opens seven days a week?
Owner Jai Kemp, pictured above, is quick to bust the myth that the Beer Shed was ever a glorified home brew joint.
“It started as a micro brewery back in 2007 to serve the needs of local beer enthusiasts who preferred to consume a boutique beverage instead of the commercial variety on offer,’’ he says.
“And yes, the punters would come and have a beer of their choice made for them, but this was top shelf quality – and it still is.’’
Jai Kemp sounds like the average Campbelltown bloke who likes a chat over a quiet beer or two.
For that reason, and one or two others, surely we can forgive that he lives in Engadine – after all it’s only on the edge of the “Shire’’.
Married with four children – a girl and three boys – Jai does have family here, with his in-laws at Ingleburn, and if you could become a naturalised Campbelltonian no doubt he would.
So how did a young man from Engadine end up owning an iconic Campbelltown enterprise like the Beer Shed?
“I was playing golf, around 10 years ago at Camden Lakeside with a mate, and he said, there’s a brewery near here,’’ Jai says.
“So I dropped in to have a look, and I thought, wow, this is awesome. I met the owner, bought a brew, in one of those fridges, and took it home, told the wife a bit of a furphy about it.’’
When the opportunity came along, Jai jumped at the chance to become the owner of his own brewery – at Campbelltown.
And while making great beer and selling it was fine for while, there’s no doubt Jai always planned to convert the Beer Shed into more than just a brewery.
Despite the Covid-19 disruption, Jai Kemp couldn’t be happier with how things are finally going now that the Beer Shed is a seven day bar, with food and entertainment on weekends.
“People come from far and wide, Liverpool in the north and the Southern Highlands in the south to taste our beers and our hospitality,’’ he says.
The bar opens from 11 in the morning every day, but closes at different hours in the evenings.
“Our biggest bar days are Friday, Saturdays and Sundays, when we also have food trucks, which rotate,’’ Jai says.
“When we first opened, in October of 2019, we were looking good, trade was increasing all the time – then, bang, Covid landed.
“It impacted us immediately because we had to close the bar down for a period of time, and then up until recently we’ve had to let a lot fewer people in because of social distancing restrictions.
“But it’s had some good things, we’ve been able to fine tune, and our take away has been a lot better.’’
A proud moment for the Beer Shed was when iconic Wollondilly pub King George IV started serving their popular Picton Pale Ale brand.
Beer Shed packaged products are now available via local BWS stores, so the business is emerging strong after the horrors of 2020 and the pandemic.
“We love having people here, this is the fun part of the business, making the beer and the bar, but some times the people who like our beer may just want to buy a case and stay home and have a drink, so that is why we want to sell our packages products via other outlets,’’ says Jai.
But the bottom line with the Beer Shed will always be how good their beers are, and if you ask anyone who’s tried a few they will give you a thumbs up every time.
In his time here among us, Jai Kemp has noticed what a giving community we have in Campbelltown – and when in Rome you do as the Romans do.
“We are doing a lot of stuff in the community,’’ Jai says.
“Last year we collected presents for kids for Community Connect and we plan a huge toy drive this year.
“The community in Campbelltown is so welcoming, humble and down to earth, and we love being part of that.’’
I’ll drink to that – make it a Picton Pale Ale, cheers.
- The Beer Shed was featured in the We Are Campbelltown series produced for Campbelltown Council by local film production company Brick Studios. To watch it click here.
