Gold Coast brewery Black Hops has announced Nick Boots will be its new CEO, following the business exiting administration last month.

The brewery was saved from liquidation by a consortium of “previous investors and passionate supporters” following administrator Deloitte revealing the business was burdened by debts to creditors of more than $7 million. 

General Manager of Transition and a co-owner of the newly formed Black Hops Craft Luke McCormack said: “One of our highest priorities in taking ownership of Black Hops was searching for an experienced leader to guide the business forward.

“Clearly Nick has a track record of results in the industry, and we’re thrilled to have him on board.

“From day one of the business transition the passion and talent within the Black Hops team was clear.  Our commitment was to find our team a leader to take us forward and we believe we’ve delivered this for the business in the earliest of days.  We could not be happier with this appointment.”

Boots is an industry veteran who has most recently held General Manager roles at Kegstar (Brambles Ltd) and Stone & Wood (Fermentum Group).

“The reputation Black Hops has for its beers is outstanding and I’m thrilled to be on board,” he said.

“Everyone within the industry knows Black Hops beers sit amongst the very best in the market and I am energised by the significant future opportunities for Black Hops beers, brand, brewery, team and the future of the business.”

“The beer market continues to evolve, providing new challenges and exciting new opportunities to brewers who are listening to their consumers, partnering with their trade customers, have a clearly defined strategy and are leveraging the full talent of their team.”

“At Stone & Wood I was part of a team that achieved great success for all its stakeholders, providing learnings that will be relevant for Black Hops and can be applied in a uniquely ‘Black Hops way’ that is respectful of history while being progressive and future focused.”

Mighty Craft pins survival hopes on Better Beer merger