It Takes a Village with Fraser Hughes
BACK TO FUN STUFFIt takes a village to bring Eagle Bay Brewing Co. to life, and with every village its people are its backbone. As part of our it takes a village journal, we meet some of the people that make our village. Meet Fraser Hughes, our Sales Manager.
Fraser started working in bottle-shops fresh out of high school, and naturally developed a taste for craft beer as he developed through the ranks into a management position for BWS and later Leederville Liquor Merchants.
“I was really getting into craft beer at that time, around 2015, as it was exploding in a big way in Perth. There was a lot happening. So I was curating that booze selection at Leederville Liquor Merchants and that was a really cool experience. I tried to get into beer sales, as it just felt like the natural progression. I was like,’This is what I want to do. I want to become a beer rep’. And had a crack at doing that for a few years but never broke the door down. So I decided to take some leave and moved overseas for a year.”
Fraser moved to Japan for six months and then moved to Europe with a plan to live there for a while.
“My partner and I got German visas and we were living in Berlin, and travelling around everywhere. But then winter started setting in and it was grey and miserable and we didn’t have a solid place to live. We were subletting and moving around from month to month. We were like, ‘Summer’s coming back in Perth and everyone’s going to the beach.’ We got a bit homesick and decided,‘Let’s just come back for summer and just get a casual job’.
But around that time a sales job had popped up and I applied for it on a whim thinking,‘You never know… I’ve been wanting to do this for a while’. Then I got my first role in sales, working as an Account Manager for Nail Brewing. I ended up working with Nail for three and a bit years there until I started at Eagle Bay in 2022. I’m now the Sales Manager for our team of three sales reps.
What is your favourite part of your role Eagle Bay?
I really, really like the crew here. We’ve got an awesome team and I really enjoy being part of that team. We also have really good beer and it’s easy to sell really good beer. If the liquid is good, the rest of it is good to go, as long as we get the job done on our end.
I also like having a strong connection between sales, marketing and brewing. I feel like I’ve got a perfect triangle here, where we are making things work and it’s super exciting. We are all aligned in what we want to achieve, and that’s making good beer, being good people and having a good time.
What are your hobbies outside of work?
I’m a shit golfer… I play a lot of terrible golf. Music has always been a big part of my life but it’s more solo focused now. I used to play guitar in a band but now I play a lot of synthesizers and drum machines, so I just make techno music basically. It’s a far reach from what I used to play, as it’s a lot of electronic music. Squishy, swirly synthesizers and stuff.
Honestly, I just enjoy hanging out and drinking good booze and eating good food, as well.
What’s your favourite locals in Perth?
If I am hanging out having a pint, I’m probably having it at Pica. I very much enjoy having a cold pint at Pica Bar.
I live in Maylands, so I do a lot of walking down to Seasonal Brewing Co for beers and cruising into Highgate for a wine and some snacks at Si Paradiso. But being a rep, I’m always on the road, trying beers all around Perth and beyond.
What’s your go-to south west venue?
I always find myself going to have drinks and food at Bungalow, I’ve had some solo dinners there. It’s always great.
And shout out to Taz’s for their chicken ceasar roll. I get that every single time I’m down here.
Staffie of choice?
Whatever Keegs (Head Brewer) has in the tank. I like drinking shit out of the tank or from the barrels in the bottom shed. I’m pretty much just grabbing whatever’s fresh down here, if I can try some stuff down here before it gets back up to me in Perth. That’s always fun.