Tim Rasheed (pictured) and his brother Harry reckon customer service is the key to a successful business. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Local beer enthusiasts have been giving me the nudge about a Belconnen bottle shop stocking a massive range of craft beers. So I went to check it out for myself.
Brothers Harry and Tim Rasheed took over The Page Bottler just over 10 years ago and have been steadily building it into a destination for all things craft beer.
“We’re trying to do something totally different to everyone else,” Tim told Region.
“We want to shine a light on smaller brewers and show off some stuff that’s a bit left of centre.”
The result is a walk-in fridge that is packed with craft beers. They’ve gained a reputation as the kind of guys who will happily buy a case of anything weird and wonderful, so small-scale breweries know that they can rely on them to buy seasonal specials and one-off collaborations.
The walk-in fridge at The Page Bottler is chock-full of colourful craft beers. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Tim explained that they often buy in small quantities, so once they’re gone, they’re replaced on the shelf by something entirely different.
“I’d say we have 30 to 40 new beers coming through every week,” Tim said.
“In peak season, we’d have anywhere up to 500 different craft beers, but it usually sits around 400.”
There is also a good selection of local wines and spirits, with a focus on smaller, local operations.
In addition to in-store sales, The Page Bottler offers a beer subscription service, where customers sign up for monthly or bi-monthly deliveries of 16 craft beers, hand-selected by Tim and Harry to suit each individual’s taste. Tim explained that customers can elect to avoid certain styles (no sour beers, for example), and they keep a spreadsheet of every beer the customer has had before to avoid doubling up. The beers are boxed up and posted out, some interstate and others just to the other side of Canberra.
“It gets people to try something that they may not have picked for themselves off the shelf. So next time they’re buying a beer, they might have a new favourite brewery. And people often stay subscribed for years, so that’s been a really important part of the business for us.”
Customers can sign up for a monthly subscription of hand-selected craft beers. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
There are also a couple of unique beers on offer: each year, Tim sends his specifications to Queensland-based Bacchus Brewing, who make exclusive tinnies for the shop. Last year, they made a Tiramisu Pastry Stout, and this year, they asked for a beer that tasted like a Drumstick ice cream!
In the 10 years since he’s been running the shop, Tim has seen plenty of changes in the craft brewing industry. He says customers are now well-informed about independent brewers and are seeking a truly craft experience. Over COVID-19, people made an effort to support local Australian brewers, and that sentiment has stuck around. When he first started, they stocked the shelves with a lot of International beers, but now that there are so many locals, he doesn’t need to.
The Page Bottler is a specialist in local craft beers. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Although the beers get people in the door, Tim attributes his long-term success to customer service. He credits his brother Harry as chief salesman, saying that remembering what customers like and having a chat with them is what keeps them coming back again and again.
“We’ve been here 10 years, so we must be doing something right!”
The Page Bottler is located at Shop 2-4 Page Pl, Page. They are open from 10 am to 7 pm Monday to Saturday, and from 10 am to 6 pm on Sunday. Follow The Page Bottler on Facebook or Instagram.
