1 North Beach Road, North Beach
Ph: 0429 936 572
www.frothcraft.com
Enjoy the best view at Froth
Situated on the corner of North Beach Road and West Coast Drive is the newest outlet for Froth Craft Brewery. Froth started out in Exmouth in 2017 and was the first brewery to open between Perth and Broome. In 2022, they opened Froth Craft Bunbrewery, the first brewpub to operate in Bunbury. Then in 2023, they started working on the North Beach venue which opened in December, after an impressively quick three-month fit-out. The long hot, dry summer was a perfect time to open a taphouse/pizzeria just across the street from the ocean, halfway between Scarborough and Hillarys.
Even in winter, Froth Craft Brewery is a cosy, warm venue with rustic decor, craft beers and high quality simple food. It is inviting to all ages, with the inclusion of a play area outside for children, and dogs on leads are welcome on the lower deck. The amazing view over the cliffs and out to sea can be enjoyed from all areas. I am sure the sunsets would be spectacular. On fine days, the outside terraces make a great spot for whiling away a few hours watching the waves and watching the passers-by as you sip on a tasty Froth beverage.
The bar inside was made by re-purposing a seven-metre jarrah boat, originally built in Wattleup in 1948. The venue has recycled brick walls and is full of quirky pieces of bric-a-brac. There are shipyard ropes hanging from the ceiling and hand-made timber slab benches and tables outside.
The bar is stocked with up to 17 different Froth beers on tap plus seasonal varieties, cider, cocktails and a selection of local wines and craft spirits. If you are not sure which beer you will like, you can try a tasting paddle of four, six or even 22 different varieties. We sampled four, including a mild rice beer, an IPA, a fruity pale ale and a stout. Each had their own distinctive flavour.
The menu is simple – good honest food all cooked in the pizza oven and served on wooden paddles. Predominantly pizza of course, but the tender sliced sirloin steak drizzled with chimichurri sauce with salad on the side was excellent, which went well with a big bowl of fries and aioli. There are 10 different pizzas on the menu, all with quirky names. We tried the Don’t Kiss Me Later which was topped with garlic oil, aged parmesan and mozzarella, finished with fresh rocket and prosciutto and the Jesse Soprano, topped with house-made Napoli sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, sliced jalapeños, black olives, roasted capsicum and mushrooms, which was delicious.
The venue hosts monthly Meet the Maker events, often featuring Gerry Fraser’s oyster-shucking talents to accompany tastings of local wines or craft spirits, also regular quiz nights, DJs and musicians, however the beautiful ocean view is the major daytime entertainment, fascinating in all weather.
We chatted to Chef Jesse Cody, whose 20 years of experience readied him for the challenge of cooking everything in the pizza oven. He said it was a fabulous location serving good, simple food and great beers, and great staff to work with.
Pete Firth, one of the venue owners, told us it had been 30 odd years since the nearby, old Castle Hotel closed, and the locals were very happy to be able to indulge in a beer close to home. There were certainly plenty of people enjoying the venue even on the rainy weekday when we were there.
By Georgina Goss
