Issue No: 03
Issue Date: 8/1/2004
The BBBC has a range of four beers – Aardvark
Ale, Leopard Lager, Baboon Bitter and Dikdik
Draught – which use special African materials to
give “a taste of Africa” to Australian consumers.
Let me point out that the dikdik is also a type of
African antelope, despite what you might have
thought.
H AP P Y N EW Y E AR
A Happy New Year to all of you. For those who
are returning from leave, I trust you enjoyed your
time away from the coalface. For those of you
who laboured mightily over the festive period,
thank you. May you enjoy your leave when it
comes.
The BBBC has undertaken market trials to test
the acceptance of its African-derived product,
and the response was so positive that it has
decided to expand its production facilities to
Australia. It is not economically viable to import
all the raw materials from Africa, particularly
given the excellent quality of Australian barley.
Therefore, a decision was made to use the local
barley, mixed with small quantities of materials
imported from their African headquarters.
The big news for this year – a Christmas present
for SimuLab – is a major new contract that will
take us into new areas. More of that later.
CO M ING S AN D G O IN G S
We have had a few staff changes since our last
newsletter, so I wish to take this opportunity to
welcome the new Laboratory Supervisor to the
team.
The BBBC has set up a pilot plant on Kooragang
Island to test the new formulation of the special
African flavours with Australian barley.
Let me also bid a belated farewell to Alan
Rimmer, Julius Starker and Mary Jo Armstrong.
I hope that they find their new careers as
rewarding as their time at SimuLab.
The role of SimuLab is four-fold:

to validate the quality of the imported raw
materials

to analyse the product from the pilot plant

to develop test methods where necessary

to act as consultant for the pilot plant in
assisting in the development of the
formulation of the four beers
N AT A AC C R E DIT AT I O N
I am very pleased that the NATA inspection went
so smoothly, and that our registration was
granted for three years. To all staff who were
involved in the preparation for the inspectors’
visit, my most sincere thanks.
We will be appointing a project manager whose
role it will be to liaise with the staff at the pilot
plant, and to coordinate activities within
SimuLab.
It is our intention to make this appreciation more
tangible with a dinner at a local restaurant for all
staff and partners in February when we have all
recovered from Christmas excesses. Stay tuned
for more information.
No doubt many of you will have some part to play
in this exciting new venture for SimuLab.
I should also thank Brian Baxterhill, whose
knowledge of African beer, and more importantly,
his friendship with the chairman of the BBBC,
has helped SimuLab secure this contract.
A N EW R O L E FO R SI M UL AB
And now the big news. In December, SimuLab
signed a three year contract to provide laboratory
facilities and production assistance with a new
venture into the Australian beer market by the
Bongo Better Brewing Company (BBBC), an
African company. By the way, it has been
explained to me that the bongo in the company’s
title is not a drum, but a type of antelope.
Managing Director
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Issue No: 03
Issue Date: 8/1/2004
EM PLO Y E E P RO F IL E
Brian Baxterhill
A new feature for SimuLab news: each issue will
feature one of our staff. This month is the turn of
Senior Technical Officer (Organic Group) and
African beer specialist, Brian Baxterhill.
When did you begin working at SimuLab?
1996
Where did you work before joining SimuLab?
Africa, Tooheys (Sydney), Cascade (Tasmania)
What are your hobbies away from work?
Beer, football, developing the perfect body
What is your favourite music?
The Beer Barrel Polka, Up There Cazaly
What are you currently reading?
Ralph, FHM, Inside Sport
What are your favourite TV shows?
The Footy Show, Get Smart, Red Dwarf, Beer
Drinker’s Guide To Britain
What is your favourite food?
Chicken vindaloo
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