Sydney’s oldest continually licensed hotel, and home of Australia’s oldest pub brewery, sells to Arthur Laundy & family

JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group is delighted to announce the successful sale of the iconic Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel, located in Sydney’s historical beating heart, The Rocks, along with the famed Lord Nelson Beer brand.

Popularly referred to as 'The Lord,' the hotel is prominently located on the corner of Kent and Argyle Streets, equidistant between Circular Quay, Sydney Harbour & transportation hub, and the thriving Barangaroo precinct. The property boasts a basement cellar housing Australia's first fully operational pub brewery, a ground floor public bar with original features, a first-floor fine dining restaurant, and two floors featuring nine boutique accommodation rooms.

Blair Hayden, who purchased the hotel with his business partners in 1986, oversaw the meticulous restoration of the sandstone building to its former glory and has operated it ever since. The construction of the fully functional Micro Brewery helped pioneer the independent craft beer movement in Australia and is now the oldest independent craft brewery in the country.

While pleased about the successful sale, Hayden also contemplates the bittersweet notion of bidding farewell to the cherished establishment.

"We have a deep affection for this pub; however, after almost 40 years, we recognise that the brand will benefit from improved resources to propel the business to new heights. We have full confidence that the Laundy family will be excellent custodians of 'The Lord,' expressed Mr. Hayden.

The Lord Nelson Beer brand is best known for its immensely popular and award-winning 'Three Sheet' Pale Ale, which accounts for approximately 90% of craft beer sales under the Lord Nelson banner. Brewed since 1986, Three Sheets is one of the pioneering pale ales in the Australian craft beer industry and is currently available on tap and in the fridges of over 125 Sydney pubs, restaurants, and hotels. The beer is also distributed in bottles and cans through independent retailers across Australia.

JLL Hotel &Hospitality Senior Vice President, Kate MacDonald, had the exclusive mandate to oversee the sale and has worked closely with both parties to finalise the transaction.

"It was an honour to bring such an iconic asset and brand to the market and ensure that the Lord Nelson legacy persists in Sydney and throughout Australia. Blair and his team have created one of the finest establishments in our city, and having successfully operated for nearly four decades is an extraordinary achievement. The Laundy Group is not only well-positioned to operate the pub, but their ability to expand the esteemed beer brand is evident through their large-scale brewery in Marsden Park," stated MacDonald.

Laundy Hotels will get the keys to ‘The Lord’ in 8 weeks, and until then, it will be business as usual.

This sale adds weight to a growing number of transaction announcements for JLL’s niche pubs platform which facilitated $530m of asset sales through the first half of 2024.

JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group, 12^th August 2024