Hello there Taste Master fans, it’s Friday so that can only mean one thing……film time!

In the third of four short films all about Perth, I’m taken on a craft beer crawl of Fremantle by local brewer Brendan Varis.

Brendan is the head brewer and owner of Feral Brewing Co, one of Australia’s top craft breweries. Their award-winning beers started out life in the Swan Valley just outside Perth, and the original Brewpub still stands on the site, producing quality craft beers.

Fremantle is seen by many as the home of craft brewing in Australia and Brendan sets out to give me a taste of where it began and where it is today. From just a small handful in the 1980s, there are now over 40 breweries in Western Australia and over 200 in Australia.

Fremantle is a port city with an alternative vibe, filled with art and live music. Within walking distance there’s an array of craft beer pubs, brew pubs and breweries, serving up great beer and food to boot. I really enjoyed making this one!

Here’s how we got on…

WARNING: If you’re of a nervous disposition I’d advise against watching this video.

It still makes me wince every time I see myself clambering out the tiny door and putting my foot on the wheel step. You’ll see what I mean….

If you’ve just jumped out of a light aircraft over Perth, you’re probably in need of a stiff drink (I most certainly was). Here’re some great bars to get that much needed thirst quencher after plummeting to Earth from 50,000 feet.

The Mechanics Institute: Great bar in the heart of Perth’s Cultural Centre, with a wicked view of the city from their rooftop beer garden. A constantly changing cocktail menu ensures there’s something for everyone…although I still always go for a Hillbilly Bob’s Ruckus Juice and a burger from their kitchen downstairs. Winners of the 2013 Small Bar Of The Year Award. Well done chaps!

El Publico: Modern Mexican kitchen and bar on Beaufort Street with Australia’s best new culinary chef Sam Ward at the helm. Not only do they serve great and extremely interesting plates of food straight from the streets of Mexico, they’ve got an extensive tequila and mezcal menu. If I remember rightly last time I was there I had mezcal ice pops with sea salt and something else….but I can’t remember rightly because I had mezcal ice pops.

Stables Bar: No horses here anymore, no Sir. There used to be mind you, loads of them too as The Stables Bar in the CBD was originally one of Perth’s historic equine retreats. Now it’s split over two levels, an outside bar with panoramic views of the city skyline up top, and a cobbled courtyard and bar down below. The food menu is a take on modern Australian dining, but most importantly of all they serve a great pint of Guinness.

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Well, 6 weeks ago I was stood on stage at the Sydney Art Gallery, where the Best Jobs winners were announced, in front of a host of TV cameras and news crews,

with my new Taste Master apron hanging proudly around my neck, clutching my giant Western Australia salt and pepper grinders and thanking WA, Tourism Australia and pretty much everybody for making me the new Taste Master of Western Australia.

Since that surreal moment I’ve been back at home in Brighton, preparing for the trip and returning to some sort of normality, with the whole experience seeming like a weird crazy dream. That was until Australia phoned a couple of days ago… “Hi Rich, your visa’s nearly through. When do you want to fly out?!” So 6 months after sending in my application video it’s all about to actually happen. The last couple of days I’ve been frantically packing and organising for the big trip. I’ve had a brief teaser of my first months’ itinerary, and now I fully understand why it’s called The Best Jobs in the World. Talk about a good start to September, I’ll be heading to Australia’s North West for some mud crabbing, pearl harvesting, fishing and foraging in the Kimberley, and then tasting my way around the bountiful flavours of Broome.

So WA, here I come!

I’m really looking forward to meeting you all, embarking on new adventures and exploring WA, starting with Perth next Sunday… I’m hitting the ground running (literally!) and I’ve just registered for the City to Surf 12 km run.

Running shoes: Check
Blister cream: Check

Hope my jet lag’s subsided.

See you all very soon!