COVID-19 Pauses Business for World Class Brewer: Hill Farmstead Brewery

World-famous brewer Shaun Hill decided to take a pause on his business during COVID-19. Hill took a trip to New Zealand in March 2020 to select hops to take back to his renowned Hill Farmstead brewery. Hill was forced to self-isolate in NZ; during this period, he could not help but assess his business model in light of COVID-19. Back home, the majority of the brewery’s employees were laid off and the taproom and testing room had to be closed. However, a month later, with COVID-19 safety guidelines in place, contact-less pickup reopened. Then, for three months in late 2020, Hill closed the operation for a “sabbatical of sorts” for personal and professional development. Was it a mistake to close the world-famous brewery and would Hill break his world winning streak?