THE STORY
Hey Tomorrow is a brand born out of frustration. The source of this frustration was – and remains – Australia's inefficient recycling processes, but on a typically rainy Melbourne evening, we realised that there's a uniquely Australian answer to wine waste – casks.
The challenges were obvious, given the terrible reputation of cask wine in this country. If it's not lovingly clutched in the arms of a backpacker on St Kilda or Bondi Beach, or swinging gracefully through the air on a Hills Hoist, it's taking up space at the back of your grandparents' fridge or cupboard and tasting like vinegar. Fortunately, this doesn't have to be the norm, and we – sommeliers, restaurateurs, wine lovers – believed that people would be happy to give cask wine another chance, if they were given a good enough reason to.
We knew that the wine needed to taste good, so we approached Victoria's best winemakers with a bold plan. We told them that we'd look after the packaging, branding, logistics and education, if they let us put their name on the box alongside ours. It was risky; winemakers have only their reputation and wine to rely on, so it's no surprise some scoffed and said it couldn't be done. Others, on the other hand, were intrigued, and we managed to get some nibbles after showing off the beautiful boxes designed by our friends at Motherbird. More nibbles followed, and there are plenty more to come.
MEET THE TEAM
Sacha Imrie
Sacha moved to Australia, from Scotland, in 2013 on a working holiday visa. She began working at Bomba Bar, in Melbourne's CBD, the same year and went on to study her WSET 4. Sacha honed her wine knowledge at Cutler & Co. and Marion. She has two young daughters – Chloe & Isla – as well as a degree in fine arts specialising in sculpture.
Shane Barrett
Shane is a proud Tasmanian who made the move to the mainland in 2008. He quickly settled into some of Melbourne's best restaurants, establishing a fine reputation as a sommelier with classic wine knowledge. He has a passion for pushing the industry forward, and by introducing Mornington Peninsula winery Yabby Lake to cult restaurant Chin Chin, he achieved this by being the first to put quality wine on tap. With Hey Tomorrow, he hopes to continue moving the needle. Shane shares Sacha's two daughters and they live in Fairfield.
Kelly O’Loghlen
Kelly moved from New Zealand to Melbourne in 2003 and fell in love with the quality and variety of high-end dining on offer. He moved to London in 2008 to hone his management skills and returned several years later to begin planning a new restaurant with Shane, Andrew and Jesse. He loves cricket, travelling and oysters, and celebrated the birth of his first child with partner Ashleigh in September 2021.
Jesse Gerner
Jesse grew up in Adelaide and eventually met his wife, Vanessa, in Newcastle. They set off through Europe together, forging a passion for locavore cuisine while working at institutions like The River Café and Moro. They settled in Melbourne, opening acclaimed restaurants Añada and Bomba while raising their three young boys. They share a passion for design, architecture and sustainable living, and spent 2014/15 building their dream family home, while Jesse is also an avid sailor and loves to share his passion for nature and the outdoors.
Andrew Fisk
Andrew, who also hails from Tasmania, boasts an extensive cooking resumé featuring some of Melbourne's finest restaurants. He has a genuine passion for quality ingredients and where they come from, while his love of snowboarding and sailing lends itself to protecting the places that make him happy. Fisky, as we call him, is known for his broad knowledge of whiskey, while his wine philosophy is simple: sustainable, tasty and well made.