Fremantle pubs and butchers are preparing for a surge in trade as about 40,000 Dockers supporters descend on the port city for Saturday’s match, with businesses forecasting thousands of pints, pizzas and purple sausages.
Gage Roads at the A-Shed, overlooking the working harbour, expects to serve about 7,000 pints at its venue, including 2,000 of its Purple Reign beer brewed especially for the finals.
The pub is also preparing 1,200 serves of chips – equivalent to about half a tonne – and 1,500 pizzas. Miles Hull, head of hospitality at Gage Roads owner Good Drinks Australia, said the result of the match could have a direct effect on bar sales.
“If it’s a nail-biter, no one wants to leave their seat or take their eyes off the game and people are caught up in the moment of the game and so it goes quiet at the bar,” he said.
Hull said sales had fluctuated during Fremantle’s elimination final against Geelong, reflecting the action on the field.
“You could track the state of the game by the bar sales,” he said. “The beer sales were really strong, but they slowed down in that last quarter and then picked up at the end of the game.”
Police, the City of Fremantle and the state government are expecting large crowds, with road closures planned in the central business district and four large screens installed for people watching the match. A sold-out event at South Fremantle Oval is also expected to draw thousands.
Karl Bullers, owner of the Old Court House and the National Hotel, is forecasting sales three times higher than a normal Saturday. His ticketed event at the National sold out immediately.
He said the pubs had received calls from supporters asking whether they could camp outside from 5.30am to secure a place in front of the screens.
Fremantle Dockers supporters turn to purple sausages
For those staying away from the crowds or unable to travel to Melbourne, butchers across Western Australia are reporting stronger demand for barbecue supplies, with several producing purple sausages to mark Fremantle’s second grand final appearance.
Tony Scarfo of Scarfos Meating Place in Myaree expects to sell up to half a tonne of purple sausage by Saturday afternoon. The product became associated with the Dockers ahead of their first grand final appearance in 2013.
Scarfo said sales over the week could reach between 400 and 500kg. The sausages are made by dipping barbecue beef sausages in purple food colouring and water, and he expects overall trade to be about 30 per cent higher than in a normal week.
Nick Thomson, a butcher in Willetton and an Essendon supporter, expects sales to rise by about 20 per cent. Most of his staff support Fremantle and have created a purple and white chicken-and-cheese sausage.
Plantagenet Meats has also refined its purple chicken sausage after an unsuccessful attempt in 2013. Owner Josh Liebeck said the sausages had previously turned green, but the business now expected sales to double between Thursday and Saturday.
“It’s been a character building 32 years. Hopefully, we can come away with a win,” Liebeck said.
