Mrs Brown

Owners Siobhan Blumann and Hamish Fleming can thank their time in Melbourne for bringing such a successful haunt to North Fremantle.

In a previous life, Siobhan worked in Urban Design for the City of Melbourne, when small bar licences were just being introduced in the Victorian capital. She loved how quickly they became part of the urban fabric and was keen to establish a similar presence in her new locale of North Fremantle after she and Hamish relocated to Perth in 2004.

The idea of becoming publicans appealed to the couple, who had high hopes of reinvigorating the Victorian terraces along the high street and bringing back a sense of community. The vision was to build a truly local bar where people would feel as comfortable dropping in solo for a drink, meeting for a first date, catching up with a group of old mates or even hanging out with the family.

"Mrs Brown was literally 'born' at the same time as our third child. I was in a meeting and had shooting pain down my leg, so I suggested we wrap up, and Magnus was born 12 hours later!" Siobhan says. "We had set out to open prior to his birth, but the best-laid plans don't always work out. We welcomed everyone in mid-April 2009."

The couple had previously opened Flipside burgers next door in 2006 and saw a market for a licensed venue, which served the immediate neighbourhood.

"We seem to be attracted to heritage buildings, so having Flipside next door meant we didn't have to fit out Mrs Brown with a kitchen. Flipside could provide the food to satisfy a liquor licensing requirement," she said. "We initially opened Mrs Brown for only 70 people, as we were nervous as to how the community would react." A year later, they expanded their footprint to include a rear courtyard.

First and foremost, Mrs Brown sets the scene as a comfortable, inclusive place to socialise - like hanging out in a mate's lounge room that just happens to have a really well-stocked bar.

The inside room is an intimate space with an industrial feel of exposed brick walls, metallic pipe hanging lights, bric-a-brac furniture and board games stacked on bookshelves. Outside, the courtyard is centred by a mature tree and features an open wood fire for winter warmth.

As for the name, "We were chatting to friends about what to name our bar which was on Queen Victoria Street, and we said, 'If only Queen Victoria had a nick name'," says Siobhan. "Someone piped up and said, 'She did, it's Mrs Brown' and that was it!"

Wine is the focus of the drink's menu, with bottles from the Southwest and European vineyards. There is also a range of seasonal cocktails and revolving craft beers on tap by local Western Australian producers. The menu is designed to feature producers that value sustainability, organic principles, and independence whilst also delicious, with something for everyone to enjoy.

As for food, Flipside burgers (naturally) can be ordered and brought in from the kitchen next door delivered directly to your table. Custom' picnic' boards from Mrs Brown Pantry feature a selection of soft and hard cheeses⁠, crackers⁠, bread and olive oil, and pickled vegetables⁠. Plus, Siobhan and Hamish's other North Freo venue, Propeller, delivers manoushe pizzas from Wednesday to Sunday.

Photo credit: Jess Wyld