Dave Pynt built Burnt Ends into one of Singapore’s most talked-about restaurants by doing things his own way. Now, with People People Brewing Co. at Resorts World Sentosa, he’s applying the same logic to beer. He talks to WAGFG about garage brewing, live fire and what it actually takes to build a local. Thinking of heading to Singapore? Check out our recently launched Singapore Stays guide .
Burnt Ends has spent a decade quietly redefining what a restaurant can feel like in this part of the world. Why beer, and why now?
Beer just felt like a natural next step. BBQ and beer is always a great idea. At Burnt Ends, we’ve always been focused on flavour, on craft, and on creating a place where people want to hang out, not just dine and disappear. Beer slots straight into that. It’s another way for us to create, to add flavour, to just be in an easy, fun space. And it’s definitely not something that happened overnight. We’ve been talking about and working towards this for over five years.
For me it actually goes way back. I was brewing at home as a kid in the garage, making a mess and figuring things out, so there’s always been that connection to beer in the background. This just feels like a more grown-up, full-scale version of that.
Why now? It just feels like the right time. The scene’s growing, Singaporeans are becoming more curious about beer, where it’s made and how it’s made, but it can still feel a bit serious or intimidating. We just want to make really good, tasty beer that people enjoy drinking. Keep it fun and approachable. At the end of the day it’s pretty simple: good beer, good food, good music, good times.
The name is disarmingly simple. Where did People People come from, and what does it ask of everyone who walks through the door?
The name is intentionally simple. People People is really just about that: people. It’s hospitality at its core. Bringing people together to have a really good time around good beer, good food and good vibes. From the start it’s been about everyone involved in making this happen: designers, builders, brewers, chefs, service teams, musicians, artists, accountants, and of course our guests. All of those people coming together in one space, contributing to the energy of it. We didn’t want anything that felt exclusive or fancy. It’s meant to be open, easy, welcoming and fun. What it asks of people is pretty simple: come in, drink some beer and have a good time.
Nick Calder-Scholes is a serious brewer with serious credentials. What was the conversation that brought him into this project, and what have you given him the freedom to do?
This is a big project, so we got our friends at Placed Recruitment involved to help find the right person. They introduced us to Nick, and there was already a bit of a connection there. Katrina knew one of his previous employers in Croatia, and we’d actually visited the brewery before, so it all felt pretty natural. Nick’s got a serious reputation, but more importantly, he just got what we were trying to do straight away.
We told him about the project, the people involved, the kind of place we wanted to build, and from there it was pretty simple. We gave him free rein on the beer and the brewery side. The brief wasn’t complicated: make really high-quality, delicious, creative beers that people actually want to drink. That’s it.
Resorts World Sentosa is not an obvious home for a brewery with genuine craft ambitions. How do you protect the integrity of what you’re building in an environment that big and that busy?
Actually, we see Resorts World Sentosa as a great home for it. It’s a destination in its own right: fifteen minutes from the CBD, plenty of space, and the scale to build something properly. That was a big part of the appeal. You’ve got a natural mix of people coming through: locals, tourists, families, people heading to or from Universal Studios, and they’re the same people who’ll drop in for a beer, a feed, maybe some live music or to watch a game. That kind of energy really suits what we’re trying to do.
In terms of protecting the integrity: it’s our business, we lease the space, so we get to make the decisions. Our focus is always on quality. The beer, the food, the music, the whole experience. Not cutting corners. If we get that right, the setting becomes an advantage, not a compromise.
Live fire cooking is your native language. How do you make sure the food serves the beer rather than the other way around? And what are your favourite things on the menu right now?
Beer and BBQ go hand in hand. Normally with pairings you create the food and then try to find a drink that works with it. Here we think about the beers first and then create dishes that eat well while you’re drinking them. The food follows the beer.
Some of my favourite things on the menu right now: the Spent Grain Crackers, Salt and Pepper Squid, Swordfish Tacos and the Nachos.
A hundred Founding Members, exclusive releases, a tiered membership structure, and yet the whole project is built around accessibility. Where does that tension sit for you?
There are always going to be limits with what we can produce, especially when it comes to the really fun, small-batch stuff. Memberships are a simple way for us to look after the people who are genuinely into what we do: giving them first access to releases we can’t make at scale, and to experiences that are a bit more special and hands-on. It’s about making sure those things land with the right crowd, and recognising the guests who really back us and appreciate the craft behind it.
The programming: Sunday Socials, Thirsty Thursdays, the long lunches. It reads like a genuine attempt to build a local in a city that doesn’t always make room for that. Is that what this is?
People People is about bringing people together, so the programming is really just a way to give people a reason to come down and engage with us. It creates moments where guests can settle in, spend time and feel part of something. For us it’s all about consistency. If we keep showing up with good beer, good food and things worth coming back for, that’s how you build real community over time. Not just a busy venue, but a place people feel connected to and want to return to.
Singapore has a sophisticated drinking culture but craft beer still feels like it’s finding its footing. What does People People add to that conversation?
Singapore already has a great craft beer scene and it’s only getting stronger. We’re not trying to reinvent that, just add something to it. What we want to do is bring people closer to the process. A place where you can see how the beer is made, meet the people behind it, and drink it as fresh as possible. That connection makes a big difference. If we can help more people understand what goes into it and taste the difference between fresh, artisanal beer and the mass-produced stuff, then we’re contributing in a meaningful way.
What are you hoping people say about this place in ten years?
I just want people talking about it. Planning their next visit, telling their mates about a beer they had. That’s enough.