Zeelandt Brewery was opened in 2012, in Eskdale, Hawke’s Bay by Head Brewer Chris, following in the footsteps of his great-great-grandfather who started his own brewery in Hororata in the 1880s. It was during his travels through Europe that Chris fell in love with the classic beers from the Old Countries and was determined to learn the business inside out before recreating them for premium beer lovers in New Zealand.
Preparing to Create Premium European-Style Ales and Lagers in New Zealand
Chris gained experience in the brewing industry by working for St Austell Brewery in Cornwall, UK, then moved on to Hallertau Brewery in Auckland on his return to New Zealand, before going back to the UK to complete a Diploma in Brewing Technology. Having amassed a wealth of knowledge on brewing processes and technologies, he decided to set up Zeelandt Brewery in Hawke’s Bay as it seemed like the perfect spot. A warm, sunny climate, together with a great local food and drink scene made it the ideal location for an ambitious brewer with a mission to bring the finest ales and lagers to NZ.
Joining Chris in his mission was Tom, a fellow enthusiast who discovered the diverse world of craft beers when living in Portland, Oregon. With a burning desire to emulate the tasty barrel-aged ales he became acquainted with in Portland, Tom also dived headfirst into the brewing industry on his return to New Zealand and his partnership with Chris was the obvious next step.
The Philosophy Behind Zeelandt Brewery
Head brewer and proprietor Chris, believes that it is important for customers to be able to see the brewery where their beer is made, to witness how each brew is created and to get to know the people behind them. With this in mind, he built a brewery that is very accessible to interested customers and Weekender events are a regular occurrence at the brewery, at which customers can sample the entire range of beers on offer and chat to members of the brewing team. Chris also strongly believes in an experience-led brewing process: the pleasure that Zeelandt’s beers give to customers across New Zealand drives the team to create the finest ales and lagers in NZ they possibly can.
Premium American and European Beers in New Zealand
As we mentioned at the start, it was Chris’s desire to recreate the best European-style beers that led to his involvement in the brewing industry and ultimately, to the opening of Zeelandt Brewery. It will come as no surprise then, to learn that the beers brewed by Zeelandt have been created to reflect the original goals of the brewers of old, using the finest ingredients from New Zealand and across the globe. The end result is a range of naturally tasty, refreshing ales and lagers that embody the qualities prized by the original European brewers. Given Tom’s ambitions, you will also not be surprised to find a tasty American Pale Ale in Zeelandt’s core line up.
If you love full-flavoured, true-to-original-style beers as much as we do, head over to our online premium beer shop now and treat yourself!