My Account
After more than a year working to transform a dairy paddock into a brewery, the vision of the new Sawmill Brewery and tasting rooms has come to fruition.
After outgrowing the site at The Leigh Sawmill Cafe, the brewery moved to the new site on Leigh Road, between Matakana and Whangateau, at the start of the year. The site is now open to the public after the new tasting rooms opened last Friday.
Owners Mike Sutherland and Kirsty McKay say the new brewery allows people to enjoy the Sawmill’s full range of beer at the source – the brewery’s stainless steel brewing tanks serve as the backdrop to the 14 different beers on tap.
“We want people to come and be right ‘in it’,” Mike says.
The building includes indoor and outdoor areas where visitors can have a drink and graze on a range of small dishes, at the foot of the forest-clad Mt Tamahunga.
Kirsty says the project showcases a range of local talent, with a broad range of craftsmen and tradespeople contributing their vision and expertise.
“It’s all bespoke,” Kirsty says. “We are humbled by the work people have put in and the collaborations which have occurred.”
The building was designed by Matakana artist and builder Mike Petre, who designed the nearby Vivian Gallery, and it was built by BBMK Builders, while the interior was designed by Rachel O’Malley.
Mike says he wanted to reflect the stripped back ethos of the brand and create an original space.
“We have taken the word craft to the nth degree,” Mike says.
Most of the timber is beech from a South Island reserve on the West Coast which was devastated by Cyclone Ita. A company has been allowed to take two per cent of the windfall timber.
The wood has had minimal treatment to showcase its natural character, Mike says.
“Normally you only see timber like this while it’s still in the stockyard. We’ve tried to leave it as is, to show its age and weathering and the rough saw marks. I think that’s really beautiful. It has defined the whole place.”
The windows were taken from the old Dannevirke Hospital before it was demolished and the doors are from buildings around the country.
Other bespoke details include the brass light fittings, created by Warkworth plumber Matt Wildermoth from J G Wech Plumbers and Drainlayers, and the wooden stools were made by students in a Kaikohe youth programme, AKAU, which is run by Mahurangi artist Ruby Watson. The ceramics were created by Matakana artist Vicki Fanning, the glass lightshades were crafted by Monmouth Glass, while Warkworth Sheet Metals produced the stainless steel bar.
“It’s been great to work with all these different people and draw on their experience to shape the space,” Mike says. “By working together, we’ve been able to create something original.
“We’ve taken a large shed and turned it into something I think people will love and appreciate.”
