FOOD: New eatery rises from craft beer's popularity

Mount Brewing Co (Newton Street, Mount Maunganui) owners, Glenn and Virginia. Photo/John Borren

Karen Clarkson catches up with Glenn and Virginia Meikle, owners of Mount Brewing Co and The Rising Tide - Brewhouse and Eatery, ahead of its opening next month

Mount Brewing Co brewery owners Glenn and Virginia Meikle started their family brewing operation from a Hewletts Rd premises in 1996 when their daughter was just six weeks old.

As their daughter's 21st birthday approaches, the Mount Brewing Co brewery and bar is being given a much anticipated facelift and expansion, which Glenn says will cater to the growing trend in craft beer and complementary street food.

"The craft beer industry is alive and well in the Bay of Plenty. Our brewery reached maximum operational capacity during the peak summer season and we struggled to maintain supply of all our beer varieties, both locally and around the country. The overhaul of our iconic Newton St brewery and the opening of our new-look bar and eatery couldn't come at a better time," says Glenn.

His award-winning local craft brewery, Mount Brewing Co, is celebrating two decades of business by undertaking a large-scale renovation of its Mount Maunganui premises, creating The Rising Tide - Brewhouse and Eatery (formerly Brewers Bar), opening late next month.

The renovation will create a whole new sensory experience at the premises, with the brewery and The Rising Tide - Brewhouse and Eatery becoming one large eating, drinking and working space where customers can interact with the brewers working on their latest creations while taking in the aromas of the fermentation process.

"Instead of the bar and brewery working as two separate enterprises, we are bringing the core of our business centre stage and the bar, while reducing in size will operate as our cellar door to really strengthen and showcase the foundation of our business. There will be 27 taps dedicated to craft beers and local wines - a mix of our brewery's own as well as showcasing other local artisan wines, beers and ciders on high rotation," says Glenn.

Following international trends, Mount Brewing Co brewery has seen a 100 per cent rise in its craft beer sales in the last year, including growing demand for different artisan beer varieties suited to varying palates including sour, sweet and low-alcohol styles.

"Tauranga is still young compared to overseas in terms of being a craft brewery town, but the growing popularity is encouraging and it's been great seeing more women join the craft beer movement and enjoying the lighter and sweeter beer varieties like our award-winning Mount Manuka Hussy," Virginia says.

Customers' palates have really changed and they are asking for more robust flavours in craft beer paired with full flavoured food.

Glenn Meikle

Glenn and his brewers have created a dark and velvety chocolate and orange stout, enriched with cocoa nibs and the zest of real oranges which was launched at GABS (Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular) in Auckland last weekend. It was selected as of the 'Top Five To Try' by event organisers from over 400 beers available at the festival and is now exclusively available at Mount Brewing Co bar (Main St, Mount Maunganui) from this week.

As well as a rising trend in the craft beer industry for varying and robust flavours, Glenn and Virginia have seen the desire within the industry for a complementing food experience. The Rising Tide - Brewhouse and Eatery will feature popular local street-food vendors Johney's Dumplings in the kitchen.

"Customers' palates have really changed and they are asking for more robust flavours in craft beer paired with full flavoured food. We will be offering Johney's famous homemade dumplings and pork buns, as well as creating a specialised fusion menu to match many of Mount Brewing Co's beers. This summer the bar will be launching a new 'tasting platter' with six dishes matched to six of our most popular craft beers. The new-look premises will provide our customers with the complete food and drink experience to take us into the future," explains Virginia.

Since the inception of the brewery, the desire to grow and foster the artisan beer experience within the Bay of Plenty has been top of mind for Glenn and Virginia, who say without the support of locals wanting a truly unique locally crafted beer, the expansion would never have been possible.

The Rising Tide - Brewhouse and Eatery opens in July 2016.

"We've certainly experienced some highs and lows with our brewery over the last two decades, with the recession and changes to the liquor and driving laws as well as some personal challenges. However, we have been fortunate there has been impressive growth in the craft beer industry in the last four years and fantastic support from our local Bay of Plenty craft beer community," explain the couple.

The renovation also provides more space for a new bottling machine and new fermentation tanks so that production can continue to rise. The expansion of the brewery footprint and the purchase of additional fermentation equipment mean the brewery can now brew larger batches and bottle sizes.

The new look brewery and The Rising Tide - Brewhouse and Eatery will also feature solar panels on the entire roof which will reduce power costs by half.