The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Premium
Home / The Country

Whanganui craft beer scene going from strength to strength with inaugural beer festival

Abe Leach
By Abe Leach
Multimedia journalist·Whanganui Chronicle·
16 Oct, 2019 04:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Andy Henshaw from Roots Brewing Co has put together the River City Craft Beer Festival. Photo / Bevan Conley

Andy Henshaw from Roots Brewing Co has put together the River City Craft Beer Festival. Photo / Bevan Conley

The wait is almost over for some of the region's craft beer creators to showcase their staple brews and give festival-goers a taste of their more experimental line of beers.

The sold-out River City Craft Beer Festival will have dozens of brews on offer for the 250 people who secured tickets for Saturday's event.

Event organiser Andy Henshaw, who founded Whanganui's Roots Brewing Co, said it's only in the last few years that the craft beer industry has come up and made its way into the regions.

"Even six years ago it was really hard to get a New Zealand craft beer on tap anywhere, but since then a couple of pubs have really jumped on board with it.

"There's more awareness about craft beers now, people are more willing to step out of their comfort zone and try something else rather than something they've been drinking for however many years."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Henshaw's own brews will be on offer at the festival, alongside creations from Whanganui-based Lads Brewing, Ruapehu Brewing from Ohakune, Forgotten 43 Brewing from Stratford, and Abandoned Apple Cider from Masterton.

About half of the festival's 250 tickets were sold within two weeks of being released, and all remaining tickets have since been snapped up.

Henshaw said he's "absolutely stoked" with the interest and will be looking to develop the festival into an annual event.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I wouldn't mind going to an outdoor venue at some stage, perhaps expanding the numbers a little bit and making it a bit more family friendly.

"Where we are is not a great place for kids to be running around, but if we could have it outdoors in the summer and have bouncy castle there and a few other things to keep people entertained, that'd be fun."

Discover more

You say tomatoe, I say tomato...

18 Oct 04:00 PM

Beet this - Whanganui burgers tops with Geoff

16 Oct 04:00 PM

Beer fest organiser 'absolutely stoked' with success

20 Oct 04:00 PM
Beer from Roots Brewing Co will be on offer alongside brews from other regional breweries.
Photo / Bevan Conley
Beer from Roots Brewing Co will be on offer alongside brews from other regional breweries. Photo / Bevan Conley

The festival's diverse range of beer will be reflected in different genres of live music from The Conrays, Heavy Blarney and Nicole Son.

Local food cart operators will also be at the festival to keep attendees from going hungry.

Ruapehu Brewing founder Austin Hobson said the festival will help get Whanganui on the craft beer map.

"We're stoked to be part of it because we're a tiny little operation in Ohakune, and Ohakune is pretty much our only distribution network," Hobson said.

"To be able to bring product down and be able to get it into a wider audience is quite exciting.

"As a brewer, it's just about getting a beer into someone's hand and making them smile and enjoy what you've created and put hours and hours into."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The sold-out event takes place at the Whanganui Musicians Club on Saturday.

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from The Country

The Country

'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim

The Country

City to Farm - how leftovers are giving back to the land

The Country

The Country: Tasman farmer on flooding aftermath


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim
The Country

'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim

Jock Davies was remembered for his infectious humour, caring nature and great strength.

14 Jul 04:21 AM
City to Farm - how leftovers are giving back to the land
The Country

City to Farm - how leftovers are giving back to the land

14 Jul 03:16 AM
The Country: Tasman farmer on flooding aftermath
The Country

The Country: Tasman farmer on flooding aftermath

14 Jul 02:16 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP