Kirsty McKay and Mike Sutherland have owned and operated Sawmill Brewery since 2009. It was first opened five years earlier.
Kirsty McKay and Mike Sutherland have owned and operated Sawmill Brewery since 2009. It was first opened five years earlier.
Kirsty McKay and Mike Sutherland are celebrating the 20th anniversary of Sawmill Brewery, the maker of some of New Zealand’s favourite craft beers.
From a fire that nearly threatened to burn down the whole brewery, to economic pressures that threaten many in the industry,Sawmill is fighting against the curve.
The brewery, in Matakana, has a diverse, award-winning offering, including lagers, pale ales, pilsners, IPAs and non-alcoholic options.
It was established in 2004 by Peter and Decima Freckleton in a shed next to the Leigh Sawmill Cafe, a repurposed timber mill from the 1860s.
The Freckletons set up the brewery using old dairy farm tanks and some DIY engineering.
Five years later, the brewery was sold to McKay and Sutherland after a “chance of fate” meeting between Sutherland and Peter Freckleton.
A tour of the site and an explanation of the commercial side of brewing was all Sutherland needed to know that he wanted to pursue the opportunity. The sale was completed just four weeks later.
Kirsty McKay and Mike Sutherland at the Matakana Markets showing off their range of products. The craft brewery is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
“In those early days, there wasn’t much attention paid to marketing or to what anyone else was doing. Just hours in the brewery understanding everything,” McKay said.
Years ago, most craft breweries were based in Nelson or Wellington, so Sawmill’s geographical isolation helped it to stand out.
“Rather than looking at what other breweries were doing, we made our own decisions and the more you do that the more confident you become.”
Those decisions paid off as Sawmill became an award-winning business in a highly competitive industry.
Even a large fire at the brewery’s new site in Matakana in October 2019, which almost wiped out the business, couldn’t slow them down.
“More than anything, this showed us the power of community and the courage of the volunteer fire crews in New Zealand,” Sutherland said.
“It also prepared us to be really adaptable ahead of the pandemic.”
Sustainability at the forefront
Earlier this year, the business won the Brewers Guild Sustainability Award for the fifth year in a row, the longest trophy-winning streak in the award’s history.
McKay and Sutherland credit sustainability and innovation for the brewery’s success, with Sawmill the first and only B-corp-certified brewery in New Zealand.
“Real momentum comes when we can show others in our industry that these changes not only benefit the environment but make good business sense as well,” McKay said.
The brewery has implemented a range of sustainability initiatives, including reducing its waste to landfill averages to just 11kg a week, a figure less than the average New Zealand household.
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room in Matakana rose from the ashes of 2019's devastating fire. It is now an award-winning B-corp-certified brewery leading the industry on sustainable initiatives.
For an industry that uses a lot of water, Sawmill has made significant investments in water management.
It collects approximately two million litres of rainwater every year, with construction currently underway for a wastewater treatment system.
The rising cost of energy is one of the business’ most pressing issues. Even though Sawmill has been using solar panels since 2006, solar accounts for only 17% of its annual power needs.
It is more determined than ever to continue its sustainability efforts, with a planned building extension set to add another 170 panels.
McKay and Sutherland hope to continue proving that small New Zealand companies can drive meaningful environmental change.
“Ultimately, the reason Sawmill has been around 20 years is attributable to the quality of the beer and our consumers’ recognition and support of that,” McKay said.
“You can only achieve quality like this with a strong team, highly skilled, but more than that we have a culture here where we want to do better and are open to doing things differently.”
Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald, covering small business and retail.
