Monteith's reopens its doors after 18 months and $4 million transformation

The 18-month-long transformation of the iconic Monteith’s Brewery in Greymouth is now complete.

Grey District Mayor, Tony Kokshoorn joined Monteith’s head brewer Tony Mercer in officially opening the brewery yesterday afternoon during a celebration attended by MPs, tourism representatives, locals, former staff and media.

Mercer says the new brewery gives him much greater brewing flexibility to create new and interesting beers in different pack formats including the new Monteith’s Indian Pale Ale (IPA) enjoyed at today’s celebration.

“It was really rewarding to be able to finally share the fruits of our labour from the past 18 months with everyone and receive such positive feedback on not only the beer, but the brewery itself.”

Mayor Kokshoorn says he was delighted to join Mercer in officially opening the brewery which will further drive tourism and employment on the West Coast. “The new brewery has the potential to have a significant impact on visitor numbers to the area which will be hugely positive for the whole community. ”

“There is no debate that Monteith’s Brewing Company is iconic West Coast of the Southern Alps. In the 1860’s when tons of gold was discovered, the diggers made money easily and spent it lavishly. Many careless miners paid for their refreshments not in coin but in nuggets and gold dust. Their first choice then was Monteith’s and it remains first choice today. The five star brewery transformation is a credit to all involved and will be a ‘must see and do’ for all who venture here.” says Mayor Kokshoorn.

Currently 16,500 people visit Monteith’s each year but that figure is projected to rise to 40,000 by 2014. The addition of a café for light meals, an enhanced brewery tour experience and a merchandise shop featuring local delicacies and apparel, should assist Monteith’s in achieving this target.

Work on the 143-year-old brewery, the oldest on the West Coast, began in March 2011 with the decommissioning of aging brewing equipment and later the demolition of old packaging lines and office buildings.

Mercer says rather than build a ‘traditional’ brewery he wanted to create one which was more responsive to consumer needs and more flexible in terms of batch brewing.

“The new brewery is now an innovative hub for Monteith’s which will allow us to craft small quantities of beer for the local market. It’s a true luxury to be able to have this new facility as a testing ground for future Monteith’s brews.”

Mercer says the new-look brewery experience is now better aligned with consumer expectations of the beer brand and a contemporary craft brewery.

“Our old brewery stood the test of time but unfortunately age caught up with it. We realised we needed to upgrade not only the brewery, but the entire site if we wanted to continue brewing for future consumers. Access to the site is now much better and safer for tour groups and individuals. The tour experience is lighter, warmer, modern and more personal. We’re also using more environmentally-friendly equipment aimed at reducing our energy and water usage as much as possible. The end result is a modern craft brewery which offering a far more enjoyable experience for everyone.”

During the opening Mercer paid special thanks to the Mawhera Corporation, which owns the site and invested in its redevelopment, as well as RM Design in Christchurch who project managed the building of the new-look brewery. He also thanked the local community for supporting Monteith’s since its inception in 1868.

“I’m extremely proud of the new home we have created for Monteith’s and the team and I are really looking forward to welcoming as many Kiwis and overseas visitors as possible over the coming years.”

 

Backgrounder

The Greymouth brewery dates back to 1868 when the original Monteith’s family-owned Phoenix Brewery was founded. Soon after the West Coast brewery became well known for its strong tasting, full-bodied ales. The Phoenix Brewery later merged with a group of small breweries to form Westland Brewing Company which later became Monteith’s Brewing Company. Like their predecessors, Monteith’s brewers continue to nurture brews by hand in small batches to create quality craft beer experiences.