Tyler Bamber and Gerry Paul, pictured with Gary Henwood from Kainui Brew Co, came up with the idea for Northland’s own beer festival over a couple of beers.
Tyler Bamber and Gerry Paul, pictured with Gary Henwood from Kainui Brew Co, came up with the idea for Northland’s own beer festival over a couple of beers.
Northland’s inaugural beer festival will be accompanied by some of the region’s top food producers, who plan to dish up an array of their freshest fare.
Brew of Islands Beer Festival, which aims to celebrate New Zealand’s best independently brewed craft beer, will also host samples of Northland-inspired food.
The inaugural festival will be held on July 21 and 22 at the Turner Centre in Kerikeri.
“When you think Northland and the Far North you think of kaimoana and local produce,” Turner Centre general manager Gerry Paul said.
“We’re trying to give people a good-quality, authentic food experience up here.
“It’s about matching food with different beers, so we’re going out to breweries and saying what do you think will match with this food? We’re looking at what works together.”
Along with beers from some of New Zealand and Northland’s top independent brewers, award-winning chef Colin Ashton and his team will be cooking up fresh, line-caught snapper sliders while Mrs Miller will be serving up her popular mussel fritters.
Ken Van Mackelbergh, of Barbecue BOI, will be there fresh off back-to-back grand championship wins at American barbecue competitions in Kumeu and at Smoke on the Coast in Warkworth.
Van Mackelbergh will team up with his “coal mates” Fat Boy BBQ and The Coal Kids, serving beer-flavoured barbecue meats.
Northland Fine Foods is serving up locally made fresh bratwurst with sauerkraut and pretzels with beer cheese dip, while plant-based chef and author Anna Valentine, from the Veggie Tree in Kāeo, will have spiced Indian chickpea pakoras, edible weeds, home-made lime pickle and mint and kawakawa raita.
The event came about after Paul and Tyler Bamber, publican at the Pioneer Tavern in Waipapa, met up for a pint after work.
Paul was telling Bamber about the popular Wellington Beervana festival he worked on as entertainment manager for eight years.
“He said ‘we should do something like that up here’.”
The friends applied for funding from Northland Inc’s events fund, which has gone towards marketing.
Ken Van Mackelbergh, of Barbecue BOI, will be serving up slow-cooked barbecue meats at the inaugural beer festival.
Soon nine of the country’s top craft breweries will bring their best brews to the table including Parrotdog, Garage Project, Urbanaut, 8 Wired Brewing and Cassels, along with Northland favourites Kainui Brew Co, Phat House, Bay of Islands Brewing and McLeods.
Each brewery will have several of its creations to try in either a 75ml taster, a 250ml glass or a 400ml treat.
For those who don’t drink beer, local mixologist Ben Thrippleton, of Kindred Spirits, will be there with his mobile cocktail bar.
There will also be a home brew competition with a chance to win prize packs.
Festival organiser Tyler Bamber said bringing the festival to life has been “epic”.
“We’ve somehow managed to attract the absolute best in New Zealand brewers and match that with the finest food in Northland.
“All we had to do was offer them a fishing trip in the Bay.”
The festival, which has support from Barfoot and Thompson Kerikeri, consists of three sessions — 6pm-10pm, Friday, July 21, and noon-4pm and 6pm-10pm on Saturday, July 22.
Tickets are $35, or $30 each when you buy six or more tickets, which are available online via iTicket or from the Turner Centre in Kerikeri.
