Local Focus: Heavenly harvest hopportunity

GodsOwn's hop harvest had no shortage of workers on Sunday.

Many of them would probably have been there anyway, sipping beer under the hop vines.

The congregation was treated to live music as they stripped the cut vines at their tables.

Brewer Godfrey Quemeneur said it was a labour of love.

"We cut down the hops, we coil it up, we take it over to the tables, give them a bag and they just help us by plucking off the cones," he said.

"We've had people that have been doing it now for three, four, or five years and we've people come from Palmerston North, just for the trip to help us out.

"We have a couple of avid home brewers to come and get some and take it home and then grow some hops and bring it up to us."

Between drinks, harvesters received sticky fingers as they seized the "hopportunity" to harvest what Quemeneur calls beer's special spice.

He said brews made from the home-grown hops were unique.

"They bring something different depending on where they're grown."

Most of the beer is consumed on site. GodsOwn has no plans to mass-produce its popular brews, instead it concentrates on hospitality.

Godfrey founded GodsOwn with wife Rachel Downes.

He was born in South Africa, but is a citizen of the world.

They met in England and it was thanks to her father's home brew in New Zealand he became interested in brewing his own.

"I thought, this isn't too bad, and at the time in Nigeria there was an embargo on imported beers so I thought, I want to take some of these kits home to Nigeria.

After several years brewing overseas, the plan to create a destination brewery In New Zealand was hatched.

The couple searched the country for a place for their craft brewery that had the right "feel" and in 2010, bought 6.5ha in Maraekakaho.

GodsOwn has a style all its own – the bar and kitchen are vintage caravans and its dine-in restaurant is a safari tent.

The menu features pizzas, South African meats, and crackers made from spent grains from the 800-litre brewery.

The hop canopy was specifically designed to allow dining underneath.

"At GodsOwn we offer the experience of sitting among the hops, enjoying the hops, enjoying the countryside, and just relaxing.

"Feels like you're a little bit on holiday."