On Friday, they decided to announce the doors of the devastated premises would not reopen.
Barber and wife Luciana said they were calling time on the popular Eskdale brewery and restaurant after 12 years of serving the tight-knit community.
“We lost everything in the cyclone and have tried so many ways,” he said of efforts to keep the business going.
“We’re grateful for the support of the craft brewing community, but, in the end, trying to find suitable new premises and the cost of setting up again was just too big a mountain to climb, at the same time as trying to find a new place of our own to call home.”
Chris and Luciana Barber from Zeelandt Brewery are moving on to new ventures after announcing the closure of their cyclone-hit business. Photo / Paul Taylor
The Barbers started Zeelandt in 2012, brewing European beer with a strong influence from German styles, with a core range of four beers: Four Stroke – Pacific Pale Ale, Jerry Rig – Helles, Good Thief – Pilsner, and Black Monk – Schwarzbier.
Barber, also head brewer, complemented the core range with seasonal releases that filled the 14 taps at Cone and Flower, the restaurant and garden bar they opened in 2021.
“Right from the start, Zeelandt has been a family business.
“It was always a goal to run my own business. My inspiration came from my great-great-grandfather, who established a brewery, and my grandparents, who ran their own small business in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales.”
After the cyclone, Barber said he and his family were inundated with offers of help.
Zeelandt also held a fundraising evening at Bay View Hotel that put another $5000 towards helping others who sustained a heavy loss.
“We are so grateful to everyone who has supported us; friends and strangers, as well as our suppliers and the brewing community, including the Brewers Guild, and everyone who has worked with us over the years,” Luciana Barber said.
Chris Barber and his son, Oliver Barber, look through the wreckage of their house on Shaw Rd in Eskdale that was destroyed by Cyclone Gabrielle last year. Photo / Connull Lang
The couple is hopeful for the future and are looking at other opportunities. Luciana has returned to a part-time role at Wattie’s, and Chris is exploring a career in conservation.
“While we are getting back on the horse, we are just riding off in a different direction than before,” he said.
Their children, Oliver and Sofia, have remained in Eskdale School, and a new home is being built on the hills of Eskdale overlooking the valley they love.
“We’re sad, of course, but we’re on a different path now.”
With the decision made, Zeelandt is now looking to sell all remaining stock:
