Lads Brewing Company expanding into a Whanganui outdoor craft beer bar

Lads Brewing Company owners Andrew Solesbury, Timoti (Taco) Rangi and Hamiora (Hami) Rangi. Absent: Adam Murphy. Photo / Bevan Conley

Lads Brewing Company is expanding its brewery into an outdoor craft beer bar.

The new bar is the brainchild of Lads' owners Andrew Solesbury, Timoti (Taco) Rangi, Hamiora (Hami) Rangi and Adam Murphy.

The group are currently working on renovations, aiming to finish before opening on October 14.

The bar will be open from Thursday to Sunday.

Solesbury said there would be 13 taps at an opening garage door that people could walk up to and order from while still being outside.

"People want to see where the product is made, and they can see the fermenters through the open garage doors."

He said there would also be food trucks and bands over the weekend, with the goal being to eventually have them there weekly, on Saturdays.

Solesbury said it was quite a process to get the licence, but they finally got there.

"We had to work out with the Whanganui District Council how we were going to achieve the bar.

"We couldn't use the inside of the building, so everything had to be outside."

He said they were currently recruiting for bar staff.

"We will run some shifts ourselves, but our focus needs to be on brewing and distribution."

Lads currently supply their beer to several outlets in the lower North Island.

Solesbury said Good Bones Distilling would also continue brewing on-site.

Good Bones' founder Vaughan Campbell won the 2021 Innovate Whanganui award for his intention to create Whanganui's first "sustainable, locally sourced eco-distillery".

His mixes would also be available on tap, Solesbury said.

The group run Lads Brewing in between their day jobs.

"Taco is at Aerowork, Hami is a welder and I'm an insurance broker," Solesbury said.

Hami and Taco are brothers, and Solesbury is their brother-in-law.

They group started brewing as a hobby.

"Then in 2017, we gave some beers to the Marist Football Club, and they said the beers were really good," Solesbury said.

"From there, we started contract brewing at Massey University in Palmerston North, which gave us the ability to sell commercially."

Solesbury said when the site on Taylor Street came up for rent, they saw it as the perfect opportunity to keep expanding.

"So we moved in, and we've been brewing here ever since."

He said during their time at Taylor Street, they had hosted many open days and one-off special events like live music and sausage sizzles, which they planned to continue.