There has been a great deal of interest in the announcement that a new brewpub will open in Wellington’s Bond Street before the Rugby World Cup. The yet-to-be-named establishment will be located in the upstairs premises at 14 Bond Street which previously housed ventures such as Syn Bar, the Ruby Lounge and even the old Loaded Hog.
The driving forces behind this exciting development are Sean Murrie and Colin Mallon who are both involved in Tuatara and the Malthouse. They announced on 16 May that they had sufficient investors – a number of whom already have a stake in Tuatara – and had acquired the site.
Work is already underway with Sean saying “our designers have been extremely busy and, as a team, we already have a very clear idea of what our yet-to-be-named bar will look and feel like.” It is going to be an extensive re-fit (estimated at around $1 million) and the result should be a spacious (460 square metres) venue with a range of areas and atmospheres.
While there will be around 40 beers on tap, most of the beery attention has focused on the state-of-the-art 1,000 litre brewery which will be installed on the premises and supply much of the draft beer.
In addition to producing a range of house craft beers, Colin Mallon says the on-site brew kit will “allow us to create a range of collaborative and speciality brews with Tuatara Brewery along with like-minded visiting brewers.” He says it is a hugely exhilarating opportunity to bring brewing back to the heart of the Capital and it would also be a point of difference for the bar.
Collaborative brews are intensely popular at the moment and Colin is already drawing up a ‘dream team’ list of brewers they would love to work with. Tuatara brewer Carl Vasta is top of that list and we know he already has quite a few ideas he is desperate to try out. The new venue hopes to lure in top brewers from New Zealand and overseas to produce an ever-changing range of unique, limited-edition brews.
It is not just about the beer though. There will be particular attention paid to producing high quality pub food from the spacious kitchens (well, spacious compared to the Malthouse…)
The new brewpub – whatever it is called - is going to be an exciting development and we can’t wait for the doors to be thrown open and the first pint to be pulled. Best of luck chaps!
Cheers from the team at Tuatara
