Bay Harbour: June 09, 2021

Wednesday June 9 2021 Bay Harbour News
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
NEWS 7
From earthquake ruins to popular bar
The Brewery at The
Tannery is celebrating
10 years this month.
Founder Alasdair
Cassels recalls how it
all came about
THE YEAR was 2011 and the
city had just been shaken to
its core. People were panicked,
businesses were scrambling and
lights were out in restaurants,
bars and clubs right across town.
But in times of chaos inspiration
can strike, and that’s exactly
what happened for Alasdair
Cassels.
“Two days after the earthquake
the family was up in Wellington
for a wedding, still covered in
dust and licking our wounds.
Three of us lost our houses and
my daughter Pippi was almost
killed by a falling chimney. All
the same we wanted to get back
on our feet. The question was,
how?”
With plans already underway
to create a brew bar at the then
undeveloped Tannery, it seemed
like the right place to start. But
only one building in the precinct
was relatively undamaged by the
earthquake – a 1970s building
next to Garlands Rd.
“It was just a rundown old
INSTITUTION: Joe Shanks (left), Alasdair Cassels and Zak Cassels at The Brewery at The Tannery,
building we had planned to
knock down,” said Cassels.
“I proposed we go back to
Christchurch and turn it into
a bar. I was definitely the most
enthusiastic ringleader!”
It didn’t take long to get
everyone behind the idea. On the
family’s return to Christchurch
they all got stuck in, with the
help of a few friends.
“It was quite a strange time
because nobody was really doing
anything. That worked perfectly
for us. Sometimes we had 50
people down here helping out.
Even Gerry Brownlee and Jim
Anderton got on the same page
to short-circuit a whole lot of
building consents for us.”
The Brewery as we know it
today opened in the middle of
winter, on June 21, 2011. The
turnaround was fast - just 100
days from the earthquake until
the family was pouring pints
from behind the bar.
Said Cassels: “We were the
only bar between Beckenham
and Taylors Mistake, there were
no bars in Brighton or Lyttelton
and you couldn’t get into town.
The east side of town was in
pieces.
“Because there were no bars,
there was no music. So we
decided to become a venue too.
It’s actually a bit inconvenient
having live music in a restaurant,
but we ended up having gigs just
about every night of the week.
“We wanted to create something
for everyone. We’d have
tradies in for breakfast, followed
by mum’s groups for coffee.
There were people having EQC
meetings, people watching bands
playing. It was quite an eclectic
gathering place.”
Over time, The Brewery has
expanded its food menu and
become less of a watering hole.
But the fundamentals remain the
same, and that’s just the way the
family wants it.
“We’re known as a place where
you can enjoy good beer, good
food, friendly staff and it’s not
too expensive. That’s our trademark.
It’s a family business and
I think families feel comfortable
here.
“At the end of the day, I
don’t think of The Brewery as
my achievement. It was the
earthquake that did it and the
people that came together to
help. The earthquake was an
awful, horrible thing, but some
good did come from it. That’s
worth raising a glass to,”
said Cassels.
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