What is legally required to start a small brewery in New Zealand?

[John Austin]

Hi,

I have only been living in NZ for the last few years and am unfamiliar with all that is required to start a business in NZ, let alone a brewery.

I'm interested in starting a nano-brewery in the far north and am looking to spend the minimum amount while I test the market and if all works out expand later.

Does anyone know what the steps are to become legal? Would I be able to sell on site or is that a totally different license? Just wondering how much red tape there is here.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Tilt]

This question has come up a few times on here.  Try searching through old entries to gather the collective wisdom of the forum.  Here's a link to one of them. but I'm certain there are a few more if you dig deeper.

[John Austin]

Thanks. I did do a search before posting and found a few things but nothing that comprehensive. But I hadn't seen that link so thanks. One more piece of the puzzle.

[Tilt]

Here's another of the threads I was thinking of.  Maybe a little out of date but a starting point. 

Good luck with the research and moving on your idea.  We can always do with more choice around the country. 

One of the great things about small local craft breweries is there's the chance to provide an alternative and maybe even set up an allegiance and change the taste prefs amongst local drinkers.  And more selfishly, I love chasing down and trying locally brewed beers when I'm on holiday or away from home for work!

[Justin Tilly]

Hi John, i'm just wondering if you took this any further? i'm also thinking along the same lines over in the Hokianga

[Peter Smith]

To brew commercially you have to

• Brew out of a premise with a current commercial kitchen certification (not to hard think of the sheds most breweries use), local council issues these so different all over the place.  Its realy all about hygine .
• Register as a brewery for excise (few more bits but basically easy after above....).

To sell on premise or takeaway

• Liquor licenses is required, local council , duty manager etc etc.

Or you can just get someone like Steam to brew for you like Bach,. Birkenhead brewing etc do.

[Justin Tilly]

Hi Peter, thanks for the reply.

#  i've looked at the food grade premises issue and think i have that one sorted

# had an email from customs and excise about costs and bonded areas etc

# looking now into equipment and the costs of it - that will be the killer of the project or it'll scrape through, time will tell. All that s/s does not come cheap. I've looked at a few from williamswarn through to ones listed here in advertising. I really don't think my 20yr old plastic pails etc will make the grade.........

#market wise - as yet a bar off license would be silly, there is three pubs all vying for customers for 10 months of the year now - sell to them. But it will be an area i will have to look at. 

#getting someone else to brew it sounds a great idea - but not what I'd be wanting, a big part of this for me is the brewing - I'm a "maker" kind of person - not a middleman. 

thanks for the help - Justin

[Peter Smith]

Then I reckon you need a marketing type person to do the sales etc....      

Steam make great beer, even then some find it hard to sell.....

[mattd2]

With the 3 pubs it is best that you check they can serve your beer, if their taps are tied to a specific company then they contractually cannot pour your beer through them. If so best case they (probably you) could install new taps, worst case they would have to give up any kickback from the tied company.

[mattd2]

If you are selling your beer to another company with a licence then I think you don't actually need one yourself (exemptions under section 8 of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol act), so that is one less hurdle up front.
Yep equipment ain't cheap, but do not skimp on it.
Is this going to be your sole income or more of a hobby business - as a lot of the names in the NZ craft beer market now have spent a lot of time and effort out of pocket with no financial reward before being able to make a decent go of it - but there is more than one way to skin a cat.

One other spanner is the NZ food safety legislation has changed over the past couple of years so any new venture will need to follow the new process (there is a grace period for existing businesses to transfer to the new way of doing things) some reasonable info can be found on the www.foodsafety.govt.nz website or http://mpi.govt.nz/food-safety/food-act-2014/where-do-i-fit/

[Justin Tilly]

Hi Matt - yes talking to a few of the pubs outlets will be in order after i can see if i can afford it at all. I think I'm ok.

This will not be my only business - I'm also a beekeeper. Mead is another thing i brew currently. I'd imagine that for some time it will be a hobby business as I'd say I'll be working for little gain other than pleasure - and beer!!

food safety plan is pretty much the same across the board be it honey/beer etc etc - many plans out there stick to them and keep accurate details and they aren't that daunting - but definitely more involved than before the new legislation came in.

[mattd2]

All good (sorry if I am sounding too pessimistic!).

Sounds like you are in a good place with already having the background knowledge in food manufacturing.

[Justin Tilly]

haha - don't worry about the thought of pessimism - reality can hurt.... bad!!.

I completely understand the perils of going into something uniformed, that's why i've stuck my head up and posted. If i didn't want anyones opinion id be an idiot to ask. 

Ive had some really good info from other brewers - not necessarily of this forum that have really changed/shaken some of my ideas.

A lot of thought will be going into this before the big expensive steps are taken.

cheers