“In essence we’re a country pub where people come together, brought together mostly by food and sociability” Geoff Gwynne on the magic of the Waipu Pizza Barn.
In this episode Martin makes a pilgrimage to his “spiritual home”, the McLeods Pizza Barn in Waipu, Northland to sit down with Geoff Gwynne, co-owner of the venue and McLeods Brewery. Geoff takes us through the origin story of the restaurant, talking about how he and his brother Clayton made the not-so-obvious jump from fashion retail into hospitality.
Deciding to open a brewery in the craft beer boom of the 2010s might have been a good idea, but McLeods had to overcome commercial difficulties and personal tragedy before finding success with award-winning beers brewed by their (now former) brewer Jason Bathgate. Geoff talks about their search for Jason’s successor and happily describes how Gav Williams has quickly settled into life in Northland.
Along the way Geoff expounds on the McLeods ethos of delivering quality food and drink to a diverse crowd in their own slice of paradise. Grab a beer and settle in for an anecdote-filled romp through the backstory of one of New Zealand’s most-beloved breweries.
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