Opening next Saturday, behind historic Gantley’s Tavern, is a major new event space and, separated by internal glass, a boutique brewery and distillery.
The building’s been developed by local-based tech entrepreneur Rod Drury, who bought the Gantley’s property for $2.65 million in late 2020.
The operator is The Cargo Collective, owned by Arrowtowners Meron and Malcolm Blakey, who’ve had the Cargo brand since 2016.
In that year they started taking their Bedford TK to festivals and events.
In 2018 they took over the former Waitiri Creek winery, in Gibbston, where they made beer in shipping containers and also ran some music events (till closing down last year).
The couple next took over Gantley’s in early 2020 and revived it as an Arthurs Point ‘locals pub’.
After Drury bought the property, "we found we shared the vision for the back of the section", Malcolm says.
"We’d always planned to do something with events and brewing back there, and he kind of took it to the next level."
The ‘brew hall’ was designed by Queenstown-based Yoke Architectures’s Cam Pyke and Thom Ibbotson, who’d previously designed an extension to Gantley’s.
"We’ve tried to complement the Gantley’s building that’s somehow still standing," Ibbotson says.
"We’ve really enjoyed using the natural materials around here — getting the schist stone onto each gable end and some raw steel and the timber-formed concrete."
The event space is 267sq m and the brewery/distillery is 109sq m, while there’s also a small courtyard opening on to the extensive Gantley’s garden.
"There hasn’t been a new event space in Queenstown for a long time," Malcolm says.
"It’s nice just to have a simple rectangular, blank canvas kind of event space that can be themed to whatever the customer/client is looking for.
"It’s got a lot of built-in AV components, control desks, speakers, screen and projector so a client can walk in and have a conference or dinner without needing to bring anything else in."
Capacity for seated dining is 170 and 240 for a stand-up function.
Malcolm says they’ll also hold public events about twice a month, starting with an opening party next Saturday, June 29, with Wellington muso Graeme James, and a comedy show next month.
Meanwhile, the brewery — which will also host beer tours — will make Cargo’s usual range of lagers, pilsners, pale ales and IPAs, but also be able to produce seasonal beers and experimental ranges.
These will be served at Gantley’s Tavern, which the Blakeys on-sold to Euan ‘Urb’ Paterson late last year.
But Malcolm says they’re also putting in a distillery, to make, initially, vodkas, gins and rums, and a range of soft drinks and low- and no-alcohol beers, "taking advantage of the shift in customer behaviour".
Ironically, the new brew hall’s been built by The Lakes Building Company, whose owner Stu Clark co-owns the local Rifters gin label.
