Luke Robertson and Emma Bemrose were stuck in hard lockdown when they decided to leave their home in Melbourne and buy a failed brewery in the remote town of Westport, on New Zealand’s South Island.

That was September 2021.

By Christmas, they’d made it through government-mandated quarantine in Christchurch, rescued the previously Canadian-owned West Coast Brewery from liquidation, and moved into a former worker’s cottage less than two kilometres away, overlooking the Tasman Sea.

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The couple’s new venture, Shortjaw Brewing bar and taproom, opened this year.

Noted for its high rainfall, mining heritage and predominantly working-class population, Westport is one of the many traditional regions of Ngāi Tahu, the primary iwi (tribe) of the South Island. It was one of the country’s first European gold mining settlements.

It’s also a place where straight-talking locals have long claimed that “a three-course meal is two beers and a pie”– but times (and tastes) are changing in Westport.

“Talking about food and drink was the mainstay of our life in Melbourne,” Robertson says when Broadsheet visits. “It’s not such a thing in Westport – so we’re hoping to create some of that conversation here.”

Robertson was keen to try his hand at owning a brewery after writing and speaking about beer for years – he started award-winning craft beer platform Ale of a Time, which includes a website and podcast, and wrote Keg Bottle Can: Best Beers for Every Occasion, a guide to Australia’s craft beer scene. Digital designer Bemrose is originally from Shepparton and was attracted to the idea of life in small-town New Zealand. Neither of them wanted to see the brewery, which had been operating under various names for almost 30 years, lost for good.

Visit Shortjaw and you’ll likely meet Robertson, who’s behind the bar four days a week. Bemrose is based at the co-working space next door.

Where the goal of the former West Coast Brewery (and Miner’s Brewery before that) was to mass produce lager and cider for a (mostly) export market, Shortjaw is keeping production small and aimed at locals, says Robertson.

“It’s about the experience. We want people to come in to taste something new and learn about the brewery. We don’t do formal tours, but we’re happy to take you out back and explain our commitment to local producers.”

All the hops are sourced from the Nelson region and the malt is from Canterbury, he says. Recently the team lobbed a six-pack of hot cross buns – literally – from Westport’s Rainbow Cake Kitchen into a batch of boiling red ale.

“We approached [the bakery] and they were into it. The beer was good and sold out really quickly. Our goal is to connect with our community through food and drink. In Westport, there are interesting people everywhere you look and we’re keen to work with them.”

With its no-frills decor and high ceiling, Shortjaw is a space that invites conversation. Sit at the bar’s central wooden table or slip into a brick-lined booth to sample head brewer Marc Gardiner’s small-batch beers and chat to Robertson while you’re at it. The red ale spiked with espresso from Nourish Nook (a nearby coffee cart) is a fan favourite.

You can also grab a takeaway pack of Shortjaw’s three signature brews – a classic European-style pilsner, a modern New Zealand pale ale and the Kiwi Dark Lager.

Another point of difference for the area is the wine offering. On tap are wines from certified organic and biodynamic New Zealand maker Still Life Wines, currently including a rosé, a sauvignon blanc and a pinot noir. There’s also Capital Cider from nearby Nelson and sparkling water on tap.

Soon, the pair will throw open Shortjaw’s roller doors for a pop-up space where Westport food makers can showcase their talents. On the as-yet-unconfirmed line-up are an ex-chef (and current patron) specialising in American barbeque, and a local cook noted for her topnotch Indonesian rendang.

The faint smell of burning coal permeates the street when a couple drops in. They’re from Little Wanganui, about 77 kilometres north of Westport. They buy a takeaway six-pack and ask to taste two Shortjaw tap beers while eyeing the homemade cheese toasties on the day’s menu.

Ten minutes later, another couple pops in to fill up a rigger (a flagon, in Kiwi-speak) for home.

“It’s great to have so much community support,” says Robertson, pouring a small glass of Shortjaw’s Rakau Pale as he talks.

“People of all ages walk in off the street to tell us they’re so pleased we’re here. For us, it’s early days. The move is still pretty raw. But it’s awesome. There are definitely moments when you’re walking on the beach, listening to the roar of the ocean and feeling like you’re living on the edge of the world.”

Shortjaw Brewing
+64 (03) 789 4079
10 Lyndhurst Street, Westport

@shortjaw

Hours:
Wed to Sat 12pm–7pm