Tuatara moves into Upper Hutt’s Brewtown

After nearly 25 years on the Kāpiti Coast, Tuatara has moved into a new home in Upper Hutt, joining the craft beer community at Brewtown.

DB says the move has been nearly a year in the making and the Tuatara team is delighted to confirm that brewing is underway, with the first Brewtown-brewed batch due on sale in early 2025.

Tuatara head brewer, Paul Roigard, says he and the team are thrilled to be joining the community of passionate craft beer afficionados at Brewtown. “It’s a brewer and beer lover’s dream, with over 20 well-known craft breweries, a distillery, entertainment and eateries all within easy access of Wellington city. We’ve been warmly welcomed by the other breweries on site and are looking forward to working alongside their likeminded teams.”

Paul Roigard - Tuatara head brewer

Once complete, the new site will bring together Tuatara’s existing brewing and packaging capability, with the packaging of DB’s Nelson-produced cider brands. DB says this allows for future innovation and growth across its craft beer, cider and wider portfolio.

“Our investment in this new, purpose-built site sets us up for maximum flexibility, production efficiency and growth,” says Paul. “We’re excited about the possibilities this move presents, with access to new equipment, including a new packer from Italy and a German-built bottle inspector that will complement the existing kit we’ve moved down from our old Kāpiti site.”

DB says the new Brewtown site will be a dedicated brewery for the time being, with a tap room planned for future development.