Family-owned brewery born from Christchurch earthquake destruction
Alasdair Cassels literally built his brewery from rubble.
The Christchurch entrepreneur and principal owner of Cassels Brewery Company was interviewing a chef for a job on February 22, 2011, when the ground and walls began shaking violently.
He, son Zak Cassels and son-in-law Joe Shanks quickly raced to what was then a small, makeshift brewery at The Tannery site in Woolston. They arrived to see the air clouded with dust, buildings half fallen over and every piece of brewing equipment damaged beyond repair.
Despite losing their homes and having no operational base to run their business from, the family saw the Canterbury earthquakes as an opportunity for growth.
“We licked our wounds for a day or two and then got to work,” Alasdair Cassels said.
Read more of the Cassels story by clicking the link below.
Neighbourhood Challenge: Who Can Crack This One? ⛓️💥❔
What has a head but no brain?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Poll: Pedestrian access is being extended to the Ōtakaro Avon River - good idea?
Pedestrian access from one of Christchurch’s favourite streets is being extended all the way to the Ōtakaro Avon River. This new 12m-wide pathway will give you a direct, easy route from the street to the river promenade ... perfect for a stroll, a coffee run, or just soaking up the riverside vibes.
We want to know: In your view, what makes a city people-friendly?
What else should our urban areas be doing to support better community connections?
Curious about the full plans? You can check them out here.
-
87.8% Yes
-
12.2% No
2025 has been massive. The Luxon-led Government's attacks on workers, on Te Tiriti, on pay equity, on educators, on health workers, and on the public service, have been relentless.
But despite everything thrown at working people, we've also seen some massive wins. We've fought back together with strike action. We've unified with days of action. We have focused on what matters. Make no mistake, 2026 will be wild, and we are ready for it! Source - New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Loading…
