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.
Poll: Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝
In The Post’s opinion piece on the developments set to open across Aotearoa in 2026, John Coop suggests that, as a nation, we’re “allergic to exuberance.”
We want to know: Are we really allergic to showing our excitement?
Is it time to lean into a more optimistic view of the place we call home? As big projects take shape and new opportunities emerge, perhaps it’s worth asking whether a little more confidence (and enthusiasm!) could do us some good.
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41.2% Yes
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34% Maybe?
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24.8% No
Suellen's Sweet Christmas Tradition
The festive season is the perfect excuse to indulge your sweet tooth and to bring something truly special to the Christmas table. For Suellen’s family, that showstopper is Croquembouche !
An impressive tower of cream puffs bound together with delicate spun sugar, this classic dessert is a favourite at weddings across France and Italy and a much-loved Christmas tradition at home.
Click read more for the full recipe.
Scam Alert: Fake information regarding December Bonuses from MSD
The Ministry of Social Development is reporting that fake information is circulating about new ‘December bonuses’ or ‘benefit increases’
If you get suspicious communication, please contact Netsafe.
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