Five years ago we were freezing in a shed behind Spelt Bakery when we decided to go for it.

Looking back, we barely knew what it was, but we knew what it wasn't — making beer in a shed without electricity, without hot water, and with louvered windows stuck open.

Moving to Wharf Street we picked 'Steamer Basin' because we loved the link to Dunedin's heritage but also, we'd come from 'steam brewing' in the shed. (When it was 4° outside it was 4° inside, and during the boil it was like being in a sauna, with condensation dripping off the ceiling.)

We've now moved out of our room in Wharf Street to make way for the expansion of Blue Water's shop. This means we'll be taking an enforced break until we start manufacturing in our new premise.

It gives us a chance to catch up and do some backyard brewing on our Farra brewkit.

It took us nearly a year to launch Steamer Basin after making that decision, so it feels like we've come full circle.

We'll come back bigger and better, and we hope you join us for the next five years.

Enjoy!

Paul & Karen