New bar offers a stiff drink in a gritty setting
What is the new Abandoned Taproom in Petone like? Let me set a scene in your mind.
If you’ve ever been through a seemingly forgotten pedestrian underpass made of brutalist 1960s concrete and covered in decades of graffiti, that’s what this new pub looks like on the inside.
Visually, it’s exactly what the men in charge were going for – “the experience of having a drink under a bridge”, as Abandoned Brewery operations manager Tom Mahoney put it.
The pub is the newest addition to the Jackson St strip of bars in Petone and on Thursday, it celebrated its grand opening after just four weeks in service.
The bar is down a side street but highly visible thanks to the bright-red anarchist symbol that was painted on to the building just a few days before.
Within, the sparse and concrete interior has every ceiling and wall covered in graffiti. The owners of the pub commissioned a graffiti artist to decorate the interior.
The menu of beer is made up of old cardboard boxes, with felt tip written in. It’s minimalist but not uninviting.
The venue is the second Abandoned Taproom venue, joining one in Parumoana St, Porirua. While those who have been there should expect more of the same at Petone, Abandoned Brewery founder Tim Ward said he’d had his sights set on this building from the start. “Jackson St was where we wanted to open the premises to show off our beers, right from when we started in 2017.
“I've been a regular at Ontrays, which was on the site for over 20 years, and I felt like it was the perfect spot for us. Plenty of parking in the neighbourhood and next to our esteemed neighbours Sprig and Fern and Baylands, we felt we could create a really good craft beer community down here.”
Ward had three attempts to get hold of the premises and finally secured it. The vision for the venue is as a place for lunch, dinner, afterwork drinks and specialty gigs heading right into the night.
Ward said he imagined a place that was as much at home to a folk band as a rock band.
With five staff working at the venue on any day out of a team at eight, it’s a place that is expecting to be busy.
However, Ward has ideas beyond just food and drink. “We want to support the local community as much as possible.
“We invite anyone who's got a fundraiser for school, a school overseas trip, sports team fundraising drive, please hit us up. We're all about giving away vouchers and merchandise for raffles and supporting the local community in that way.”
Is it worth it? Despite a very fleeting visit to the place, I would come here for a drink after work. It’s easy to get to, there’s ample parking, it’s within walking distance of the beach, and it is a very relaxing environment.
Perfect for a casual catch-up.