‘It’s just wonderful to see this type of response’
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- Published on Thursday, September 29, 2016
Photos by Diane Ruzycki. Hundreds of people came to check out the open house at the Farmery last Sunday. In 2011, brothers Chris and Lawrence Warwaruk set out to establish Canada’s first estate brewery. The open house included not just a chance to see the newly renovated space, but a chance to sample some of their products.
By Eoin Devereux
Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press
Considering all the commotion going on during Farmery Estate Brewery’s grand opening, it could have been very easy for co-owners Chris and Lawrence Warwaruk to miss out on the moment. Fortunately for the brothers, they were able to stop, stare out upon the large crowd of well-wishers and reflect upon just what they’d accomplished.
Local band Swamp Gas provided some musical entertainment during the Farmery’s open house. From left: Greg Nelson, Ron Nordstrom, Blair Chapman and Lorne Lagimodiere.
“The past six months has been a real whirlwind of activity here at the brewery. There was a lot of work needed to get to this day,” noted Lawrence Warwaruk. “Even before that, we’d been working for four years on the product and distribution. So much effort behind the scenes to get Farmery to where it is right now. After all that time and investment, not just financial but emotional investment as well, it’s just wonderful to see this type of response.”
Chris (second from left) and Lawrence Warwaruk (second from right), along with their families, spoke to those in attendance.
The response Warwaruk was referring to was the hundreds upon hundreds of people who flocked to the open house at the building on Highway 5 north in Neepawa.
The public was very interested in seeing the newly redesigned facility and the brewing equipment stored within. Chris Warwaruk said they expected the day would be a hectic one, but were simply amazed by the actual response.
“What happened [on Sunday] exceeded our wildest expectations. It wasn’t just people from Neepawa that were out here, although there certainly was a large portion of them here. There were also many visitors from Brandon and Winnipeg. Actually met a group out from Starbuck as well. It was great,” stated Chris. “The interest and support from the people of Neepawa and Arden, as well as other communities goes beyond anything we expected.”
Attendees looked at the brewery’s canning equipment.
As part of the grand opening, a camera crew from Dragon’s Den, the CBC show in which the brothers were able to find investment advice, was filming a segment for the upcoming season. It was also the official debut for Farmery’s new variety of beer, the prairie berry ale. Initial response from the public to this new stock was extremely positive. The brothers said considering the amount of time that’s put into developing a new beer, the first response can be rather nerve-racking. They added however that the early positive reaction makes the effort feel very worthwhile.
The front of the building has been renovated into a gift shop and sampling area. A variety of Farmery merchandise, including clothing, hats and decals are available for purchase.
A quick tour of the building showed that a lot of work has been done to get ready for not just the open house, but the immediate production and distribution of product. The largest amount of work was required to the back of the building, where the brewing equipment is installed. The floors and walls were refinished to ensure that all surfaces were washable, in order to meet government guidelines. The front of the building was also given a complete makeover, allowing for a gift shop and beer sampling lounge. The sheer size and scope of the plan will ensure Farmery employs eight full-time workers and between six to eight part-timers. Chris Warwaruk is hopeful that this will also result in the creation of a unique agri-tourism destination that Neepawa can be proud of.
Farmery is Canada’s first estate brewery, meaning that almost all of the beer’s inputs have been locally grown.
“We want this to be a showcase for our region. We use locally grown grain and the majority of our brewing will be local. We want to drive the point home that this will be a showcase for our town all across Canada,” Warwaruk stressed. “We’re proud of what this business contributes locally and intend on being a great representative for the region.”
