Piha Surf Life Saving Club Announces new Restaurant & Bar facilities

Piha Surf Life Saving Club is celebrating a new team, a bit of a makeover and is looking forward to welcoming the community through the doors this season.

Pictured above from left to right: Piha SLSC General Manager Katie Arden, Anthony Browne from Brothers Beer and Juke Joint and Piha SLSC Club Custodian Paul Newnham.

 Alike to many other clubs and organisations, Piha SLSC has had an interesting couple of years dealing with the onset and management of life with COVID-19 within the community. Funding pressures, recruitment challenges and retention of members have all impacted the way our Club was able to serve beachgoers and our local community. General Manager Katie Arden states that 'we have been working incredibly hard behind the scenes for some time now to ensure we have the right team in place to be one of the few 'go-to' facilities in the area.'

 With the future looking somewhat brighter in terms of New Zealand getting back to business as usual, Piha SLSC is re-opening its doors this coming Labour Weekend with a new offering and welcome Brothers Beer & Juke Joint to the Club, as well as the return of local favourites, Cones on the Beach. 

 For those that have had the pleasure in sampling one of Brothers Juke Joint restaurants, they will be bringing with them their familiar flavours of American BBQ meats, fantastic craft beers, chilled vibes, friendly staff, consistent opening hours and inclusive approach - yes, your four-legged friends will be welcome to dine with you and even have a choice of options on their own doggie menu. But who are the team behind the name? 

 Brothers Beer was dreamed up by Ant and Andy ten years ago, beginning with a retail store and beer tasting lounge in City Works Depot in Auckland City. The space was a celebration of craft beer, and one of the first of its kind in Aotearoa. A small brewery was put in where we began brewing any beers we could dream up. Fast forward a decade, and we now have seven sites across Auckland including a brewery in Mt Eden. We export our beers to bars, restaurants, supermarkets and liquor stores all over Aotearoa and Australia.  But what pairs best with craft beer? Traditional Southern Low & Slow BBQ! Juke Joint cook low and slow, smoking meat and vegetables over sustainably harvested wood such as Manuka and Pohutukawa. Offering traditional sandwiches (served in a Wild Wheat bun), plenty of naked meats, salads, moorish sides, shared plates and plenty of vegan friendly and gluten free options, too.

 The Brothers Beer team have stayed true to the small taproom roots though – all sites embody the laidback and friendly vibe they began with. Retro couches and tables, board games and heaps of space for the kids and dogs to lounge about and enjoy themselves. Proudly being still owner-operated by Ant - who you'll probably bump into! So why Piha? Brothers Beer relationship with Piha stems back over almost a decade - brewing beers at the Bowls Club using their brew kit and creating a label to sit alongside Brothers Beer - Piha Beer. Their ‘Locals Lager’ is one of their most popular beers - especially over summertime. They also actively support SLSC Day Of Giants and are keen to get involved in more community groups in the area. Brothers Beer and Juke Joint are looking forward to getting to know Piha and all the people who call it home. If you're cruising by, pop in for a beer and have a chat with Ant and the team! Cheers to that.

Cones on the Beach photo: Pictured above from left to right: Dion, Toby, Kate & Garrick

 If that doesn’t whet your appetite… read on…!

 For those that didn't have the pleasure of sampling the real fruit ice-cream of Cones on the Beach from Piha SLSC last summer - they really need no introduction as they have been located in North Piha for many moons. This awesome team of locals added such flavour to Piha SLSC last year and we are delighted to see them back for another season!

 Cones On The Beach was established by 4 locals, born and raised in Piha, Dion, Garrick, Toby, and Kate. Their first season providing the local community with real fruit ice cream was in 2020 and after a great first season, the small business has continued to grow. They have a deep connection to Piha and its community and acknowledge that it takes a village to raise a child and they now have a platform to give back to our community by being local, serving local and supporting local. Their ice cream is always served with a smile, with fresh wholesome ingredients making it the perfect treat on any summers day. 

 So that’s it. Plain and simple, we are looking forward to serving you top notch grub. We will be open every Friday to Sunday from Labour Weekend to the end of April, with service increasing to seven days a week from Boxing Day to Waitangi Day. Come rain or shine, the doors to Piha SLSC will be open, and we welcome you to come and experience the new set up with us. Additionally, outside of these restaurant hours, the Club is offering a 'home' for you if you need it. Are you involved in a Piha community group that has outgrown your living room? Are your kids in a band and need rehearsal space? Are you in a start-up that just needs space to think? If available, Piha SLSC is offering free facility use to local groups on evenings from Monday to Thursday up until 28th November when the weekly live-in lifeguard service resumes.

 And speaking of lifeguarding..... Piha is delighted to have some new, and old (!) faces around the Club. We welcome Piha local Michael Lockie back into the role of Club Captain who alongside Power craft Officer Paul Newnham, now also performing the role of Club Custodian, forms a double act of epic proportions. Add into the mix Theo Commissaris, a valued Piha Patrol Captain and part-time firefighter who has stepped up as the Piha Seach and Rescue Squad Co-ordinator, and you have a trio of men on call who just know how to get things done. 

 So, are you wondering what it looks and tastes like? Come and join us to find out.