By Morgan Cadle
The Richmond Hill Brewing Company located in Gqeberha is one of the cities not-so-hidden gems, thanks in part to its master brewer, Niall Cook. Niall is one of the top brewers in the country, and in 2023, his Barrel Aged Sours won the award for Best Beer in Africa. His journey is one of passion and inspiration.
Life Before Brewing
Born and raised in Gqeberha, Niall matriculated from St Dominics Priory, and went on to study microbiology at Nelson Mandela University.
Niall says, “It was during his honours year, after weeks of grunt work in a lab that I decided to break away and tread a new path in to the brewing of beer.”
After he reached out to hundreds of breweries in the UK and Ireland, he managed to secure a position at the Metalman Brewing Company in Waterford, Ireland. This is where his journey to becoming a master brewer began.
The Early Days of Brewing
Niall says, “My stay in Ireland had a rough start, but I settled in and ultimately enjoyed the short two months I spent there. It was during this time I learned most of what I know about the art of brewing.”
As his time in Ireland came to an end, he chose to enroll as an exchange student through the Nelson Mandela University. This gave him the opportunity to study at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany.
Thanks to a monthly stipend, life was easier in Germany. “I was able to gain more experience in the local breweries. Through short stints in multiple breweries such as Goldener Engel, Eisgrub, and Castel Brewery, I learned the traditional German methods of brewing,” adds Niall.
Having gained much knowledge and feeling a little homesick, it was time to go back home and put his new found knowledge and skill into practice.
Niall Cook and the Richmond Hill Brewing Company
Back home and eager to start crafting beers, Niall’s plan to set up a home brewery came to a sudden halt when he was given some unexpected news. Kevin Eastwood, who initially got Niall interested in brewing informed him that Matt Repton, a local entrepreneur and owner of the Beer Yard, was searching for a full-time
brewer. Niall and Matt launched the Richmond Hill Brewing Company (RHBC) and began to craft many delicious beverages such as Car Park John.
RHBC started on a 50 litre Nano System eventually brewing up to 3000 litres per month. As the amount of beer being brewed as well as their client base grew Niall and Matt felt it was the right time to scale up even more. So, with their brand new 500 litre system, they moved into a quaint spot in Baakens Valley where they can still be found to this day, albeit with even more brewing power.
Niall’s willingness to experiment and collaborate with other brewers as well as his innate skill has led to some delicious brews and his winning numerous awards over the past few years.
Richmond Hill Brewing Company is based in Gqeberha at 2 Alabaster Street, Baarkens Valley. For enquiries, call +27 (0) 66 472 6352 or visit them online at https://richmondhillbrewing.com/ today. Follow them on Facebook HERE and on Instagram HERE.
