The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room

Brewery · Matakana

The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room

Brewery · Matakana

3

1004 Leigh Road, Matakana 0985, New Zealand

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The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by Photo courtesy of Sawmill Brewery
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null
The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room by null

Highlights

Nestled in Matakana, Sawmill Brewery serves craft beers with a local twist plus inventive shared plates in a cozy spot with killer vibes.  

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1004 Leigh Road, Matakana 0985, New Zealand Get directions

sawmillbrewery.co.nz
@sawmillbrewing

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1004 Leigh Road, Matakana 0985, New Zealand Get directions

+64 9 422 6555
sawmillbrewery.co.nz
@sawmillbrewing

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Jul 30, 2025

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@afar

"Surrounded by the rolling pastures of the Matakana region north of Auckland , the rustic ambience of this craft brewery belies the subtle sophistication of the food and drinks on offer. The attached Smoko Room restaurant turns out excellent shared plates with a global spin—try the turmeric-spiced goat hummus with cumin flatbreads—and the canny brewers are forever making interesting seasonal beers to complement Sawmill's core range. Standout pints include a citrusy pale ale and a crisp lager showcasing zesty New Zealand hops (the tasting tray of five brews is the best option for curious traveling beer fans). Save room for dessert: an ice-cream sandwich fusing New Zealand's signature ANZACcookiewith salted-caramel gelato."

The Best Bars in New Zealand
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@michelinguide

7 Craft Breweries to Visit in New Zealand

"Just an hour drive to the north from central Auckland, this independent brewery got its name when it took over an old sawmill in 2004. It has since moved to a new location to the north in Matakana, and conducts frequent tours of the brewery, in addition to offering tastings of its Pilsners, IPAs and crystal wheat ales—a golden-yellow wheat beer with fresh citrusy flavors. Feeling peckish? The brewery also serves food and beer pairings in their “Smoko Room.”" - Meryl Koh

https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/article/travel/new-zealand-craft-breweries
View Postcard for The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room
@michelinguide

7 Craft Breweries to Visit in New Zealand

"Just an hour drive to the north from central Auckland, this independent brewery got its name when it took over an old sawmill in 2004. It has since moved to a new location to the north in Matakana, and conducts frequent tours of the brewery, in addition to offering tastings of its Pilsners, IPAs and crystal wheat ales—a golden-yellow wheat beer with fresh citrusy flavors. Feeling peckish? The brewery also serves food and beer pairings in their “Smoko Room.”" - Meryl Koh

https://guide.michelin.com/en/article/travel/new-zealand-craft-breweries
View Postcard for The Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room

Macca

Google
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Wow, Sawmill Brewery and Smoko Room is an absolute gem! The beers are fantastic, full of flavour and brewed with real craft. The food is just as impressive, with delicious dishes that pair perfectly with their brews. The staff are epic, super friendly, and make the whole experience even better. Set in one of the most stunning regions on earth, this place is a must-visit. How good! 😎👌🏻 Highly recommend 🍻 🥘

Bianca T

Google
My experience was unfortunately disappointing. While the drink selection was excellent and our server provided truly lovely service with great banter, the food was far too salty! We also had a significant wait of around 10 minutes before being acknowledged and seated. Despite the food arriving exceptionally quickly, no one checked in to see how our meal was. Overall, the salty food and initial lack of attention overshadowed the positive aspects, and I wouldn't be inclined to return. If your going for chips and a great beer selection I would say it's worth it.

Taryn

Google
Such an awesome place to go to if you need to get out of Auckland for the day. Kids can run around if the weather is good. Food was amazing and obviously the beer was too! Such a great selection! George was our waiter and he deserves to be mentioned. What a polite, friendly, young gentleman who provided top notch service! We will be back 🤩

Leon B

Google
**★★★★★ Great Beer & Relaxed Vibe!** We stopped by Sawmill Brewery for a few pints on our way through and loved it! The venue has a great atmosphere, and the beer selection was excellent. We just had some snacks and nibbles, which were perfect alongside the drinks. Plus, they offer growler fills—definitely worth a visit!

Lay Khim Ho

Google
Interesting interior with giant brewery and lovely outdoor seating (IG worthy). Staff was friendly and recommended a pleasant beer for me, a non beer drinker. Lamb ribs were nice. Fried chicken sauce was too salty.

John Carman

Google
Great spot, busy on NWs day but still found a spot. Didn't feel crowded as lots of seating options. Beer was great, got a paddle n the East Coast Pilsner was the pick, definitely worth a try. Food wise, enjoyed it all especially the tapioca cubes.

Thalia Cipriano

Google
If you're on your way to Goat Island, make sure to stop by this place. Amazing food, atmosphere, and drinks. The beers are fantastic, with plenty of options to choose from. The setting is cozy and comfortable. Rating: A THOUSAND STARS!

Kevin Shrubsole

Google
Food is superb order lots of the little plates to share because everything is delicious of course nice beer and fabulous staff it's well worth a trip out of Auckland
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Marissa V.

Yelp
Really cool brewery we stopped at on the way back from Goat Island. Reminded me of some places in the US. Very generous samples! The bartender's here were very friendly and more than happy to give recommendations to anyone who is walking by. I had the pork cheek dish, it was very fatty which I really enjoyed. Had great dinner here. Really liked the ambiance of the space , the restrooms were very clean.
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Conny S.

Yelp
This brewpub has it all: sprawling views, fantastic beer and creative food. We had beer flights - since we couldn't possibly pick just one beer. And shared a few dishes. The menu was a little hard to read - but (a) google is your friend for new terms and (b) really everything was delicious. I believe no matter what we would have ordered, it would have been great. The fish pate on bread was right up our alley and the beef with pickled onions was such as delicious surprise. If you are in the area and are looking for a fun and chill place that serves great food - this is the place to go to.
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Ximena S.

Yelp
The beers from the Sawmill Brewing Company are all brewed locally in Leigh, with no sugar, preservatives or chemicals added to the process. Hops from Motueka added with water and grains is all it is, without any pasteurization in the process (unlike many of the larger commercial beer factories around the country).This all contributes to the fine crafted beers they have not only on offer at Matakana Farmer's Market, but also various supermarkets and bars around the country. I would recommend picking up a couple bottles of the 12 Gauge; it has a very distinctive flavour and a very pleasant bitter after taste.
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Shelly-Ann S.

Yelp
We've been to stay at the Sawmill a couple of times now but only recently took the time to check out the beer. Sadly on a Saturday morning the brewery wasn't open until noon but we headed down to the Matakana Market where any self-respecting Leigh producer would be selling their wares. There was a nice lady with some nice big tasting flagons so we tasted all of them. It would have been rude not to. Then we bought one of the oversized bottles of each. My husband liked The Doctor whose description involved chocolate and was in fact a dark ale which wasn't quite dessert-like enough for me. I am a huge fan of the Pilsner as it is particularly citrus-y and fresh without the bitter aftertaste that I've noticed some Pilsners leave you with. I love the natural ethos behind what this brewery is doing and am looking forward to their extended distribution as it can be a bit hard to find outside the local area.
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Ginger S.

Yelp
I would defiantly call and ask if they are open. Whoever posted the hours for this business lied, because we actually ended up going to the restaurant when it said it was closed. Had a wonderful time, the setting is serene, service is amazing! The food is nice but would prefer more options unless it's an interchanging menu. Wasn't to impressed by the potatoes and rosemary. The garlic was burnt and some of the potatoes were over cooked as well. The aioli sauce was plain. The fish dumplings were nice but I'd actually think a vegetable dumpling would actually be a good option as well as the monkfish dumplings. The neocolonial salad was nice but a tad bit over dressed and needed a hint of some sort of slight sweet pop. The pork cheek was very fatty and Didn't impress at all! The charred bread is to hard to pair with the pork check and a softer bread would compliment it. The mushrooms were ok but i did not like the radicchio in the mixture the bitter isn't pleasant nor is the mint. I think this fish needs to be rethought. It's a nice place and we really commend the chefs for the innovative thinking with the food but some kinks defiantly need to be worked out with the menu and the food.

Jonni G.

Yelp
We had a lovely experience and the food was incredible.. we had the venison ribs and they were cooked to perfection.. the beers were all fantastic , my favourite was the stout . This place is a fantasy and would recommended to everyone visiting this lovely part of the world . We will be back for sure