Mata Beer Brewery Bar & Restaurant — Restaurant in Bay of Plenty

There was no way I was going to leave Whakatāne without first sampling their locally crafted beer 🤙 made from locally sourced ingredients 👍

Mata Beer is the perfect place to relax with friends 👫👭👬 while enjoying a selection of award-winning craft beers 🍺 ales, lagers, ciders, and wine 🍷 paired with delicious food 😋 Every day has a unique and exciting menu

This is a family-run business based in the sunny Eastern Bay of Plenty. With a love ❤️ for great beer and a passion to brew unique New Zealand 🇳🇿 styles, Tammy Viitakangas brought Mata beer to life in 2005, along with mum Gloria, dad Jouni, and Uncle Esko 😄

With pride and passion, they continue to create and brew an innovative range of award-winning 🏆🏅 flavoursome beers.

The Dark Night porter was world class 😍 They complemented their delicious porter recipe blend of chocolate malts, with the addition of cacao and vanilla bean to create this luscious velvety chocolate porter 🍫

I also enjoyed the Merry Berry 😊 cider. They have infused apple cider 🍏 made from apples in their neighbouring east coast region, with handpicked boysenberries and strawberries 🍓 from the local iconic Julians Berry Farm and Cafe (Bay of Plenty). Merry Berry is a lusciously juicy berry and apple cider sensation! 😋

The jalapeño poppers 🌶 were also perfect. My lips still tingled about 45 minutes afterwards ✨️ It just had the perfect level of spice and cheesy 🧀...

Who would have thought Whakatane would end up with a local craft brewery? The scenery in the local industrial estate isn't much to write home about (there was a horse in the paddock across the road tho) but the beer more than makes up for it. Choose from easy drinking light beers to rich stouts with explosive flavor. If you like good beer you'll undoubtedly fine something to excite your tastebuds. There is indoor & outdoor seating with some areas under shadecloth. They also have some space for live music type events. There's also an extensive menu of beer snacks, small bites and semi-serious meals to pad your stomach while you sample their wares. You can choose from a tasting flight of four different beers, small or large glasses of individual beers on tap or 1.25L takeaway bottles. There's also bottled beer for any of the tap beer that's run out or not...

Mata Brewery is a fantastic brewery bar and venue. When I first moved to Whakatane 18 months ago I tried to find a dog friendly pub so I could bring my two well behaved Spoodles with me when I went out for a beer. At the time they were the only ones who welcomed dogs (a couple of other pubs have now relaxed their stance and also allow dogs) Whakatane seems to becoming generally more dog friendly.

Mata also happen to brew outstanding beer, and I try to taste any new varieties when they come out. I’ve just had there new Mataccino and it is very good. Im not generally a dark beer drinker. I. Occasionally enjoy a Guinness at an Irish pub with lamb shanks mashed potatoes and gravy, but this coffee chocolate milk stout is wonderful. Even going to order a second one 😊 (I’m usually a one dark beer at a time guy)

It gets my vote. May even have...