In Founder Focus we introduce entrepreneurs and innovators working on our next generation of new business startups, social enterprises and small businesses.
At a glance
Founders: Jesse Sigurdsson, Dan Radcliffe, Rene Radcliffe, Ajinkya (AJ) Jagdale
Business: Shining Peak Brewing
Founded: 2018
HQ: Taranaki
Can you tell us a bit about your business?
Shining Peak is a Brewery, Bar and Restaurant operating out of central New Plymouth. Our philosophy is that each town’s local brewery should be for the locals, and all about the locals. We achieve this by naming all our beers after various pieces of history, personalities, sights, sounds and even smells of Taranaki.
We also believe that each business should give back to the community, so we give 5% of all our beer takings from our brewpub (revenue, not profit) to a different Taranaki charity, organisation or initiative each month. To date, we’ve given over $160,000 back to our community.
Our beer has a strict focus on quality and freshness, which matches perfectly with our fresh and vibrant food menu, warm and welcoming service, and trendy establishment.
What’s the backstory for your business idea?
The concept came from a conversation at a christmas party – where most good ideas come from, right? I had been brewing commercially for 6 years at a brewery down the coast, and felt like the time was right to do my own thing.
A chat over a beer with Dan was the catalyst, and after a few meetings with him and Rene, we decided that we needed someone with a hospitality background to drive the restaurant and bar. That’s where AJ came in.
A year or so earlier, AJ and I had peddled off a homebrew keg which raised over $5,000 for a local mental health retreat. This was the starting point that got us thinking about how we could use our beer to do good.
What programmes, learning or mentoring have been of assistance so far?
- Well, to begin with, we have a former NZ Entrepreneur of the year on our team – that’s a pretty good start, I reckon.
- We have a close relationship with our accountants, Schurr Ireland, who make sure we’re practising good business and keeping a close eye on our numbers.
- I think we have such a diverse business with specialists in every area, we’re really able to mentor ourselves in most ways.
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