A spiffy version of the backyard shed is home to this new nano-brewery, which has a very personal character indeed.

Off a side street in a side village on the way to Cradle Mountain you'll find brew guru Willie Simpson almost paternally watching over his baby barrels to ensure they get just the right amount of this and that to result in the perfect drink.

His handmade creations include a Kentish ale or three and a trio of meads that will rip your view of the honey-based medieval drink out of the past and put it centre-stage as a contemporary late-afternoon, biscotti-assisted tipple.