South African Break Aways

EMERALD VALE BREWERY (Chintsa East Coastline)

Enjoying a farm, having lunch and tasting home brewed beer

While Berto is getting familiar with his new job, us looking for long-term accommodation and finding our way through the suburbs of East London, it was time to just stop and breathe for a couple of hours …

On a Saturday morning, while the sun was shining, we decided to take a break from all the planning and just relax for a while in nature. So, where shall we go? The locals told us about several breweries in the area and specifically of one on a farm that’s about 42km from East London … that sounded like a plan!

The view over part of the 400ha farm Emerald Vale
Hills covered with trees – a sight we now see daily
This way …

We saw an old Bedford truck (but looks like new) that are taking visitors on rides through the farm and to a lookout point. When we visit this farm again (because we will), this is certainly something we would love to do.

The Bedford truck

The inside of the restaurant is rustic and the heart of this place is obviously the bar where all wonderful ‘beer tapping things’ are happening!

The bar at Emerald Vale Brewery

We decided to sit outside on the terrace (but still under a roof), since it was such a nice and sunny day. There is a big grassy area where kids can enjoy jungle gyms, cricket bats and frisbees … definitely a bonus while mom and dad are tasting some great beers!

Grass area outside the restaurant
Undercover area of the restaurant

According to their website, Emerald Vale Brewery was established in April 2012, starting initially with a 50 litre brewing system. It has now been replaced with a 500 litre batch system capable of doing 12,000 litres per month.

We ordered a flight of beers before we made a decision on which beer we would like to enjoy with our meal. The flight of beers consists of Pale, Gold, Amber and Dark. We both liked the Pale and Amber and Berto ordered a glass of the Pale Emerald Vale, while I enjoyed the small glasses of the beer tasting.

Beer tasting

The menu consists of breakfast options, light- and speciality meals, steak, burgers, salads, pizzas, something special for the kids and of course dessert. There is easily a taste for everyone! I decided to order the chicken pie & chips, while Berto opted for the Jalapeno burger & chips – both excellent choices.

Lunch at Emerald Vale Brewery

The good news (for us) is that there are several hiking trails on the farm! We only found that out when we arrived at the farm and would love to come back to walk some of them. There’s a trail run option of 15.2km and then 4 others starting at 4.8km to the longest of 26.5km. These trails are suitable for mountain biking, hiking or running and even some bird watching.

  • Update: Three months later, in September, we visited Emerald Vale Brewery again. And this time we went there specifically to enjoy one of the hiking trails. You can read about it here.
Information on the Ale-Trail
The start of the hiking trails

We enjoyed our time here at Emerald Vale Brewery – the food is great, the beer even better and the scenery lovely! Next time we will be back with our hiking shoes and a bottle of water to test the hiking trails.

The farm road with cattle in the distance
Crossing a river
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59 thoughts on “EMERALD VALE BREWERY (Chintsa East Coastline)”

  1. How great that you came across this super brewery and not only do they brew beer but they serve food and have walking trails. It couldn’t be better could it! I enjoy having a flight of beer so long as they are quite light.A great post Corna and so.nice you have found somewhere nice to go.

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    1. Absolutely Marion … everything we love on one farm (and they do have gin and wine in the bar, so that’s perfect 😉). I also like the more light beers – normally I will enjoy a cider, but the pale version at this brewery was quite nice. I’m very happy that we found this farm, can’t wait to walk one of those trails! Hope you have a great week 🌸.

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  2. East London will be a great place for you guys. There are so many special things to do and see. Hiking the trails at Emerald Vale will work up a thirst and appetite. It will be nice to know that food and cold ones will be handy after you hit the trails.

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    1. Yes John, so far we like what we see in and around East London! The ocean and beach on the one side and the hills with beautiful farms and breweries on the other side … perfect! That’s exactly what we thought – hiking is great, but even better with the prospect of something cold at the end 😉.

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  3. With a diverse range of trendy cafés, independent boutiques, pop-up food venues, and the iconic Brick Lane Market, East London is one of the best places to live if you want all the buzzes of city life. Get ready to create tons of memories in your new place 🙂 Aiva xx
    .

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    1. Hi Aiva, thanks for your comment … just to make sure, you are aware that the “East London” I’m writing about, is in South Africa on the southeast coast of the country (and not in the UK) 👀. Because I’m not so sure there is a ‘Brick Lane Market’ here in our East London 😉. But thanks anyway, we are making lots of new memories in our new place!

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    1. Ja, dis alles te danke aan die plaaslike inwoners wat graag vir ons vertel van die mooi wat hulle hier het! Ons was heerlik verras dat daar so ‘n verskeidenheid dinge te doen is op een plaas … nou vir daardie staproetes!

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    1. And if my calculations are right Lolla … it’s been 48 years since you were last to East London 😉. Die buitewyke van Oos-London is pragtig – ons ken mos nie die heuwels wat met plate en plate bome bedek is nie – dis vir ons baie mooi. Dankie dat jy kom saam kuier het by Emerald Vale Breweries (volgende vat ons jou saam op ‘n staproete)!

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  7. I’m pleased to see you’re discovering interesting things to do around your new home. I can see that is absolutely your sort of place! The food looks great, the beer sounds good, and there are all those trails to explore in due course!

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    1. You’re absolutely right Sarah … indeed our kind of place! Imagine: Finding our way on one of the trails, enjoying nature and get to the end with a cold beer waiting (and of course a nice plate of food 😉) – yes, that’s how I imagine a pleasant Saturday!

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  8. That looks very nice and the brewery a lot of fun. Decades ago I did a day out to the Coors factory in Golden Colorado. All crazy airline people we flew there and back in one day with beer sampling and baking sunshine. We were all a bit sozzled in the end but had a hilarious time and we made quite a parade through the terminal with our six-packs of Coors! It’s a wonder we were allowed to travel, though by today’s standards we were very well behaved!

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    1. Oh, that sounds like quite the outing … I can only imagine the picture you guys must have portrayed with your six packs in the terminal 😅 – that’s such a great memory! Yes, I think one can say with certainty that you were just all very happy that day (and far more well behaved than people these days)!

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    1. Ek’s bly jy kom stap saam met ons Una. Tussen my en jou 😉, ek dink mens kom net Oos-London toe as jy familie het by wie jy wil kom kuier … maar dan, as jy hier kom, sien jy eintlik hoeveel mooi daar is.

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    1. Dankie vir die saamkom Tannie Frannie 😊 … hierna gaan ons op ‘n LANG ‘boardwalk’ stap (my bene is vanaand so seer ek voel of ek ‘n 100km gestap het – of ‘n 100 jaar oud is), so Tannie moet maar die tekkies saambring op die volgende avontuur!

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      2. Haha ☺️, ja hier is heelwat probleme. Maar as mens hier aan die buitewyke van die stad bly, vergeet jy eintlik dat jy naby Oos-London is. En bygese, die mense hier doen ‘n daadwerklike poging om hulle woonbuurte mooi te hou. My man het die stad so twee weke terug vir my gaan wys en soos ek vir iemand anders hier op die blog gese het, Oos-London sal nie onder die eerste 10 stede staan wat netjies en skoonheid aanbetref nie … en armoede is aan die orde van die dag. Tog, hulle stadsaal is een van die mooistes wat ek nog gesien het … ek wil so graag ‘n foto neem, maar die mense raai ons af om daar naby stil te hou en uit ons motor te klim … dis erg. Die paaie is vol slaggate (dis mos nie iets wat ons in die Wes-Kaap ken nie) en daar is heelwat korrupsie (seker maar soos oral in die land), maar die mense is baie vriendelik en almal probeer help waar hulle kan. Altyd iets om voor dankbaar te wees 🌸.

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      4. Nie waarvan ek bewus is nie Christa. Hier is 4 riviere wat in die see uitmond (en redelik water het), en sover ek weet, as daar nie water beperkings soos bv in Port Elizabeth nie (wat net minder as 300km verder is). Ons gebruik dit maar in elk geval spaarsamig … ons was met “amper dag zero” (2017/2018) woonagtig in die Kaap en weet hoe werklik ‘n watertekort kan wees.

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  14. This place is a gem for you to have so close to your new home. The food and beer look great, and the views are so pleasingly emerald. I’m glad that you are settling down and enjoying the new area. And, that you found a place that’s so you. It will be lovely to explore the available hiking trails knowing that those delicious pints await at the end of the exertion.

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    1. Thanks Leighton, yes we were very happy to have found this place. Everything we like on one farm … that’s unheard of! Well, it would have been great if they had a fire pit there for a ‘braai’, but you can’t have it all hey 😄. A cold beer at the end of one of those hiking trails is enough encouragement for me to tackle even the longest one! Thanks for taking the time to read, hope you and Sladja are doing well.

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  17. Such a lovely share Corna ❤ Beautiful and scenic scenery indeed, good food (definitely not on the light side), good beer and good company, and all that was left was to enjoy 🙂 Hope you get to do the hike very soon as i'm looking forward to reading all about it soon.

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    1. Thank you Henrietta for reading and commenting on our post – it’s much appreciated 🌸. I think I should rather choose one of their nice salads next time (especially after a hike on those wondrous hiking trails) … and you’re right, the scenery is breathtaking – I just can’t get enough of these hills covered in lush vegetation and trees. Hope to go on a trail soon!

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  20. This looks like a lovely spot to spend the afternoon. What better way to burn off all that beer and food than by going for a hike afterwards. Although I would probably start with the hike to earn my beer, otherwise I’m not too sure a hike would happen if I went in the reverse order.

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    1. Definitely a great place (hopefully we will return soon for one of those hikes). I think I will rather start with the hike and then beer and lunch afterwards … if we do it the other way around, we will have to go back another day for the hike, because that won’t happen after relaxing with a beer ☺️.

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  23. Pingback: HIKING – Emerald Vale Brewery Farm – Wet and Dusty Roads

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