Desert Island Beers – Richard Chennells, Zululand, South Africa
This weeks Desert Island Beers features beer lover and eccentric Richard Chennells. Born and bred in Zululand, South Africa, Richard has worked extensively in the tourism industry for SA and did a brew masters course through The American Brewers Guild.
He worked in the UK for The London Stock Exchange, Barclays Capital and finished in 2005 at The Bank of America. After brewing school in the USA in 2005, he went home, bought a family hotel and with his brother Graham established the Zululand Brewing Co. in Eshowe, Zululand.
In 2010 Richard was invited to brew Zululand Brewery’s flagship beer Zulu Blonde Ale at Marston’s Brewery for the JDW International Real Ale Festival. Of the 50 ales in the festival Zulu Blonde was voted number 1. Richard was then invited back to the UK to brew a further 120,000 pints of Zulu Blonde but this time at Everards’s brewery to supply the pub chain in time for the World Cup Kick off. Richard has been invited back again to the Real Ale Festival in 2012 and the brewery is launching ZB in bottles in late 2012.
The Brewery is on site at The George Hotel in Eshowe where its beers are available on tap at The Happy George Bar. The brewery is the smallest on the KwaZulu-Natal Brew Route been capable of producing only a maximum of 3000 L (800 Gallon) a month in batches of 300 litres (80 Gallons). Because the brew house is so small they brew up to four times in a day just to fill two 150 L (40 Gallon) fermentation tanks! Due to demand Zulu Blonde is also now brewed under licence by the Nottingham Road Brewery in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and will shortly have operations in the Czech Republic and Belgium.
Hi Richard; so, which 5 beers would you want to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island, and why?
The Beers
Brahma – (Brazil 4.8%)
“It’s the first beer that comes to mind because being stranded on a desert island reminds me of when I was in Brazil on an island called Ile Grande except it wasn’t deserted, instead it was full of beautiful women. At least when I am quenching my thirst on the sand in the heat on my own, I will have thoughts of smoking hot Brazilian bikinis walking by…”
Nile Special Lager – (Jinga,Uganda 5.6%)
“The taste is just great and has a great African vibe. Last time I drank Nile Special we were on route in an old 4×4 to see the Gorillas in south Uganda. The car kept on breaking down, we were in the middle of nowhere and really had to kick into “survival mode” otherwise we would be in trouble. We cracked open a cold Nile Gold and everything seemed to come more clear for some reason…anyway, this beer would also be need on a desert island”
Nottingham Road Pickled Pig Porter – (Nottingham Road Brewing Co, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa 5.5%)
“They say “Beware of the Pig” because after too many you start to see triple. The balance of pale and roasted malt in this beer keeps the beer kind of light for a dark beer but still full of all the goodness that you need to survive on a desert island. One of the best porter/stouts I have tasted to date.”
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale – (Sierra Nevada Brewing Co, U.S.A. 5.6%) 
“Now there is one thing few people don’t realize and that is the Yanks can make some bloody good beer. I always say to people, “If you take 20 of the best beers in Belgium and compare them with the 20 best beers in the USA, who would win?” I reckon the Yanks would take it. Think about it. Anyway, this California Girl is one of my favourite because the balance of Cascade and Millenium Hops just drives my taste buds crazy. Can this choice come in a keg when I am cast away?”
Zulu Blonde Pale/Export Ale– (Zululand Brewing Co. South Africa 4.5%)
“Say no more.”
And which beer (of those selected) do you regard most highly, and why?
“Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. These guys are a true testament to breweries all over the world and inspire small start up breweries every day. They started small and through persistence and the love of beer went all the way to the top. The owner who is now a multi millionaire is still seen walking around the brewery fixing pumps in his dirty overalls. Now that’s what I am talking about!”
The Meal
You can also take one meal to go with your beers, what would it be and why?
“Any steak.”
The Beer Book
You might be waiting a long time on your lonesome on the desert island, so we will automatically allow you a few books to keep your mind busy. You can pick between two beer books and two tomes: ‘The Brewmaster’s Table: Discovering the Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food’ by Garrett Oliver, or ‘Beer’ by Michael Jackson; plus The Bible, or another appropriate religious or philosophical work.
” For the beer book I’ll take my own thanks, The Wandering Keg – soon to be actually published (by me..) andVedanta Treatise – Indian Philosophy ”
And a non-beery, non-philosophical book, something a little less taxing on the brain, what would that be?
“How to build a raft – For dummies.”
The Record
You have a CD/mp3/long player but you can only take one album. Choose wisely!
“Jonny Clegg – Best of…”
The Luxury Item
And finally, what luxury item would help make your stay on the island bearable?
“A Cell Phone. The wife might get worried.”
The Zululand Brewery supports several independent organizations that have projects in and around the Eshowe area whilst outside of the brewery Richard’s family founded Chennells Volunteer Projects a provider of volunteer projects in South Africa. And with over 30 years’ experience in Zulu upliftment projects the Chennells family have been associated in rural Zululand building many schools, orphanages, crèches, feeding points and skills centres.
The Eshowe Community Action Group, with the assistance off the Chennells family have now built over 3,000 classrooms and educated over 1 million Zulu children since its inception in 1977!
As if all of the above is not enough back in September 2008 Richard also presented a 13 Episode series for TV – The Wandering Keg - The Ultimate Journey of Beer through Southern Africa.
In the series Richard trekked around Southern Africa in his trusty Land Rover, replete with a beer tap between the tail lights and a keg of ale in the back, in search of the best micro-breweries in the land exploring a side of his country that most locals have never seen. The TV Series took viewers all over Southern Africa exposing viewers to breweries and beer in South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique and Uganda and focused on beer, travel, cooking with beer and the people involved in producing Africa’s favourite beverage.
Many thanks to Richard for taking the time and trouble to be a castaway. 
For more on Richard and Zululand Brewing Co. check out their website.
This article was originally posted at Real Ale Reviews on 30th September 2011 as part of a collaboration on ‘Desert Island Beers’ and is syndicated with permission.
Tags: Brahma, Chennells Volunteer Projects, Desert Island Beers, Nile Special Lager, Nottingham Road Pickled Pig Porter, Richard Chennells, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, The American Brewers Guild, The George Hotel Eshowe, The Happy George Bar, The Wandering Keg, Zulu Blonde Ale, Zulu Blonde Pale/Export Ale