Shaun Standeaven – a 25 year-old graduate of the International Hotel School student – is a real oddity for a number of unexpected reasons.
For starters, he launched his Standeaven Brewing Company at this year’s Good Food and Wine show. “’The odd beer’, which is a play on my surname which is quite contradictory, is my slogan. I have ensured that each bottle is labelled with an odd number for effect,” he explains.
The reason for creating the brewery was simply to “do something different. Because I am self- taught, I decided to concentrate on the beers I like to drink. We have had an amazing response so far. It is great to see how many people are embracing craft beer,” he says of the tipple that drew a great deal of attention from people wanting to sample a brew that is little out-of-the-ordinary.
International flair
In 2008, Standeaven, a registered student at The International Hotel School at the time, put his studies on hold to grab an opportunity to work on a cruise ship for two years as a barman, specialising in cocktails.
He went on to compete in a Bartenders Guild competition in Las Vegas where he took second place in the cocktail drink taste category. He had to design a cocktail with a Malibu base.
Going back to his roots and his beloved home town, he served up a cocktail named “Truly Durban” with some “truly Durban” ingredients that included chilli, mint, pineapple and a touch of lime.
At present, Shaun is one of the managers for the Shongweni Farmers Market which is owned by his parents. He is also the hands-on owner of the “Salt of the Earth” bakery in Hillcrest.
For more information contact shaun@shongwenimarket.co.za