A drink in a minute at Homegrown

Saturday, 14 March 2026

Homegrown organisers claimed thirsty festival goers could get their beer within 60 seconds.

Before the festival, chief executive Andrew Tuck aimed for a 60-second wait time for drinks.

Waikato Times watched several people get their drinks to put the claim to the test.

The parameters: the stopclock started once punters got past security and ended once they walked out of the bar area.

The first one was a man in a blue singlet, walking in with purpose and confident of what he wanted to order.

He struts in, gets his four Canadian Club drinks before walking out, off to the next stage or venture.

The time: 48 seconds.

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Two women enter next, eager to get their drinks.

Once they get past security, they walk forward to the front line and there’s an issue.

They don’t know what drinks to get. But they stop, reassess and get their two Phuel Remixed vodka drinks before partying elsewhere around Claudelands

All of that took 54 seconds. Just a little bit longer but less than the 60 second target.

The third are a couple who decide to get their drinks, after much encouragement.

They are waiting in the queue for what feels like an age but they get their drinks.

It’s the same as the two girls above, Phuel Remixed vodka drinks.

Once they walk out, the time stops and it reads 2 min 30 sec.

Tuck isn’t worried about the wait times.

“If we get some under and a couple over and an average wait time is still only a couple of minutes. It’s still better than anywhere else,” he said.