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She was inspired to start the business by Taranaki hospitality moguls Kate and Craig Mcfarlane. “The Mcfarlanes were quite instrumental in me deciding to take this whole career up,” she said.
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“I do like just doing what I want to do. I’ve never been good at being told what to do.” They’d just opened Mcfarlanes in Inglewood and needed a chef. She decided to apply but after realising it was evening work, she opted to not take the job. Instead, they asked if she was interested in managing a restaurant they had in Fielding. “And I drove away thinking if I can do that for them, I can do it for myself,” she said.
Further along, Holy Guacamole owners Isaac Drought and Cathi Strebinger whip up delicious burritos and beef taco bowls from their mobile caravan kitchen.
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The Holy Guacamole food truck is a popular spot in summer. In the township, Lemonwood Eatery owner Barbara Olsen-Henderson offers a fine range of award-winning vegan mince pies from her vegan cafe. Alongside, the tried and true Butlers Reef serves up consistent quality pub grub. Opposite, High Tide Cafe offers reviving espresso coffees and pastries.
Where to drink: A cold Three Sisters local craft beer on a hot day goes down well at Butlers Reef Hotel on the main thoroughfare, or overlooking the beach from Black Sand Pizzeria.
The Restaurant Association s annual report shows eateries were struck hard by Covid-19 but are slowly recovering.
Kiwis spent $12.1b on drinking and dining in the year ending March 2020, before the pandemic slashed revenue by over $1b. But the Restaurant Association’s annual report paints a picture of grit, survival, and opportunity. Kelly Dennett reports. Fishbone was in Darren Lovell’s DNA. Lovell had cooked at the popular Queenstown restaurant six nights a week for 15 years. It had received multiple awards, been named one of New Zealand’s top 100 restaurants, was hand-picked for guide books and Lonely Planet lists. Tourists flocked to the fresh fish eatery.