Capital loses another top restaurant, sparking domino effect fears

Monday, 6 November 2023

Laura Greenfield, chef and co-owner of Field & Green, fires up for last year’s Wellington On A Plate.

Another award winning Wellington restaurant is closing, citing tough economic times.

Field & Green, whose kedgeree, Red Leicester cheese scones and home-made ice-cream have amassed a cult-like following, was opened by Laura Greenfield and Raechal Ferguson in 2015.

It has featured in the Cuisine Top 100 ever since and been awarded one hat in the Good Food Awards a number of times.

In a social media post, the pair said hospitality had been doing it tough for some time. Alongside that, their lease was ending in the new year.

It “was with a heavy heart” they had decided to close the Wakefield St bistro, known for its take on traditional European dishes combined with influences from Greenfield’s Jewish heritage and described by Cuisine as “delivering serious comfort food with a side serving of cool”.

The last service will be on December 21.

Mike Egan, president of the Restaurant Association and head of its Wellington branch, said he was gutted.

“It’s not good at all. I eat there every week, it’s a great place.”

The Restaurant Association’s Mike Egan says there is widespread uncertainty about taking on or renewing leases.

He said there was widespread uncertainty about taking on or renewing leases, particularly with all the planned CBD construction work.

Greenfield trained at Le Cordon Bleu in London and was head chef at Sothebys Cafe for almost 13 years. Waikato-born Ferguson, who worked front of house, trained in architectural design.

They said Field & Green had been the most wonderful home to them over the past eight years.

“Always prepared with heart, for us that’s what it’s all about. Sharing food sprinkled with history, traditions, and culture, bound up in social relationships. Food should always feed the soul.”

Ferguson said the last 12 months in particular had been extremely challenging. When Field & Green first opened it operated as a day venture. It had morphed into evenings and weekends only as weekday foot traffic fell away. A slump in night-time dining followed.

The end of the lease had given them an out, she said. “We’re lucky we’ve got this opportunity to step away without carrying any debt or being in a position where we’d be really struggling.”

Collaborations with other local businesses and events such as Wellington on A Plate had been highlights, Ferguson said.

The couple were now reassessing what they wanted to do. However, it was unlikely it would be owning another business.

“It was our passion, it was our baby, and we wouldn’t have changed a thing. But I think we’ll just become employees,” Ferguson said.

Simon Arcus, CEO of Wellington Chamber of Commerce, is worried about a pattern forming.

The closure comes just over a week after Shepherd Elliott, the owner of the eponymous Shepherd restaurant in the Hannah’s laneway precinct, called time blaming the rising cost of living and changing dining habits.

Atlas, a fine-dining restaurant owned by the Yu Group and headed by acclaimed chef James Pask, closed earlier this year after opening to much fanfare in 2019. The group has since re-named it Plonk and re-focused its food and wine offerings to be more affordable.

Wellington Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Simon Arcus hoped the spate of recent closures wasn’t a portent of more to come.

“The closures have varied reasons for coming about but, rightly or wrongly, many Wellingtonians have the sense a pattern is forming.

“I'm really hopeful we aren't seeing a sort of domino effect.”

Restaurant Association chief executive Marisa Bidois said while revenue across the sector grew 9.8% in the second quarter of 2023, rising food and labour costs were a big concern for business owners.