Good food but tough times, and some Waikato hospitality wins
Saturday, 14 September 2024
Denise Irvine is a Hamilton freelance journalist and food writer, and a regular Waikato Times contributor.
OPINION: Dinner last Saturday was at the wonderfully colourful ULO’s Kitchen in Raglan. The place that makes you smile with its vintage fit-out, its upbeat music, laden bowls of Japanese fusion food, and memorable cocktails.
There were about 18 of us on this night, celebrating a birthday, with an adorable six-month-old baby and a corgi in the mix as well. We were on ULO’s covered front porch, supplied with crocheted woollen rugs to ward off the chill and the gas heaters were lit.
The place was heaving and when our two-hour booking was up there were more punters waiting to take our spot. Full marks to the Shirai family who run this singular Raglan eatery, and it was heartening to see them so busy.
Hospitality has never been an easy ride but this has been a particularly tough winter for many restaurants and cafes in the current economic downturn. A recent survey by the Restaurant Association of New Zealand found businesses across the country reporting a decline in revenue, and reduced customer numbers. Wellington and Auckland have been particularly hard hit and there have been some high-profile closures in both cities.
Restaurant Association CEO Marisa Bidois says the closures serve as stark reminders of the challenges confronting the hospitality sector. Although she noted that despite the difficulties there was still optimism among association members.
In the Waikato, there is certainly anecdotal evidence of quieter times and of customers ordering more modestly. Restaurant owners say every gesture helps. A coffee and scone, a glass of wine and bar snacks, takeout dumplings, or a no-expenses-spared long lunch or dinner all makes a difference.
The knock-on effect for some places at present has been staff cut-backs and owner-operators working harder than ever. One owner told me that nowadays it’s pretty much down to him and his wife until things pick up, and he’s hopeful that they will.
So in the spirit of his (and others) optimism, I’m marking a few good wins for Waikato hospitality at the tail-end of this dismal winter, something to keep the glass half full, as opposed to half empty: Top work by Alpino in Cambridge, and Palate and The Green in Hamilton, for each winning a coveted hat at last month’s Cuisine Good Food Awards. Palate’s excellent sommelier, Larissa Muller, also collected Cuisine’s special category award for Villa Maria Sommelier and Wine Experience of the Year.
Cuisine magazine has been providing the benchmark for New Zealand restaurant quality for 20 years and as well as its cream-of-the-crop hats awarded in the Waikato, 11 local eateries made the cut for the newly released Cuisine Good Food Guide Destinations 2024/2025, which showcases premium establishments nationwide.
Gothenburg is among the Guide’s Hamilton destinations, and it is coincidentally marking its 15th anniversary. Owned by Susanna Rislund Fullana and Carl Bloxam, Gothenburg started in Hood St in 2009 and it quickly became the place to go for great pizzas and tapas. In 2014 it moved to its primo spot on Grantham St, overlooking the Waikato River, expanding and cementing its reputation for seamless service and the best tapas in town.
Rislund Fullana is proud of her restaurant’s reputation and longevity. She says Gothenburg is a vocation, not a job. “We have a great team and I love working alongside them.”
She says the past winter has been the hardest they’ve experienced in a long time. “It’s been extremely quiet. People are watching their budgets more carefully.”
Gothenburg is fortunate, she says, to have loyal regulars and they are still doing anniversaries, birthdays and other special events. She remains optimistic: “It feels like things are turning and we’ve had a quite a lot of interest in Christmas bookings. We’ve had some blue-sky days and there’s a new feeling of lightness in the air.”
Another local stayer to celebrate is the hospitality triumvirate of Mathew Pedley, Alex Hudson and John Moughan, due to open their sixth establishment in early November. This is the upcoming family-friendly Italian job Reggie’s, on the top floor of Made Market in Hamilton East (Waikato Times, September 9, 2024). Reggie’s will do pizza and pasta, and you can watch the Waikato River flow past from the deck.
Pedley, Hudson and Moughan love Hamilton, they know their markets, and they have the knack of making their customers feel welcome. Roll on some good times at Reggie’s.
Well done, too, to gelato-makers Little ‘Lato (with a parlour in Made Market’s Mess Hall), for taking out the supreme gelato title at the New Zealand Ice Cream & Gelato Awards last month. Head judge, Geoff Scott, said Little ‘Lato’s winning Vegan Mango Lassi Gelato “casts a spell over you from the very first bite”. The company scooped five trophies overall at the awards.
And nice work by Waikato Times’ writer Sarah Morcom for her Bestseller series, highlighting some of the city’s great edibles, among them smash burgers at Last Place, Sri Lankan dahl at Kopi Café, Dumpling House dumplings, Red Kitchen’s chicken summer rolls, and so on.
My tips are the fresh-from-the-oven pastries and sourdoughs at new French bakery Du Pain & Du Pain, in Rawhiti St, Frankton, and the Swedish classic Skagen rora at Gothenburg, an oldie but an absolute goodie. It’s been on the menu at Gothenburg from Day One.
And if anyone’s got time today, call into Vetro Mediterranean’s Spring Festival at 122 Rostrevor St, 9am-4pm, where a portion of the street will be closed off while Vetro hosts the conviviality. There will be stalls by some of the city’s specialty food makers and suppliers, as well as live entertainment and a display of European cars.
Lastly, if you’re ever at ULO’s in Raglan for dinner, push the boat out with a Flower Power cocktail, a chilled glass of elderflower, gin, Malibu liqueur, lime and lychee, with fresh flowers floating gently on the surface.
Cheers to all hands in hospo!
cuisinegoodfoodguide.co.nz for listing details