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| F&B Magazine column Some country pubs alive and well Recently there has been a lot of negativity about struggling country pubs. However not all is doom and gloom in the country. Recently I had the opportunity to have dinner at The Gladstone Inn, a small country hotel in rural Wairarapa. This place was far from dead and highlights what can be done in any country hotel. On the Saturday night we were there, the place was absolutely humming with a wait for a table. The bar was also full as the Martinborough rugby team called in for a few “quiets” on their way home. For those dining, the food was fabulous. For those having a few beers, the rugby was on SKY Television. Proprietors Warren and Sara Robinson indicated that they had seen no negative impact from the ban on smoking but they had provided a nice sheltered space for their smoking clientele. The Gladstone Inn is at the heart of the Gladstone community supporting all local events and running at least one event per month as a key attraction. If The Gladstone Inn is anything to go by, hospitality in the country is alive and well provided proprietors deliver on some key factors. Excellent food and beverage and clean attractive surroundings are a must. A place where the local community and families gravitate to celebrate, to meet and relax, and lastly, a destination with events happening which attract those from outside the immediate area. There are many country hotels all over New Zealand just like The Gladstone Inn which are surviving and thriving. There is nothing better than country hospitality when the recipe is right. Bruce H Robertson ef: h:hr6r6050.doc |
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