| 9 T T Aimee Wilson Restaurant and gardens the ‘real deal’ Riverstone gained award status back in 2010 – as the Supreme Winner of Cuisine magazine’s coveted Restaurant of the Year Award. Riverstone Kitchen “They love the energy, seeing our team working and, more importantly, seeing the ingredients being harvested and delivered straight to the kitchen.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT It’s the food that brings people to Riverstone Kitchen north of Oamaru, but the gardens are an unexpected and delightful discovery. Riverstone gained award status back in 2010 – as the Supreme Winner of Cuisine magazine’s coveted Restaurant of the Year Award. Now, owner Bevan Smith has been named as a finalist in the Business South awards for his customer service, and he admits it’s nice on occasion to be able to step away from the stoves and interact with his guests. It’s that personal touch and, at the base level, it is what they are all about, Bevan explains. A regular finalist in the Top 100 restaurants of New Zealand, he has always marvelled at the lengths people will go to, just for lunch, flying in sometimes from Dunedin, Christchurch or Queenstown. Bevan began his culinary journey in 1991, and after training, his passion took him to London, where he worked at Terence Conran’s La Pont de la Tour and Michael Caine’s Michelin-starred Canteen. After a further five years in Brisbane, he headed home to open Riverstone, with the establishment of the garden being initially a practical step towards supplying basic ingredients and reduce the inevitable supply-chain issues that come with running a rural restaurant. Gardening can be quite addictive, however, and every year since, it has become a journey, with Bevan’s mum, a proud green thumb, being put to good use, solving problems for the kitchen, and recognising and building on Riverstone’s geographical strengths and challenges. “We grow things that do well here, or are expensive to source, or not commercially viable for some growers,” Bevan says. Some of the best ingredients, like heirloom crops, are fragile and difficult or impossible to transport, he says. “Ingredients with the best flavour are not the most convenient for commercial growers.” That’s where Riverstone steps in and grows the food themselves. The result is seasonal food, full of flavour, and their guests love it. While the production gardens weren’t meant to be show gardens, customers are curious by nature, and love to wander around and see what’s there, and to ask the gardeners all manner of questions, Bevan says. “They love the energy, seeing our team working and, more importantly, seeing the ingredients being harvested and delivered straight to the kitchen.” “It can’t get fresher than that” is a comment used regularly, but Bevan says it’s the flavour from using soil-grown food that makes such a difference on the plate. A chef Bevan respects recently visited Riverstone for lunch, and after walking through the gardens, remarked, “This is the real deal,” and to Bevan that meant a lot. Riverstone celebrated 19 years in business in November, and Bevan is really proud of what his team can achieve. Many are young and local, and he enjoys helping them develop in hospitality. “It’s quite remarkable how they grow. “What they bring is their own personality.” Reflecting on this relationship, Henri Ham, Owner & Managing Director of Awapuni Nurseries, notes that watching their business grow alongside New Zealand's growing community has been immensely rewarding. "It's inspiring & hopeful to see innovative local businesses thrive in today's demanding, unpredictable environment." With over 60 years of horticultural experience and equipped with technology and robust production systems, Awapuni Nurseries now grows the widest range of vegetables, flowers & herbs. They also provide contract growing solutions for large scale natives and forestry projects, delivering across New Zealand. Riverstone Kitchen has always prioritised quality. "Seeing our products on their menu is a testament to our shared belief that continuous improvement, big or small, enables companies to excel", says Henri. Awapuni Nurseries, based in Manawatu, is a long-standing, reliable partner of Riverstone Kitchen. 10% off anything on www.awapuni.co.nz Exclusive online voucher code: growawapuni10 Expires 15th Nov 2026
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