A New Venture for the Barkers /
Inside the renovation of Geraldine’s historic vicarage building
The Barker family is synonymous with jams, chutneys, relishes and sauces, with their iconic Kiwi condiments gracing the cupboards of our homes for over 50 years. Michael and Brigitte Barker have recently turned their entrepreneurial thinking to a new venture – boutique accommodation.
For over 50 years the Barkers have been passionate supporters of Geraldine, the small town which they, along with their international brand, call home. For Michael Barker, Geraldine is much more than a stopping point for those passing through – it’s a vibrant community with multiple layers of discovery on offer. The challenge for those wishing to enjoy it, however, has been a lack of boutique high-end accommodation options. Until now.
In 2017, having made the decision to step back from the day-to-day running of Barker’s, Michael found himself with the time on his hands needed to tackle a pie-in-the-sky dream. ‘I had always wanted to have a Barker’s concept store in Geraldine,’ he explains. ‘A space beyond just a retail store [which is what we already had]. A storytelling space. I just had never quite found the time to do it.’
Hunting around Geraldine for premises, he recalls looking at the old vicarage building on the main street several years earlier and dismissing it for its heritage status and natural penchant for accommodation – not retail. ‘I thought you wouldn’t want to touch that old girl,’ he laughs. ‘It looked like far too much work.’
With his search for a concept store space proving futile, he revisited the 120-year-old building. A cold, dark, rambling weatherboard structure with an overgrown garden, it would have posed a daunting undertaking for most. ‘It required a lot of vision to see beyond what was there,’ he laughs. ‘But when we pushed our way through the scrubs and climbed over the debris to reveal the river and a view of the Waihi River Walkway, it stacked up.’
For Michael and his long-held dream that Geraldine needs to be turned ‘back to front’ to face the river and embrace the borrowed view the river woodland provides, it was an opportunity to put this dream into action. With an expansive site before him, the concept store was not the only project to suddenly be given the go-ahead.
Officially opened in October 1900, the old vicarage building and site provided an opportunity for Michael and wife Brigitte to sink their teeth into a new project. ‘ We
knew nothing about renovating or property development,’ shares Michael, ‘but we wanted to restore the iconic building and provide a beautiful option for guests to come and stay. It also allowed us to continue to contribute to the wellbeing of Geraldine.
‘For six generations, my family have been supporters of the community and its institutions, if not regular with our attendance at church. I knew the last eight vicars, some better than others, and some were family friends. The church was once the focal point of small rural communities like Geraldine,’ he continues. ‘I’m not sure that these connections properly qualified us to own a vicarage, but they do provide an association and a respect which made the renovation all the more poignant.’
Looking back on the project, Michael is quick to point out that it was ‘a bit mad’. From the outset there were a number of challenges to overcome. ‘Before we could even get started, we had to have a meeting with the Parish to present our proposal, and then the neighbours, as community support was essential in order to achieve what we wanted. From there it was about consents.’
Classified by Heritage New Zealand as a Category Two protected building, it had fallen into disrepair since the last resident vicar had moved out in 2010. ‘We bought it in late 2017, aware that it was going to be a challenge to satisfy modern building code, town planning and heritage requirements.’
Yet after four resource consent applications, three building consents, an archaeological assessment, consent from Heritage New Zealand to build on a pre-1900 archaeological site, and an Environment Canterbury stormwater consent, they managed to meet all the requirements.
Being able to achieve this was no mean feat, and one Michael credits to the team around him. ‘I knew nothing going into this, it was all new learnings so I knew that I
‘We wanted to restore the iconic building and provide a beautiful option for guests to come and stay. It also allowed us to continue to contribute to the wellbeing of Geraldine.’
needed a strong and experienced team who understood and related to the complicated assignment ahead of us.’
Engaging the services of Timaru architect Leon Browning of NB Architects, Michael and Brigitte delighted in the plans he came up with. ‘The flow between the old and the new building is so fluid,’ enthuses Michael, ‘and the internal working of the vicarage was exact. He tackled the project beautifully and efficiently.’
Translating the project into a reality was builder Rickie Shore and his team. ‘They didn’t just build,’ shares Michael, ‘they really contributed to the project. There were no hold-ups and whenever a challenge arose, such as asbestos in one wall, it was swiftly rectified.’
While the driver of the project was getting the Barker’s Foodstore & Eatery up and running, the two projects were undertaken simultaneously, with the vicarage completed within weeks of the Eatery. ‘The Eatery sits at the back of the section on what was originally the garden and horse paddock,’ explains Michael, ‘while the vicarage remains in its original position opening up to the street.’
The couple wanted the finished result to make a
‘wonderful statement’ and there is no doubt that this is what they have achieved. Inside and out.
‘Our interior designer [ Jane Rennie of Inside Out
Design] selected the most fantastic wallpapers,’ says Michael. ‘This is a building designed for wallpaper and our brief to Jane was to create luxurious spaces with wow factor, in keeping with the age and history of the building.’
‘The Eatery sits at the back of the section on what was originally the garden and horse paddock, while the vicarage remains in its original position opening up to the street.’
With Michael’s penchant for storytelling, the building would not be complete without painstaking detail in the finishing touches, which is where Brigitte excelled. Each room is named after a vicar who presided over the Geraldine Parish and each includes a biography of the vicar and his time in the community. ‘Brigitte commissioned local artist Stewart Gollan to do caricatures of all 17 vicars who served our parish,’ adds Michael. Hanging in the sitting rooms they provide a visual and factual insight into the history of the building. Brigitte also commissioned paintings by John Badcock and Susie Izard and Elizabeth’s Sacristy made wall hangings and cushions using ecclesiastical fabrics and embroidery motifs. A photo book (compiled by Donna Shaw) in each room records the entire renovation.
And there is much more storytelling to do. As Michael talks about the newspapers from 1900, found above the original tongue-and-groove ceiling during the renovation, his enthusiasm is palpable; evidence enough that a social history is destined to be added to the reading material available.
Operating as a self-contained boutique accommodation option, the old 1900s building has been reworked to include six premium double rooms (three upstairs and three down) with two communal sitting rooms providing space for guests to mingle should they wish. While there is a kitchenette in each room, the proximity of the Eatery allows guests to pre-order breakfast or even dinner platters.
The entire project was completed in just over two years, with The Vicarage Geraldine opening for guests in October 2019. Less than six months later COVID-19 forced them to close their doors to guests. ‘It was a very funny feeling issuing refund after refund,’ shares Michael. Thankfully since Level 2, bookings have been picking up once more.
While COVID-19 has forced a different mindset for the couple when it comes to marketing, they are enjoying the opportunity to think outside the square and have even offered guests the opportunity to ‘host a house party’ and book out the entire building. ‘This has been really well received by couples,’ continues Michael. ‘It has been a great way for friends to reconnect after lockdown.’
It takes a special person to translate a structure of this size and social significance into a modern building with purpose. Yet this is exactly what Michael and Brigitte have done, ensuring that the Barker’s name is destined to service our local community for at least another 50 years.
Each room is named after a vicar who presided over the Geraldine Parish and each includes a biography of the vicar and his time in the community.