Taranaki girl’s restaurant dream
A former Spotswood College head girl is now the co-owner of one of Marlborough’s finest restaurants and loving it.
Liz Buttimore and her partner, chef Bradley Hornby, are the coowners of Arbour, a fine-dining restaurant in wine country near Renwick, Blenheim which offers some of Marlborough’s finest cuisine in innovative dishes.
‘‘We’re surrounded just by some amazing producers, large and small,’’ she said. ‘‘And some of the producers we’ve found here in Marlborough are the best we’ve used anywhere.’’
Buttimore said she always knew she wanted to be involved in hospitality, starting jobs in the industry from the age of twelve.
‘‘Marlborough kind of chose us by accident; I always thought I’d open a restaurant in New Plymouth. Hopefully one day,’’ she said.
‘‘Marlborough locals are real foodies. To have thirty thousand people and have a restaurant like ours survive, I think we’re very very fortunate.’’
They have won their fair share of awards, including Best Restaurant ‘Top of the South’ at Aronui DineOut
Buttimore attended Spotswood College from 1994 to 1998.
‘‘I think Taranaki’s one of the greatest places on earth.’’
She said regional New Zealand was doing very well in food. ‘‘It’s a very different attitude to living in a city and just having your produce turn up at your back door.’’
- Christina Persico