Vegan cafe voted best in region
A vegan cafe has been named Canterbury’s best in the New Zealand Cafe of the Year awards.
Portershed Specialty Cafe, at 322 Lincoln Rd, Addington, won the People’s Choice Award for the upper South Island region.
Determined by customer votes, the People’s Choice Regional Awards recognise the most popular cafes in six regions across New Zealand. The competition received 30,000 votes across the country.
Owner Emma Wood opened Portershed less than six months ago and is ‘‘humbled and lost for words’’ at winning the popular vote.
‘‘I feel surrounded by nothing but love and to be recognised by something I think is so special is pretty damn cool.’’
Wood says the public’s backing of the pure vegan eatery is proof that great food and coffee can come in many different shapes and sizes.
‘‘The community as a whole are becoming more open minded and accepting of change and growth.’’
She was initially nervous about how non-vegans would respond to its offering, but has been pleased to see how ‘‘intrigued and willing’’ people are to try its food.
Portershed’s coconut mocha is a big hit with customers of all dietary backgrounds and ‘‘paired with the chocolate cheesecake and berry compote is pretty hard to beat’’. She added that the cafe also makes ‘‘a mean sausie roll’’.
The cafe is based in one of Lincoln Rd’s oldest buildings, built in the early 1920s. The site has been home to a butcher and a print shop.
Portershed will go up against five other regional winners for the title of National People’s Choice Award at an event in Auckland in February 2018.
Picking up the national award ‘‘would be a dream come true’’ for the cafe owner.