The Press

Real cakes for real sweet tooths

- Neat Places neatplaces.co.nz Snickers Slice Native Cafe, 383 Colombo St, Sydenham, Christchur­ch

Jared Porter has loved cake his whole life, but it was not until September last year that he turned his fancy for the baked goods into a business. Burly Cakes rebels against flawless floral tiers and fussy decoration­s. Instead, Porter is all about creating something real and unrefined, with overflowin­g gooey sauces and crunchy toppings encouragin­g the everyday eater to get stuck in.

‘‘I’m not a cake designer at all, so you aren’t going to get this amazing masterpiec­e of tiered layers,’’ he says. ‘‘What I can offer you is a good, moist, gooey, interestin­g, and intriguing cake.’’

Within six months of launching, the popular flavours have made themselves known. There’s Burly’s vanilla cake filled with a nutty butter cream, strawberry jam jelly, peanut brittle, and white chocolate crumb. Or, for something shamelessl­y over the top, Donut Obsession is created using a doughnut-infused creme patisserie, strawberry glaze, sprinkles, and fairy floss.

Burly Cakes’ offerings come in a variety of sizes, from mini cakes that will satisfy one hungry human to creations large enough to feed a party of 20.

The menu also has birthday brownies, cake pops and ‘‘the best cookies’’.

Everything can be ordered online and the rangte is exclusivel­y available to enjoy with your coffee at Little Pom’s. Riccarton Rd’s loss is Kaiapoi’s gain as Eagle Brewing moves to the Waimakarir­i town to open an all new brewpub.

This Saturday will mark the first day of business for Port & Eagle Brewpub.

The award-winning craft beer company has been operating since 2010, first out of a garage in Rolleston, then moving to its fillery on Riccarton Rd in 2013.

A large brewpub will not only allow the business to brew onsite, but will also

Dish of the week

Native Cafe owner Natalie Hindson says her snickers slice is ‘‘essentiall­y a salad’’ – which may be a little tongue in cheek, but it’s gluten-free, vegan, and contains no refined sugar. It’s just nuts, seeds, fruit and coconut.

accommodat­e diners and brew tours.

The newly-built brewpub has a boatshed design. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer picturesqu­e views of the river, and there’s plenty of indoor and outdoor seating.

Director and head brewer David Gaughan’s vision for the bar and eatery section is to create a food and beer experience that matches Eagle Brewing’s craft brews, with food inspired by flavours from all over the world.

Unlike other menus you’ll find in Kaiapoi, half of Port & Eagle’s culinary offerings are plant-based dishes, but with plenty of great eats available for avid meat eaters and those with other special dietary requiremen­ts.

184 Williams St, Kaiapoi Move over beer and wine, this weekend is all about gin.

The Gindulgenc­e Festival is returning for its second year of celebratio­ns and, after its success last year, will run across two days.

The festival will feature 15 local exhibitors with a range of New Zealand and internatio­nal craft gins, which will take you far beyond the

It’s ‘‘super rich and fudgy’’, so much so, tasters don’t always believe it’s made from healthy ingredient­s.

You can’t go wrong with the peanut flavour, with layers of indulgence to really get those tastebuds going.

familiar G&T . . . Saffron or Chocolate Gin anyone?

Attendees are invited to sample fresh and exciting cocktails, partake in masterclas­ses, and take something home from their favourite exhibitor.

Good food will also feature from The Vagabond Chefs, Bacon Brothers, The Chippy, Smoke ’n’ Barrel, and Gelatiamo, and there will be live entertainm­ent.

The festival is at Ilam Homestead from noon until 6pm this Saturday and Sunday.

87 Ilam Rd A hidden gem of Templeton closed its cafe on Sunday. Little Sister was opened in 2014 by Jane and Ben Hart, and quickly became a popular eatery and community hub.

The cafe has closed because the building and complex are being sold for re-developmen­t.

‘‘We really want to thank everyone who has supported us as a local independen­t,’’ says Jane.

Little Sister was well-loved for its dogfriendl­y access, relaxed environmen­t, delicious homemade food and friendly staff.

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