For the new owners of Sprig + Fern Motueka, the brand is all about connecting with other people, ‘catching up with close friends in a relaxed atmosphere. At a Sprig + Fern Tavern you can be guaranteed a good time’. These are the words of the tavern’s new co-owner, Janet Sim. Taking on the long-standing community-minded establishment with partner Ray Cusack and close friend Clinton Bloomfield, Janet says was an idea that has been in the pipeline for a while. “No matter which Sprig + Fern we visit, we have a good time. For a while now, this is a business that we wanted to own, to be a part of. Taking pride in what you do is our ethos and when we met Tracy Banner, we were inspired by how passionate she is about her award-winning craft. We want to give our customers what we feel is important, an enjoyable and safe place to meet and catch up with friends and family. There is no greater joy than seeing people connect and have a good time.”
The trio are all well-established in the region, on both personal and professional levels, having all volunteered or coached local sports, along with owning their own respectful businesses. “We are all about community. We know how important it is to give back to our youth as we all had parents, coaches, schools, and volunteers that made our childhood fun and encouraged us. Motueka is a small community, and we definitely know and remember those who supported us growing up and put the effort and time into building our community.” Janet worked at the Sprig + Fern for a year to get a real feel for the place. “Clinton and Ray have been good friends for a long time, and along with our children's friendship, we have been a tight knit group over the years. We talked about the three of us taking on the Sprig + Fern, sharing the load, and adding to what we had already established individually. We felt our strengths and family values would be a good combination.”
Her time at the Sprig + Fern gave invaluable insight, says Janet. “The kitchen needed streamlining. It was continuously under the pump. We needed to create more of a flow so that our service could cater to the volume of patrons and take care of our locals at the same time. You have to be strategic in what you change, what you keep the same, when to make changes and what to make a priority.” Feeling a plethora of support throughout the transition, Janet says their highlights has been the staff, their customers and the support of the changes they have made. “I have loved the sharing of ideas and found many mentors among our patrons. We appreciate people looking out for us and sharing their wisdom. We love what we do and we will continue to grow what we have.” In time the team look to revamp the tavern further, in stages. “These areas will be inspired by the pockets of beautiful nature all around our region, infused with Eastern notes of simplicity - less is best.” Wanting to thank everyone for their ongoing support, their staff, friends and family are at the top of the list along with Tracy Banner, Peter Fry and Sue Bloomfield, and the vast range of businesses, contractors and supporters that have helped them make the Sprig + Fern Motueka what it is today.
Sprig + Fern Motueka
Mon – Sun: 2pm – late
