The cloches were lifted on the 17 five-star winners at the 2023 Nelson Hospitality Awards last week.
Nelson’s Victus Coffee and Eatery and Motueka’s Toad Hall were among the finest local cafes, restaurants and accommodation providers who were recognised at the event, which was held at the Rutherford Hotel.
Victus Coffee and Eatery were fixed with a double shot of awards, with the outstanding cafe award and its co-owner Nick Schryvers winning outstanding barista.
Nick, who runs the Bridge St joint with his wife Beth, says he was “stoked and overjoyed” his cafe was recognised after only 16 months.
“We were stoked would be a good way to put it, overjoyed, it’s a lot of hard work to build something that you’re really proud of and so for us to be acknowledged for that hard work is really rewarding,” he says.
“For us it comes down to a constant pursuit of betterment and really putting a focus on high standards and consistency.”
Nick says his award-winning barista blend included his passion for the beverage, constant improvement and grinding for excellence.
“It’s attention to detail and focusing on the little things, what makes it unique, what makes it change, and how does it respond to those changes,” he says.
“It’s hard to go past a perfect flat white but we also have a popular selection of filter coffee as well. The general reaction is it’s the best coffee they’ve had.”
Toad Hall in Motueka took home the Outstanding Sustainability Award for its sustainability practices in the business, which its owner, Angie Morris, says are “dear to their heart”.
“It’s something that’s entrenched in the Toad Hall business vision for as long as Toad Hall’s been here,” she says.
“We have a very staunch and strict recycling ethos, even in the food that we produce. We have a market garden, we compost everything, and we use the compost to grow the vegetables in the market garden.
“The benefits are that we’re living our truth… we believe that we will leave this earth a better place than the way we found it, and also a big one for us is food security and the investment in the meaningful employment in the community.”
Head here to view the full winners list.
