World Class Makeover for Takahe

MEDIA RELEASE
From Sign of the Takahe
4 September 2007

Lovers of New Zealand food are being served with superb new menus and dining options delivered by a new team following the relaunch of Sign of the Takahe, an historic national treasure and Christchurch icon.

The beautiful hilltop castle in Cashmere, renowned as Canterbury’s premier wedding and function venue, has been unveiled to the public over the past two months as an integrated restaurant, bar, café and function venue.

The sumptuous and elegant upstairs rooms are now known as the Sign of the Takahe Signature Restaurant while the ground floor has been redeveloped into a stunning new café, bar and bistro now known as Soh Bar and Café.

A young, ambitious and talented international team has been brought in by owners Pawan and Delia Kalia in order to deliver the highest international standards of culinary and hospitality excellence.

“Christchurch is an international city, and deserves a truly world class restaurant. We’ve worked hard to create a fine dining experience in Sign of the Takahe Signature Restaurant that is worthy of what is the most beautiful dining room in New Zealand”, says Pawan.

New Executive Chef Derek Allomes, recently returned from the UK, has recruited a truly international brigade of chefs from the best restaurants in Ireland, UK, Germany, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. Their skills combine seamlessly to give the best of New Zealand ingredients a truly world class flavour.

Despite the international feel to the team, Chef Allomes, a New Zealander himself, is a staunch champion of small farms and local food artisans.

“We decided early on to align ourselves with the finest boutique Canterbury producers such as Karikaas Natural Dairy Products Ltd and Naturally Wild Premium Game Ltd, so that the only the very best of local niche products feature on our menu,” says Derek.

On the ground floor, Soh Bar and Café is stylishly sophisticated yet casual and relaxed – “Soh special”- according to new general manager, Jacyln Philpott.

Soh is open from 8am till 11pm seven day a week and features great breakfasts and brunches, World Famous Devonshire Teas and rustic home-style cooking of the highest restaurant quality, in a more relaxed informal setting.

Focusing on friendly and efficient service, Soh has quickly captured the imagination of the local Cashmere community.

“We’ve been quietly open for a few weeks now testing the local market and I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved so far. We’re thrilled about the buzz that’s being created among the local community in the lead-up to our official opening,” says Jaclyn.

The relaunched Sign of the Takahe is to be officially launched with a grand scale event in the hilltop castle later in the year.

ENDS

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