A good-looker to keep you looking good!With brilliant orange berries, Sea-buckthorn brings an abundance of colour to any garden. ... READ MORE
 Address:
60 Earthsea RiseMatapouri Bay
Northland Phone: 09 434 3980
Win! Tui Wild Bird prize pack When it comes to making sweet music together in the garden, it helps to have ... READ MORE
Home  News A 'berry' wonderful day!
|
Thursday, 09 February 2012
|
 While many may wonder where to take their sweetheart this Valentine’s Day, it seems as though garden and gastronomic gurus alike will find pleasure in a stunning Christchurch setting, as Garden-NZ’s editor, Helen Perry discovers...
Sweethearts at Berryfields has just become one of my favourite places in the world. Rurally located just five minutes from Christchurch Airport it is one of those places every visitor to the region needs to know about.
And knowing we were booked for a flying visit to the South Island city, husband’s boss recommended it to us – praise be that he did because this angelic garden, where berries abound, is heaven.
The rustic café, winner of many awards, is set amongst wistful cottage gardens and berry bushes galore. These, I suspect lent a berry pink tinge to my glasses. Interior décor is a far cry from urban contemporary and won’t suit the minimalists amongst us but those into flowers, fairies and everything cottagey will love the setting. And I’m sure few could resist the tree-shaded garden that whisks guests light years away from concrete cities. Here visitors can relax, dine, enjoy a wine and take home a bucket of berries too.
 My better half and I were treating a young friend, who’s had a pretty rough health run of late, to lunch and we were blessed with the perfect day – hot, sunny, calm and not a tremor to be felt. Thinking a Wednesday afternoon would be quiet, we hadn’t booked. Big mistake. We were lucky to get in and no pokey corner either. Tables were all well positioned and we were thrilled with our al fresco setting under a leafy tree.
But then, what to order? The menu, which wasn’t exactly cheap, proved to be worth every cent. Eventually, guest and I opted for the Smoked Chicken & Strawberry Salad (gluten-free) - $27.50. It comprised smoked chicken, rock melon, cucumber, strawberries, Brie, and avocado tossed in the most divine strawberry vinaigrette and served on filo with a mix of summer salad greens.
After much tooing and froing, hubby ordered Salmon Nicoise Salad (also gluten-free) - $28.50. The fat, moist, oven baked Akaroa salmon fillet came on a classic Nicoise salad of green beans, baby potatoes, tomatoes, boiled egg, Kalamata olives, capers, and red onion. It was finished with a citrus vinaigrette that my man pronounced “Titillating tangy!”
 I cannot tell readers just how luscious both salads were and though they left us replete, guest and I just could not deny ourselves a dessert all of which were priced at $14.90. But which one? We toyed with Sweethearts Raspberry Cheesecake, a rich, baked white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake served with home churned berry ice cream, red berry compote & berries and also considered the Lemon Tart served with berry coulis, strawberry gelato and Berryfields' berries.
“What about Berry Meringue with crushed raspberry cream, berry compote, home churned berry ice cream and berries or Chantilly Berry – layers of berries and delicious Chantilly cream with a hint of berry liqueur finished with roasted almonds?” asked my friend.
We settled on a shared serving of Triple Chocolate Tower - tantalizing layers of creamy dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate mousse served with chocolate fudge sauce, berries and homemade bramble ice cream and, I just have to say it, this was berry berry beautiful to look at and even berrier to eat! Light and lovely it melted on the tongue.
Sweethearts at Berryfields is in the South Island but anyone from out of the area who’s heading that way should make a date with this sweetheart!
 |
|
|
