15/02/2024
Look who's celebrating his 35th birthday, doing what he loves working with people! Happy Birthday Theo. And there is more big news on this special day.
Theo and I, are planning to take life a little slower. The rumour is true, Featherston’s iconic restaurant ‘Brac & Bow’ is on the market.
With a tear in our eyes, after 7 wonderful years, starting off as a humble dream as we peered through the dilapidated windows of the former Chapelli’s and its overgrown courtyard. Theo always dreamed of owning a restaurant in Featherston and it came true when we took on the lease for the premises end 2017. It seemed only right to name our passion project after our fur kids, Bracken & Bowie. Our family and friends thought we were nuts leaving the security of good Wellington jobs. Our dream had become reality.
We slapped paint on walls, ceilings and even the black and white stripes of the bull-nose roofing iron over the footpath. There was curtain fabric everywhere. The courtyard was weeded and returned to its former glory. And we scrubbed that kitchen until it was sparkling clean. It finally started to look like ours, a place we would be proud to welcome people, for groups of friends to come together and celebrate local food and wine from happy, local staff. In September we opened.
We adapted and changed to suit our clientele and the seasons. And then came the day when we made the decision to move Brac & Bow to the recently renovated Royal Hotel Featherston. A larger space meant we could welcome more people which delighted Theo, and for me, I loved the idea of managing the hotel leveraging my past experience. Throughout this journey, we have realised we really like nice things and they come with a pretty penny. We wanted everything to be just right, to reflect quality and style we appreciate and to ensure everyone knew where we were, new signage, outdoor planters, stunning crystal chandeliers, updated furnishings and guest rooms. We even added a crown to the Brac & Bow logo to illustrate the Royal connection.
Our formal dining room, named after Featherston's acclaimed childrens' author Joy Cowley, offered space for weddings, theatrical events and themed dinners, bringing fun and flare to South Wairarapa’s dining scene.
What’s next ? Theo isn’t just a whiz in the kitchen, he has always had a flare for design and with his current Degree in Set Design, we are relocating to Holland for him to complete his Masters Degree at the school of architecture and for me to learn some Dutch.
It’s not goodbye, just see you later!
We will still be very much part of the community. Once Brac & Bow welcomes new owners, we will have a bit more time for our other ventures including wedding catering at Tarureka Estate and operating Waimarie Eatery & Bar at the RSA. We very proud of how far Waimarie has come. From early days of TLC to now operating like a well oiled machine. We have a fabulous team in place to run it, allowing us to manage from afar, coming home to host weddings and check on our family.
Thank you to everyone who has helped us on our journey so far, we couldn’t have done it without you. If you know someone who’d like to take the reins of ‘Brac & Bow’ pop in and have a chat.
Click on the link below for more info
Download documents at www.infopack.co.nz/BRACBOW
https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=4566704882
Theo & John
