English Cycling & Food Heritage in Greytown
Celebrating a new store dedicated to hand-built English bicycles naturally lent itself to traditional English food, updated with a Ruth Pretty twist.
Blackwell & Sons is the perfect addition to the pretty Victorian township of Greytown. Located in an historical Main Street building, the store beautifully and simply displays bicycles and stylish paraphernalia to best advantage.
Owner Adam Blackwell says "You won’t find lycra or fluro here. Pashley bicycles design has not changed since 1926, although many of the components are very modern. Hand-built, they last for generations and families take pride in handing these heritage bikes down.
"The store has a gallery feel, which complements Greytown’s unique shopping experience. The small Wairarapa town is a favourite with Wellingtonians for weekends away or a day’s shopping. It’s also flat and quiet: ideal for gentle cycling”.
"With cycles called Britannia and Princess Sovereign, it’s all very English, and we wanted the opening to reflect that.
Ruth says she "had a lot of fun coming up with a passaround menu inspired by traditional English food. We went for dressed up pub food as well as fancier items.
Adam commented that "Paul’s expertise with planning and logistics means we had total confidence everything would go well, and meant we could concentrate on our guests.
"Ruth, Paul and their team know instinctively how to present a function so that everything flows beautifully. That only comes with experience, and we benefited with a seamless opening, enjoyable for guests and hosts alike.
"Our guests loved the stylish Englishness of the whole evening. Some said it was the "best do we’ve ever been to”,” Adam concluded.