Locus Focus: Top Havelock North chef Francky Godhino orders takeaways

St Georges Restaurant is a far cry from your usual takeaway venue.

Its owner, Francky Godhino, has twice been named NZ chef of the year and is now preparing to offer his award-winning meals as takeaways when New Zealand moves out of full lockdown into alert level 3.

Last month, Godhino shut St Georges earlier than legally necessary, cancelling two large functions and a wedding. This was because a pre-conference tour for the World Hereford Conference dined at his St Georges restaurant before moving on to Queenstown, and becoming a large Covid-19 cluster.

"We did a 134-guest conference dinner here, so we were a bit panicked," he said.

Fortunately none of the diners at St Georges had the disease.

Godhino says his business now has three ways to continue until Covid-19 restrictions lift.

"One is to do the takeaway meals, keeping the same focus of what we do - local and fresh.

"Also, heat and eat. People can order well ahead and we can make ready the meals for the families - for two or four or five," he said. "Same quality - what St Georges does well."

"A third one is probably doing produce for the family - a box of produce for the families. We already do other restaurants' produce, so we can do that too. That way we will get some dollars rolling in.

"So, new ideas, new direction a little bit, but keeping with what we do well."

Like many Havelock North businesses, this is not the first abrupt halt on trading. Three years ago 5000 local people fell sick from infected tap water.

"When the water problem hit Havelock we were pretty much dead for one month.

"With Covid-19 we have to tackle it, keeping everybody's job, and moving forward."

Godhino has plenty to keep him moving forward, including three organic gardens and a young family.

"Most important for us is to stay focused, stay positive and save jobs. We are small here - 10 staff - and we are as a family. My job is to save jobs and keep ticking along."

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• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website