Eke's new look Inn opens

RETRO: The inn decorated by designer Glenn McDean was intended to have a 1920s and 30s feel.PHOTOS/LYNDA

The grand opening of the Eketahuna Inn Family Restaurant and Bar this week was a "ray of hope" for the Tararua town that has been without a pub for months, new lessee Laura Aldworth says.

The building, formerly known as the Eketahuna Commercial Hotel, closed in June and reopened in September with Mrs Aldworth as lessee, director and head chef.

The rebranded and refurbished interior features a 1920s and 30s design by the town's Glenn McDean, of Sarah Jones Recycled Interiors.

"This is quite a biggy because Eketahuna hasn't had a pub in months," Mr McDean said.

"It's still not finished but it is looking amazing."

"It's like New York has come to Eketahuna in terms of the interior design. Very 1920s and 30s."

Mrs Aldworth, who has been a chef for 17 years, said the premises will also act as a hospitality training school for young people and she has already taken on seven apprentices.

"So the idea initially was to focus around the youth of the community," she said.

"There are so many eager young people out there wanting someone to give them an opportunity.

"These guys are just ecstatic, willing to listen, willing to learn, and willing to actually do something with their lives.

"So to be able to incorporate that into my chefing and into my teaching, it just made sense.

"It gets the young ones into a career, they ultimately go through to Level 4 Bachelor of Culinary Arts if they're in the kitchen, or they go through to Level 4 in Hospitality and Management and Front of House.

"But it's not just restricted to youths either, we have a woman in her 40s doing a full apprenticeship with us."

Mrs Aldworth said she never planned on setting up camp in the town.

But she and her "Eke old school husband just fell in love with the people and the community".

Tararua Mayor Roly Ellis, who cut the ribbon at the opening, said the inn was "a good thing to happen to the town".

"I think in many cases in rural New Zealand, the pub is the centre of the district," he said.

"In this day and age you have to make quite sure that children and teenagers and food is catered for.

"And I think it is quite interesting this will be a training hotel for young people, young people who have struggled to find a job in Eketahuna.

"Laura has opened this training school and already has seven students that will be doing a three-year course, either in hospitality or food, which I think is fantastic for Eketahuna as it has been extremely difficult as mayor to get training courses into Tararua.

"We have a very, very large number of cafes, restaurants, hotels up this main drive through Eketahuna, and it needs people who are qualified to go into them, to make a living."