The Foxhole is taking Whanganui hospo al fresco

A group of businesses is bringing al fresco culture to Whanganui via the park in Ridgway St. Photos / Paul Brooks

By Paul Brooks

It’s a bit continental, a tad cosmopolitan, and very much needed, the pop-up place serving food and drink at 54 Ridgway St, otherwise known as Ridgway Park.

It was started by Charlie Meyerhoff and Emily Hayes, a mixologist.

“We’d been talking for a while that Whanganui is missing something,” says Charlie. “It was that outdoor space in the middle of the CBD. We really wanted to create... you know when you’re in Europe, you’re walking around and everything seems quiet, then you turn a corner and there’s this piazza, and it’s full of different wineries, eateries, and everyone’s sat down enjoying each other’s company after a busy week at work... it’s just relaxing.

“That’s the vibe we want to create. It’s not about how many shots you can do or how quickly you can down a drink, it’s about enjoying the local produce, enjoying the sunshine, enjoying the architecture we’ve got in the CBD, just having a relaxing drink and catching up with friends, really.”

One of the hospitality businesses bringing al fresco culture to Whanganui via the park in Ridgway St. Photos / Paul Brooks

There’s Charlie, running Pique Bars from a blue and white bespoke caravan. “Every week I offer two different tap beers and I serve RTDs. Moving forward there will be a selection of cham beers and some easy-to-drink beers too.

“Then you have Emily’s cocktail bar.” That, along with an often changing range of other caravan-style vendors, is the Foxhole. It’s a collective.

“Every week we’re going to bring something just a little bit new,” says Charlie. The Foxhole has become a hospitality hub in the centre of town, attracting a wide range of clientele on a Friday evening from 4.30. It is becoming the place to go.