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The Spinoff
2 days ago
- Business
- The Spinoff
Inside the ‘good buzz' of Christchurch's hospitality scene
The people behind three new Christchurch eateries tell Alex Casey why the city's hospitality scene is bucking the doom and gloom trends. Piripi Baker is under the pump trying to staff Papa's Smashies thanks to winter bugs taking out his usual workers. Under the crisp blue Christchurch sky, he hangs up the phone after chatting to a potential fill-in during our interview. 'That was just Max from Fifth Street. He's pretty much a Michelin star chef and people pay him tonnes of money to make food for them because he's so brilliant, but he's also just offered to come and make fries for me if I'm short-staffed,' he says. 'Turns out Christchurch has some of the most helpful people in the universe.' Given that Papa's Smashies frequently sells out within just an hour or two, Baker needs all the help he can get. His smashed burger joint, now run out of a converted warehouse on the city fringe, joins an ever-growing list of new places to eat in Christchurch, a place billed as being the most vibrant place for hospitality in the country.'Even three or so years ago, you knew all the spots that you wanted to go that people were talking about,' says Baker. 'You could count them on two hands, and it now feels like we're actually starting to lose track. There's plenty of new offerings, and plenty of people giving stuff a go.' Baker himself started Papa's out of his driveway in North Beach, New Brighton, just last year. 'We sold them literally out of my house without any permission or anything like that. But we didn't get in trouble with the council, or our neighbours, so that was nice.' In fact, the opposite happened. 'The community was really supportive, people kept sharing it and it started to grow a bit,' he says. He sold 140 burgers at his last pop-up, farewelling the driveway and moving into a shipping container in the converted warehouse Sydenham Underpass earlier this year. 'In some ways it felt way too soon, but the more I thought about it, the more I realised I couldn't actually afford anything else,' he says. Papa's opened as soon as Baker got an extractor fan installed – he didn't even have the plumbing sorted yet, but his mate Jayden at Empire Chicken let him do all his prep and dishes in his kitchen. 'Honestly, none of this would have ever happened without all those connections from the community,' says Baker. 'I would be struggling way more if people here didn't have such an amazing, friendly, supportive attitude.' It was that same drive to foster a supportive hospitality scene that led Madie Macauley and Iain Collis to quit working for a 'toxic' hospitality company in Christchurch and start their own Canadian-inspired doughnut business, Grumpy's, also last year. 'I think there are a lot of us mid-30s millennials who grew up breaking our backs in old school hospitality and know something needs to change,' says Macauley. 'What we are seeing now is people wanting to collaborate and create community in hospitality in Christchurch, rather than competition.' We are chatting as they prepare to open their first shop, just opposite Papa's in that same Sydenham warehouse, and the sense of collaboration is evident even in the smallest of gestures. They run doughnut samples over to Piripi and his wife to try, in exchange for a wad of napkins for a certain unnamed greasy journalist. 'It pays to be kind here,' says Collis. 'Christchurch is a little bit too small to be a dickhead.' He was here for the quakes, and says the enormous shift in how people treated each other during that time has become permanent. 'Instantly everyone was like, 'oh, hey, these are actually people around me, maybe let's try to look after each other'. I think that is still very much a part of the city today.' Across town at Peaches in Linwood, owner Tessa Peach agrees. 'It does feel like a really supportive city, and I think it does come down to us still being in this post-quake environment. We've gone through this massive trauma of losing everything, so it feels like there is this real desire from everyone to make it work.' Even the enthusiasm for pop-ups and driveway burgers can be traced to the transitional nature of post-quake life. 'We've had to be open to all sorts of new ways of getting together, and we got really used to meeting in garages,' laughs Peach. Also the owner of Frances Nation, Peach opened her new site in Linwood just two months ago in an old office space. 'I live around here, and I just got quite taken by the idea that it would be great to start a neighbourhood cafe,' she says. While she had a lot of support, she did also encounter some surprising snobbery about the location. 'There's all these old, really outdated ideas about parts of Christchurch, but we're not in the 90s any more – we're actually in the most drastically changing city in New Zealand. It's a good buzz, and there's a tonne of opportunity.' The drift of hospitality businesses to more city-fringe and industrial areas in Christchurch also means cheaper rent. 'You literally step outside of the Four Aves and the price is so different that it's actually insane,' says Collis in Sydenham. Barker agrees. 'I definitely pay a lot less because I'm a shipping container in a warehouse,' he laughs. 'Whereas the overheads on the CBD seem to be a big issue for everyone. Even when they're doing really well, it's really expensive to rent in Riverside or Little High, or anywhere else in the middle of town.' And with Christchurch being still a relatively small and cycle-friendly place, everyone agrees that operating a hospitality business outside the CBD doesn't mean you are far away from anything. Peaches may be in – gasp – Linwood, but it is also on the Puari ki Rapanui cycleway, which means you can always find one or two bikes parked up outside. As for everywhere else? 'You can get pretty much anywhere you need to be within 20 or 25 minutes,' says Baker. 'So that also means it is never hard to get to someone else's spot and help them out if they need it.' Indeed, later that night, Baker's callout for help would again prove his thesis about Christchurch's 'weirdly, weirdly, weirdly friendly' hospitality community. With Papa's regular staff still knocked out with sickness, Collis from Grumpy's abandoned his last-minute shop finishings across the warehouse to prep all the onions and pickles for the burgers, and Mark Sanders from Lo-Fi Burgers jumped behind the grill despite, on paper, being Papa's direct competitor. They sold out within a couple of hours. 'Chch whānau,' Baker posted later on his Instagram story, 'so thankful.'
Hamilton Spectator
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
10 things to do on Canada Day in Hamilton and area
Even though Canada Day is not on the weekend this year, there are several events planned for the statutory holiday. Here are some local places to go for Canada Day celebrations. The city will host the Canada Day extravaganza at Bayfront Park, 200 Harbour Front Dr., in Hamilton, on Tuesday, July 1. The fireworks display will start at 10 p.m. A food truck rally, inflatables and kids' program Creative Club will start at 1 p.m. Games, balloon artists, airbrush artists and stilt walkers will start at 4 p.m. There will also be a jam session, local Hamilton youth performers, comedy juggler Craig Douglas and a performance from Garnetta Cromwell and DaGroovemasters. While the festival starts Saturday, it runs through Tuesday, July 1 from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. The free festival will feature headliner The Northern Pikes starting at 9:30 p.m. July 1. VIP Beer Garden tickets are $35 per day. Attendees can enjoy pizza, chicken wings and beer from the rooftop terrace at Joseph Brant Museum, 1240 North Shore Blvd. E., in Burlington, on Tuesday, July 1 from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. The event ends with the city's Canada Day drone and fireworks show at 9:40 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. Tickets are $50 and include pizza, chicken wings, ice cream and one beer or sangria. To buy tickets, go to . The celebration will feature performances from the Regimental Band of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada Pipes and Drums, and the Argyllshire Dancers. The free event is held at Dundurn National Historic Site, 610 York Blvd., in Hamilton, on Tuesday, July 1 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. For more details, go to . The HMCS Haida National Historic Site, Pier 9, 658 Catharine St. N., in Hamilton, will host a free celebration on July 1 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Attendees can explore the Tribal-class destroyer and learn about sailors who served on the ship. Regularly scheduled programs will not be running on Canada Day. Go to for details. The City of Brantford will host performances from Canadian singers, a vendors' market, a carnival, midway and food vendors at Lions Park's Steve Brown Sports Complex, 20 Edge St. The celebration starts on Tuesday, July 1 at 11 a.m. and ends with fireworks at 10 p.m. There will also be a free photo booth from 2 to 8 p.m. and a stilt walker performance. Go to for more details. Ancaster Mill, 548 Old Dundas Rd., will feature a Canadian-inspired lunch and dinner menu, including beaver tails, poutine and butter tarts, on Tuesday, July 1. Their à la carte menu will be available all day. Lunch is from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner is from 5 to 8 p.m. The City of Burlington celebration will start with the VRPRO Canada Day 5K Run at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 1 at Spencer Smith Park, 1400 Lakeshore Rd. There will then be free yoga in the park at noon on the compass near the west lawn. The event will feature food and marketplace vendors, a kids zone and performances. The drone show starts at about 9:40 p.m., followed by the fireworks show at 10 p.m. Go to for the full lineup. The Rotary Club of Dundas will host a Canada Day celebration on Tuesday, July 1 from 8 to 11:30 a.m. at Dundas Driving Park, 71 Cross St. A pancake breakfast with a sausage is $10 for people 11 years and older, $5 for four to 10 years old and free for children under three. Tickets can be bought at the event, which will feature live music, face painting, coffee, tea and power lifting. Go to for more details. The schedule is packed for Canada Day in Lynden. The parade is set for 3 p.m., with a classic car show, bingo and live music throughout the day at 4070 Governors Rd. The opening ceremony is at 4 p.m. and fireworks start at dusk. For the full schedule, go to . Cheyenne Bholla is a reporter at The Hamilton Spectator. cbholla@
Business Upturn
20-06-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Media Advisory: Astro Yogurt Brand Unveils 'So Canadian' Flyover Welcome Message for Toronto Pearson International Airport Arriving Passengers, Ahead of Canada Day
By GlobeNewswire Published on June 20, 2025, 22:48 IST TORONTO, June 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — On Monday, June 23, 2025, media are invited to attend a special event at Lactalis Canada's yogurt processing facility in Etobicoke, Ontario as part of its iconic Astro yogurt brand's bold new 'So Canadian' campaign in the lead up to Canada Day. WHAT: The unveiling of a special rooftop mural at Astro's processing facility adjacent to and on the flight path of Toronto Pearson International Airport. The uniquely Canadian rooftop mural will be visible to passengers flying into the Toronto airport, reflecting the kind, warm and inclusive identity that defines Canadians. The event will also include remarks from Lactalis Canada President & CEO Mark Taylor and other company executives, government and community partners, a photo opportunity with a giant Astro yogurt tub and Canadian-inspired festivities. WHEN: Monday, June 23, 2025 • Media Registration: 10:30 a.m. • Opening Ceremony: 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. • Photo Opportunity: 11:35 a.m. Media are encouraged to arrive at 10:30 a.m. for registration. Media accreditation required. WHERE: Lactalis Canada Rakely Plant, 25 Rakely Ct, Etobicoke, ON M9C 5G2 PHOTO OP: Following the ceremony and photo opportunity, media will have the chance to conduct 1:1 interviews with speakers. About Lactalis Canada Inc. With over 140 years of brand heritage, Lactalis Canada is the Canadian dairy leader behind iconic brands Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, P'tit Québec, Balderson, Cheestrings Ficello, aMOOza!, Astro, Khaas, siggi's, IÖGO, IÖGO nanö, Olympic, Lactantia, Beatrice, Bfit, Enjoy!, Marie Morin Canada, Galbani, and Président. With more than 30 operating sites including 20 manufacturing facilities across Canada, the company and its more than 4000 employees are committed to enriching and nurturing the lives of Canadians through sustainable and responsible growth, high-quality products, contribution to communities and partnership with farmers, customers, partners and suppliers. Lactalis Canada has been named on Forbes' 2025 Best Employers in Canada and one of Greater Toronto's Top Employers for 2025. The company is part of Lactalis Group, the world's leading dairy company, headquartered in Laval, France. For more information, visit Media Contact: Lactalis Canada Media Relations [email protected] Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash GlobeNewswire provides press release distribution services globally, with substantial operations in North America and Europe.
Time Out
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
How to experience the World Class Cocktail Festival in Singapore
The challenges As the first phase of the competition, Singapore's top bartenders kickstarted with a high-stakes shake-off on April 2, challenged to craft two showstopping cocktails in one day. The first was a tequila-based creation using Don Julio, followed by a rum-based concoction featuring Zacapa. The Don Julio challenge called for bold tequila-based drinks using both local and Canadian-inspired ingredients – a nod to the grand finals in Toronto. Think pandan and gula melaka meet maple syrup and Hawaiian pizza – a wild, multicultural flavour ride. But it wasn't just about taste – bartenders had to bring storytelling, technique, and creativity to the table, paying homage to Don Julio's legacy dating back to 1942. Then came Zacapa's dreamy Above the Clouds challenge, featuring Asian ingredients like kaya, Japanese yuzu, and even Himalayan sea buckthorn. We saw everything from using dry ice to create a foggy effect to fluffy foam that mirrored the puffy clouds. Sitting on the judging panel were the global winner of World Class Bartender of the Year 2019, Side Door's Bannie Kang, and two-time World Class Bartender of the Year Singapore winner, Jigger and Pony's Aki Eguchi. They were joined by industry leaders, including the director of Diageo Bar Academy Asia Pacific, Lam Chi Mun; the brand ambassador of Diageo Philippines, Rian Asiddao; Bar Convent Berlin's Henry Stonham; and Augustman's Indran Paramasivam. The competition was fierce, the cocktails phenomenal, and the crowd were full of excitement. Now, the top 20 are prepping for round two – taking on Tanqueray and The Singleton – before the next challenge with Johnnie Walker. Here are the top 20 bartenders: Tryson Quek – Side Door (winner of the first challenge and the Don Julio category) Marco Maiorano – KOMA (standout in the Zacapa category) Sam Pang – Night Hawk Josiah Chee – Bar Bon Funk Colin Chng – Bar Bon Funk Kelvin Saquilayan – Republic Bar Mate Csizmadia – The Bar at 15 Stamford James Dela Rosa – WAKUDA Cherry Lee – Origin Bar Anton Gornev – The Mirabilis Bar Ooi Foo Giap – Last Word Lam Ho Yung – Last Word Orman Bag-ao – CUT by Wolfgang Puck Qing Ting – Madame Fan Zana Mohlmann – Manhattan Jeeivan – The Elephant Room Kim DongJe – The Backdrop Valerie Natasha Valentine – Atlas Gabriel Gan – Gibson Joel Accad – Silly Goose SUSHISAMBA stirred up some serious love from fans, earning it March's World Class Cocktail Festival Experience of the Month. The bars to check out during the festival Now it's your turn to drink in the action – literally. The World Class Cocktail Festival is the perfect excuse to bar hop between some of Singapore's most stylish, talked-about, and downright delicious drinking spots. Whether you're partial to dimly lit speakeasies tucked behind unmarked doors or love the vibe of plush hotel bars, each venue is pulling out all the stops for this city-wide celebration. And the fun doesn't stop with the top 20 contenders. Bars all across town are joining the party, including SUSHISAMBA, WOOBAR, Sugarhall, Plume, MO Bar, and many more. Each serving up their own inventive festival-exclusive cocktails featuring the heavy hitters of the spirits world: Don Julio, Zacapa, Tanqueray, The Singleton, and Johnnie Walker. It's a full-on flavour fest – and the perfect chance to catch these cocktail maestros in their element, shaking, stirring, and serving up liquid gold right at their home bars. The festival's exclusive cocktails to try Now, let's talk about the drinks. These aren't your average cocktails – they're masterpieces crafted exclusively for the festival, and you won't want to miss any. Spice things up with The Backdrop's Pho-ntastic Ensemble ($27), a tequila-based concoction with lemongrass, kaffir lime, and a fiery chilli twist. Or, sip on Plume's PaJANGma ($25), a bold mix of Don Julio Reposado, grapefruit liqueur, gochujang, and lime for a smoky-spicy kick. For something truly unique, The Elephant Room's Indian Lion ($25) is a must-try, blending The Singleton whisky with tandoori nectar, fenugreek vermouth, and pickled onion for a savoury surprise. If you're dreaming of your next holiday, let Bae's Jungle & Single ($26) whisk you away to a tropical paradise with The Singleton whisky and vibrant passionfruit, or take a trip to Japan with KOMA's Hanami Dream ($25) – a delicate and fruity fusion of Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky, lychee, sakura, and peach soda. For creamy spins of Ron Zacapa 23, Last Word's Banana Punch ($27) delights with banana, Branca Menta, yuzu, and milk, while Night Hawk's milk punch-style The Hollow Glass ($25) does so with fermented honey syrup, black tea, lemon-pineapple blend, and balsamic vinegar mist. Side Door's Tiramisu ($25) – a decadent rum-based treat featuring Zacapa 23, brownie, coffee, and Baileys – and SUSHISAMBA's Velvet Pursuit ($20) with The Singleton 12, cherry, vanilla, coffee and lemon are set to perk you up. And that's just the beginning. With so many festival-only creations waiting to be discovered, the only real challenge is deciding which to try first. Pro tip: Ask for the World Class Festival menu when you visit the participating bars. Cast your vote for a chance to win a prize As if sipping exclusive cocktails wasn't rewarding enough, you also get to support your favourite bar by voting for it. Cast your vote, and you'll be automatically entered into a lucky draw with some seriously enticing prizes – think bar vouchers perfect for your next night out with friends. The voting refreshes every month after each challenge, giving you another chance to support your favourite bartender (and score more goodies). Just remember: it's one vote per month, so make it count. Haven't voted yet? Time to get started here. This is it – the cocktail event of the year, and it's one no cocktail lover in Singapore should miss. Check out the full list of participating bars and locations here, and get ready to toast to an unforgettable festival. Cheers!
CBC
29-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Under tarrif threat, social media-savvy N.B. business sees surge on both sides of border
A Moncton lip balm manufacturer says the tariff threats from the United States have been a roller coaster ride — but it hasn't been all bad. "Last November, not long after the U.S. election, I started to worry, because it would have a lot of ramifications for us, depending on how it came about," said Sylvie Roy, co-owner of Eclair Lips. "At the time ... about 60 per cent of our customer base was in the U.S." That U.S. customer base comes from the company's social media presence — 247,000 YouTube subscribers and 141,000 followers on TikTok. Roy launched Eclair Lips in 2015 to share her love for making lip balm, but everything changed in 2022 when the videos she posted online, showing how she made them, went viral. But this year, as the possibility of tariffs on Canadian goods became more certain, Roy said an "uh-oh" moment turned into a surge of support from Canadian buyers who switched from U.S.-made products, along with American supporters, too. "That's been really touching to see that, and to see that people still have good feelings about Canada despite what's happening with politics," she said. Most U.S. buyers are still able to purchase her products without worrying about tariffs, she said, because of a duty-free exemption uo to $800. "As long as a U.S. customer isn't buying $800 worth of lip balm, they are good." Made by hand Roy's interest in lip balm started when she was about 10 or 12 years old. After finding out as an adult that she's autistic, it started to make sense why lip balm was always soothing for her — the sensory qualities of the balm helped keep her calm, especially in social situations. But as she got older, Roy wanted to have a more natural product that still had fun flavours and the right texture, so she started messing around in her kitchen and came up with her product. The balms include flavours such as banana cream pie and vanilla buttercream, and there's Beaver Butts — a maple-flavoured one that came from a social media comment accusing Roy of using beaver butt in her products. Rolling with the punches, she launched her new, Canadian-inspired flavour. After starting the business in 2015, Roy said it quickly became a full-time job, even before that was sustainable, because of everything that was involved with getting off the ground. A few years after launching, Roy's husband Mario joined the business, too. "People will ask me about, 'oh, was it hard to make lip balm?" said Roy. "And there's a lot of stuff involved, but it's harder to sell lip balm." Around 2016, through a provincial government program, she was able to start doing the business full-time. And despite the family's newfound social media success, the Eclair Lips warehouse still gives off a small-business vibe. "It's not any big machines or anything for the time being," said Roy. "It's just all done by hand. "If we really want to, we can make a couple thousand in a day."
