Arthurs Point’s Cargo Gantley’s Pub & Cafe’s been named the best of the best in New Zealand.
The venue, owned by Malcolm and Meron Blakey, won the supreme award at the 2022 Lion Hospitality Awards for Excellence, presented in Auckland on July 27.
The awards celebrate the success, achievements and – especially in light of the tough year the industry has just experienced – the resilience of the hospitality and accommodation sector.
Cargo Gantley’s won the best new/redeveloped food and beverage category before taking out the top award from winners of the other categories.
Malcolm says they were ‘‘over the moon’’ to win the best new/redeveloped food and beverage category, but taking the top gong was ‘‘all down to the hard work our entire team put in to make the venue as special as it is’’.
Accepting the award on behalf of the business were venue manager Courtney Cook and Katie Murray, both of whom have worked for the Blakeys for years.
Malcolm says the couple first saw Gantley’s potential six years ago when they started Cargo Brewing Company, asking the former owners to use the garden for a party to launch the beer brand.
At the time, the venue wasn’t being used at all during the day, ‘‘and we couldn’t help thinking what a great bar Gantley’s could be’’, he says.
‘‘Over the next few years, we watched Gantley’s change hands a few times and then sit empty.
‘‘It was a shame to see Queenstown’s oldest hospitality establishment pretty-much abandoned, so when the owners at the time asked us
if we’d like to take it on, we jumped at the chance.’’
The couple took over in February, 2020, closing a month later when New Zealand went into its first lockdown.
But Blakey praises landlord Rod Drury who’s shared the same vision for the site.
Over the past couple of years, the building, which dates back to the 1860s, has had a complete refurb, with two new dining areas created, new bathrooms, a new bar, and a new deck with a louvre roof and heating.
A ‘vlogging lounge’ has also been added to help connect visiting athletes to their communities, and make it easier for them to promote Queenstown.
The final piece of the puzzle’s a new brew hall and brewery, which is expected to open towards the end of next year.
Hospitality NZ chief executive Julie White says Cargo Gantley’s are ‘‘well-deserved winners’’, noting every hospitality and accommodation business, and every staff member deserves their own medal for the ‘‘guts and perseverance’’ they’ve shown.
‘‘They [Cargo Gantley’s] did a fantastic job under another year of the most trying of circumstances, as did every other category winner and finalist.
‘‘For many businesses and operators, just being able to enter was a small miracle in itself after the tough year they’ve had.
‘‘The competition was fiercer even than last year, which is a testament to the resilience the industry has shown through the pandemic.
‘‘It was almost as if everyone lifted again.’’
Queenstown’s Future Hospitality was also recognised — they won the excellence in people and culture category while one of their venues, Little Blackwood, was named best bar, and Cromwell’s Fusee Rouge Cafe won best cafe.
In all, 11 resort businesses and venues made the finalists this year.
