Cleavers Corner

10 Ashburton Guardian

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Saturday, September 9, 2017

A lifetime of hospitality already Andy and Nikita Moore have a lot to thank the hospitality industry for already.

It’s provided them with careers, experience and money over many years, but most importantly it led them to each other.

And now, the young couple, who are the owners and operators of Ashburton’s newest slice of ‘hospo’ – Cleavers Corner – are looking forward to giving a little back to the industry that’s served them so well.

The pair met and bonded while working locally at a restaurant in Ashburton and ever since then it’s been a goal to own and operate their own establishment.

“Because we both have had such big backgrounds in the industry, it’s something we used to talk about a lot,” Andy said.

“It was always going to be an end goal for us, but it’s come along a lot quicker than what we probably expected it to.”

Although newcomers to the business ownership caper, they’re

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Nikita and Andy Moore.

far from being wet behind the ears when it comes to hospitality.

They’ve been around the traps with Andy having more the 12 years’ worth of experience across

a number of kitchens here in Ashburton and further afield while Nikita is a graduate of Queenstown’s renowned Resort College and has been a part of the makeup at the prestigious

George Hotel in Christchurch for a number of years too.

So, you could safely say that they know what they’re doing.

The decision to come back and set up somewhere in Ashburton

was the easy part of the whole process as they’d spent far too much time travelling to and from each other over the past few years.

“After Andy and I met, I actually moved to Queenstown as I studied hospitality management at the Queenstown Resort College,” Nikita said.

“I did my placement for the course at the George Hotel and when I finished up I initially worked for the college and then went back to the George and have been there, on and off for the past five years.”

“I lived up in Christchurch for a while, and then did the commute, but it just got to the point where it was just too much.”

Married for two years in December, there’s been plenty of water go under the bridge for the popular couple – but you get the distinct impression that what you see now is only the tip of the iceberg – and the best is yet to come.

Second time eating here and both times were fantastic, great friendly service, delicious coffee, scrumptious food and OMG my brother had the ribs and they were best ribs ever soooo tender and tasty!! Will be back to have them for myself!! – Marie

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Saturday, September 9, 2017

Ashburton Guardian

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Location is everything Location is everything and for Andy and Nikita Moore, finding the perfect spot to turn dreams into reality was always the first target.

With a plan in place and an end goal sitting on the edge of the horizon, all they needed was somewhere to call home and a chance discovery by Andy’s father, led them to the corner of Tancred and West Streets.

“The for lease sign had just come up and Andy’s Dad happened to drive past,” Nikita said.

“He told us that it might be worth getting in touch with Donald Williamson who owns the building to see whether he might be keen to turn it into a restaurant.

“That was two years ago, Andy went and had the initial meeting with him and the rest is history, really.”

Both Andy and Nikita were extremely thankful for Williams’ input into the whole process and his understanding of it too.

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With a building locked in, the big task of fitting it out to meet their vision was the next phase and both agreed that they received help above and beyond

the call of duty from contractors and some of their friends.

“We had guys working here through the whole process late into the night most nights, we

were incredibly lucky,” Andy said.

“We wanted the place to have the feel of being similar to your normal pub type set up, but also with a bit of class to it.

“And thanks to the hard work of everyone right down, we’ve been able to have a restaurant that is exactly what we wanted it to be.”

With its deep and dark fittings, the feel you get inside the doors is one of a relaxed atmosphere with a hint of elegance mixed in and the clever positioning of the feature divider between the restaurant and the bar area allows them to cater for all types of customer.

But it is the location that makes Cleavers Corner unique.

The western side of the central heart of Ashburton isn’t renowned for its eateries and you could say that it is the first of its kind.

Away from the true central business district, but in a location which catches the eye as you drive down the main road, the benefits are there for all to see.

“It’s got that point of difference about it because of where it is I think,” Nikita said.

The Thai chicken salad was incredible, so fresh and crunchy. Atmosphere was fun and relaxed. Great service from all the staff. Can’t wait to come back and try more food! Well done team!! – Charli

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12 Ashburton Guardian

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Saturday, September 9, 2017

What’s in a name Both Andy and Nikita are pretty quick to admit there is no great story behind the name and brand of Cleavers Corner.

During their initial conversations about opening up some form of restaurant the original plan, or idea, was that they would develop an establishment that was somewhat of a steakhouse and from that Andy was keen to see a cleaver incorporated into the name.

“I was pretty keen to have cleavers in there somewhere to represent the meat and food aspect of it all,” Andy said.

Plans changed, ever so slightly, when they found their location and being on the corner of a bustling and always busy main highway left them with little choice at the end of the day.

“Because we were on the corner, it all of a sudden became Cleavers Corner and although we came up with a hundred other ideas, we always seemed to keep

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coming back to it and so it stuck,” Nikita said.

“I actually do wish there was a better story to it.”

With the cleaver as part of the

name, the next goal was to have it as part of the brand.

They enlisted the help of a friend to come up with a brand for the business – and initially

the plan was to have two meat cleavers crossing over.

“That was what we really wanted for a start, but Charlotte, who did our branding, said that

we might look a little bit too much like a butchery – which changed things a little bit as we hadn’t really thought about that.”

Continuing on with their theme of wanting to pay homage to the building in its original state, prior to it being fitted out for the new restaurant both Andy and Nikita expressed, an interest in bringing that into the brand in some way, shape or form.

“Charlotte asked what else the big focus was for us and we said how we wanted to incorporate the old building and that’s why we have the pictures of it up in the restaurant,” Nikita said.

“She said to leave it with her and she would come up with something and the brand we have is the end result.

“We love it and although the cleaver, which was such a big part of the initial idea is down the bottom, the name is still there and it’s become quite unique to us.”

Fantastic place to dine. . .The staff were friendly and the food was great, they even went the extra mile for father’s day giving fathers a special sweet treat. . . – Nicola

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Saturday, September 9, 2017

Ashburton Guardian

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Top team key to a great business Without a great team behind you, running a successful restaurant is impossible, says Cleavers Corner joint owner Nikita Moore.

It’s been four weeks since she and husband Andy opened the doors of the West Street restaurant and every week has been busy with full houses many nights and a steady flow of customers during the day. While that could have been chaos it was anything but, and that has absolutely everything to do with the team in the kitchen, behind the bar and providing table service, she said.

“If you hand pick a team, this one’s the ideal. The key is they’re all people-people.”

With a few days training behind them, her team settled in quickly and have formed a tight-knit group that’s working seamlessly together, Nikita said.

“They’ve absolutely exceeded my expectations. They were coping with a full house within

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two days and they were still able to laugh and that’s great. It feels like we’ve been here for months.

We’re a great working team, we all get on so well.”

When she was looking for staff, Nikita said she was determined to employ only those who would fit with her staff philosophy.

“When I employ I look

for people who have a great personality. You can teach them everything else they need to know but you can’t teach them attitude.

Your staff are your biggest asset

in any business. Our staff get the job done and they have fun,” she said.

Before the doors opened staff went through menu training with several tasting nights to ensure they were familiar with each dish.

“It’s important they know what they’re selling. Coming from the George we were trained to understand that there was no excuse for wait staff to say ‘I’ll go and ask the chef’. They should know the answer, you’re expected to know what’s on the menu.”

The only exception would be if a diner wanted a variation on a dish and then a quick check with the chef might be needed, Nikita said.

Her staff understand that the customer experience is what determines the business success and they understand that while the quality of food is paramount, they have a huge role to play in ensuring those diners leave the restaurant knowing they’ve also received great service, she said.

So good! Fantastic food and service. So much thought has gone into everything here and they deserve every success. Those ribs are amazing! Everything we saw come out looked so very good. We’ll be back.....soon! – Kerry

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14 Ashburton Guardian

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Saturday, September 9, 2017

Celebrating the best of food, wine and For many restaurants, coming up with a great menu for just one meal of the day is a challenge; the team at Cleavers Corner, however, have come up with three great menus for three meals.

Four weeks into their new business, Nikita and Andy Moore say they and chef Sai Mohapatra are still tweaking that menu, adding and subtracting dishes, but they say customer feedback is already telling them there are some dishes that must never disappear.

Their food philosophy is simple – traditional, familiar food, with little hints from a range of international cuisines added along with the odd, unexpected twist.

They make their own sauces, dips and accompaniments in the restaurant kitchen and adhere to the principles of fresh ingredients, local ingredients where possible and to ensuring the words on the menu tell the real story about each dish.

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With three heads on board when the menu was created there was plenty of discussion and there’s still plenty of discussion

when it comes to making any changes, Nikita said.

There’s a bit of a South American influence in the smokey

ribs, there are hints of Asia in salads and sauces but generally the food is food people will know, but will quickly see has been

given a new look and new style.

“We had a lot on the menu initially and we’ve cut that back a bit now and we’re continuing to

Amazing food and the service above and beyond, even went out and brought another high chair as there were so many kiddies for Father’s Day thank you so much!!! – Lauren

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Saturday, September 9, 2017

Ashburton Guardian

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beer

workers

dustry in Mid Canterbury. We are experiencing a oking to increase our team in Mid Canterbury. We tweak it,”for shepeople said. amongskills. diners, These but there are portunities with excellent When a booking is taken, several dishes on the menu that on various sites throughout the district.

Bradfords staff check both to see if there will cater for people who require ng conditions on requirements all our sites. are any dietary gluten free food. Pizza bases are

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gluten free and so is one of their big sellers, their dessert brownie.

Most soups are gluten free and for vegetarians, many dishes can

e required skill level and want to know more, email fice on Bremners Road to pick up an application

have a halloumi and mushroom substitute for meat.

As well as traditional beers on tap and by the bottle, the Cleavers

bar has a range of craft beers.

For anyone unfamiliar with a beer, there’s the opportunity to try a small sample before they buy. The same with wines, Nikita said.

Staff are dab hands at making cocktails and they’re proving a winner with customers, she said.

In addition providing meals from 8am until late, Cleavers is also a place to drop in for a coffee, with staff well trained in turning out perfect coffee. And with a well screened casual bar area, there’s a perfect spot for casual work meetings.

Cleavers uses six origin Atomic coffee and all barristas have been well trained, Nikita said.

And if you’re wanting something to nibble on while you’re in the bar area, why not order up a board filled with tasty morsels – calamari, dumplings, ribs, buttermilk crumbed chicken, fries with chilli oil, chipotle and ketchup on the side.

Food is amazing!!!! Staff are super friendly!!!! Chicken burger is delicious!! And I would definitely recommend the Amarula cocktail!!! – Sarah

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16 Ashburton Guardian

Saturday, September 9, 2017

Breakfast Whether you’re a fruit and yoghurt fan or it’s a big breakfast that kickstarts your day there’s something on the Cleavers Corner menu that will tempt your taste buds.

It’s a small, but perfectly formed menu that takes the best of breakfast tradition and gives it a modern day twist.

For the health conscious there’s the Acai Bowl, a berry smoothie with toasted granola and fresh fruit – but not as you know it.

No breakfast menu is complete without eggs benedict but Cleavers offer these with some enticing options – streaky bacon, cold smoked salmon or halloumi and Portobello mushrooms.

Avo Smash is now a must have on any breakfast menu along with a big breakfast and Cleavers have added to other options – breakfast roll – sourdough, streaky bacon, fried egg, grilled cheese and barbecue sauce and waffles in sweet or savoury options.

For breakfast eaters on the run both the Acai Bowl and breakfast roll can be packaged to go.

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Cleavers Corner Acai Bowl, health in every mouthful.

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Lunch Conscious of the need for many lunch time diners to fit food in around a limited time schedule, the lunch menu has been designed to ensure most dishes can be cooked in a short space of time. Some dinner favourites have made it to the lunch table and there’s a taste tempting range of pizza offerings that could take a lot of beating.

Lunch offers small plates including soup, crispy buttermilk chicken, salt and pepper calamari, crumbed prawns, pan-fried dumplings and Baja fish tacos. There are chicken or beef burgers, fish and pasta of the day and for those who fancy a steak, a lunch sized 150g sirloin.

And the pizzas, all on gluten free bases cater for meat eaters, vegetarians and those in between. Lunch, of course, includes several dessert offerings.

Amazing food, great atmosphere, good service, great job Nikita and Andy! Will defiantly be back especially after work drinks as not far to walk – Tina

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Cleavers Corner crispy buttermilk chicken burger

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Saturday, September 9, 2017

Dinner Small plates, burgers, classics and grills, Cleavers offers them all.

Starring on the dinner menu are pork ribs. They’re rubbed with a secret spice mix, slow smoked and then brushed with a barbecue glaze and they come with two challenges – stay clean and finish the lot.

For the faint hearted, leftovers can be taken home.

The stuffed chicken breast with cheddar and onion jam is almost too perfect to eat. It perches against a taste tempting dauphinoise potato and comes with wilted greens and roast pepper coulis.

Lamb shanks on garlic mash and pan seared salmon round out the classics, with a 300g rib eye or 300g sirloin on offer for the serious meat eaters.

If you’re after a light evening meal, then the crunch salad with a secret Asian twist might be just what you’re after.

Vegetables are served with many of the mains and with the steaks there are fries and a choice of vegetables or salad and a choice of four sauces – creamy mushroom, jus, green peppercorn and hollandaise.

If you’re still hungry, then desserts on offer range from chocolate brownie and tiramisu to cheesecake of the day and sticky date pudding. And of course there is ice cream sundae.

Ashburton Guardian

Cleavers Corner dinner, chicken breast stuffed with cheddar and onion jam on a dauphinoise potato witih wilted greens and roast pepper coulis

A great meal! Being open on a Monday is fabulous!! Well done! Awesome service, atmosphere and food!!! – Bronnie

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Cleavers Corner is a bright new venue here in Ashburton of which we are proud to be associated with and support in whatever way we can.

SBA has been established in Ashburton for 8 years now and we are looking to grow with Ashburton businesses.

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18 Ashburton Guardian

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Saturday, September 9, 2017

Cleavers kitchen a dream job The opportunity to don his chef’s whites and take a lead role in the Cleavers Corner kitchen was a gift anyone who makes a living from food would have grabbed with both, says chef Sai Mohapatra.

He’s joined forces with fellow chef and Cleavers Corner owner Andy Moore to lead the kitchen team in Ashburton’s newest eatery and four weeks down the track he’s still smiling.

Sai came to New Zealand from India four years ago to further his culinary education.

He secured a position at Christchurch’s The George and that effectively laid the foundations for a career path that would lead to Ashburton.

Fellow restaurant owner Nikita Moore was on the staff as a member of the front of house team and when she and Andy decided to establish a new restaurant in Ashburton, Sai was top of their staff list.

“I didn’t even have to be

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persuaded to come. I love it, I just love it here,” he said.

Four weeks since opening day and Sai admits he’d be happy to be at work every day, all day.

He and Nikita had established a great working relationship at The George that often saw each instinctively understand what the other wanted or needed in

the restaurant. That’s carried over to Cleavers Corner and has been key in ensuring the food side of the business runs smoothly from kitchen to table.

Sai and Andy lead the kitchen team and along with Nikita developed the restaurant’s menu across breakfast, lunch, dinner and bar snacks.

They’ve borrowed a little bit from several international cuisines, but the over-riding factor was ensuring fresh food was used, sauces and accompaniments were made on the premises and that there was a local element that retained familiarity, but with a twist.

Sai believes it is important diners recognise the food they’re eating and with that in mind a menu that is based on tradition but taken to a new level is their signature.

If he has a favourite among the many dishes on offer, Sai admits it’s the pork ribs. They’re a generous serve, slow smoked and

then glazed. He’s excited about a special smoker combi oven that’s been installed to ensure every rib is a perfect rib.

He says a diner’s challenge is to eat the lot and stay clean.

Devising a menu that meets every diners’ tastes and dietary requirements is always a challenge, and the Cleavers menu is regularly tweaked to ensure what’s on offer is what diners want. With that in mind, public feedback is always valued, Sai said.

Coming from The George’s high end restaurant where he was one of a large team of chefs, Sai said he is enjoying working with a small team.

“It’s really nice to be able to nurture staff. These young staff put heart and soul into their food and that reignites me,” he said.

Combine that with the opportunity to be part of a team that is growing a business from the ground up, and life couldn’t be better, Sai said.

Amazing food!! Beautiful ambience and a very good service.. Keep it up guys!! Had an awesome time... Thanks Niki & Andy!!

Wishing you much success!! – Akanksha

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Saturday, September 9, 2017

Ashburton Guardian

Amazing service from awesome ladies today. The coffee was yummy & the Eggs Benedict was mouthwatering delicious. Can’t wait to go back – Barry

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We wish Nikita and Andy the best for the future.

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