Taps turned at National Park pub

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 300, 18 August 1989, Page 14

Taps turned at National Park pub

The taps are now turned at the National Park hotel and the beer is flowing, the bars are spruced up, the rooms are aired and the restaurant is open for business.

After six month's closed the locals and skiers have a pub to go to and manager John Forbes, his wife Sandra and their staff are slowly building up the business again. The public bar has has been revamped, the sunny lounge bar prepared for use and customers are coming back. John says he took on the job because of the challenge and that he's well pleased with the results so far. He said they saw the hotel soon after it was purchased by it's new owners - two Palmerston North couples - and it was in a sad state. "I think there's scope in this area in the hospitality business that hasn't been tapped yet," says John. "There's plenty of opportunity about." John Forbes has been in the business for a while, having worked up from barman at the Totara Lodge at Trentham to bar manager and then on to managing various hotels in Palmerston North. He's from Te Puke and went to Trentham as an engineer for General Motors

but has since found his chosen business much more enjoyable than nuts and bolts. He's also done a stretch at tour bus driving, based in Palmerston North. As well as providing a social meeting place for the locals and visitors, the hotel reopening has provided work for four bar staff, including fuil timer Dianne Edwards, plus four on-call waitresses. Preparing meals at the "Spiral Restaurant" is Sue Field, who says she is in National Park after "the job found her". She's had seven year's commercial cooking experience which has followed a long home interest in cooking, especially Indian style. The Spiral Restaurant offers a set menu diner at a fixed price of $16.50, which includes soup, ,a choice of mains with in-season vegetables or salad and desert. Soups are all home made such as creme of celery, always with garlic bread or hot French bread. Sue likes to offer a familiar main dish

like a roast or lasagne and a choice of something more adventurous like Cambodian chicken cooked in coconut cream, or coq au vin or Lebanese dishes. Deserts include apple

and tamarillo pie and old fashioned type deserts such as apple crumble, all made with fresh ingredients. Breakfasts and lunches are also available at the hotel with

quiche, pizza, salads or a ploughman's lunch with cheese salami, pickle and French bread all served in the Lounge Bar. The Forbes still have a lot of work ahead of

them - they plan to renovate the restaurant after the winter and work on the accommodation also. In the mean time John would like people to just come along and

have a happy time at his pub. For extra happiness he adds that there's a happy hour each Friday 6.30-7.30 and discos Friday and Saturday with live bands also visiting.