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Home / Hawkes Bay Today

Pukeko proving problematic for St Georges

Patrick O'Sullivan
Business editor·Hawkes Bay Today·
24 Nov, 2015 01:47 AM2 mins to read

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Francky Godinho is hoping his St Georges Restaurant will be the most self-sufficient restaurant in Hawke's Bay, if the pukeko allow it. Photo / Duncan Brown

Francky Godinho is hoping his St Georges Restaurant will be the most self-sufficient restaurant in Hawke's Bay, if the pukeko allow it. Photo / Duncan Brown

Twenty years in a profession and owning your own business are no guarantee of dignity, as St Georges Restaurant and executive chef Francky Godinho found out the hard way. A plague of pukeko were devastating his restaurant garden, one of three growing vegetables and flowers for his Havelock North restaurant, which he hopes to be the most self-sufficient restaurant in Hawke's Bay.

"They are a real nuisance," he scowled.

"I tried to chase them and I slipped and dropped on my bum. It cost me $400 dollars just to net that area - thankfully there were already poles."

It is three winters since the award-winning chef took over the lease of the 30-year-old restaurant, renovating the two-level building room by room.

He said locals are the mainstay of the business, even though they are outnumbered by tourists in summer.

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"The locals keep it going in the winter - it's all about the locals," he said.

"In summertime tourists are about 50 per cent but in winter it's 20 per cent."

While the business is a success, it still causes sleepless nights.

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"Any business owner that borrows money has some sleepless nights. To get it right does take time - we need to put a lot of energy into it, especially the hospitality."

He has several hundred vegetable plants growing of each variety and several thousand garlic plants.

Self-sufficiency was about more than ensuring quality organic produce.

"We're looking for value-for-money for our diners."

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