ON THE dark side of the colour spectrum, just before black, comes indigo; that deep, rich, velvety-blue that suggests quality and style.
Add the attributes of atmosphere and service, a range of menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner and you have "Indigo" Wanganui's latest award-winning caf?.
Indigo has been named as the Wanganui regional winner in Caf? Magazine's annual Best Caf? awards with its down-the-Avenue neighbour, Jolt, as runners-up.
While the award might not mean much to the average person, Indigo's managers, Tanja Clarke and Hayden Robinson are delighted with accolade.
It is, they said, recognition by their peers in the restaurant-caf? industry in New Zealand, and puts Wanganui on the national map in that industry.
The award winners are selected through a "secret diner" process by Caf? Magazine editor Michael Guy, a nationally recognised "foodie".
The judging process covers the "whole deal" the food, the service, atmosphere and the quality of the experience.
Clarke and Robinson say picking up the award was a result of the team effort by all of Indigo's 35 staff full-time, part-time and casual with "everyone involved setting the standard".
Robinson and Clarke said while winning an award was "nice", it was not necessarily something they deliberately set out to achieve.
The driving philosophy behind Indigo was "to produce a good product, deliver it well and make people go out the door happy".
That certainly must been the feeling Michael Guy took away when he left after his anonymous visit.
The potential spin-off from the award is that local and visiting diners can go there with confidence that it will be "a worthwhile place to spend their money".
While Indigo is a first-time Caf? Magazine award winner it is not a new experience for its owners, Karen and Rob Sewell.
Their other Wanganui eaterie, "Oggie's", has previously appeared in Michael Guy's list of the best of the best.
And winning an award, after just two and a-half years in business at Indigo, provides no reason for Robinson and Clarke to rest of their laurels.
"We'll be keeping on doing what we're doing and keeping abreast with the best of what's happening in the industry," they said.
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