Bringing the Outside, Inside, this Ellerslie Flower Show

4/03/10

In celebration of the Ellerslie International Flower Show 2010 The George is turning 50 On Park Restaurant upside down and outside in with “All day dining on the lawn.”

For 5 days 50 On Park Restaurant will be transformed into a living garden with a real grass lawn on the floor and an edible garden backdrop, complete with potted herbs growing on each table allowing diners to sprinkle these on their dishes.

With its location directly opposite the Show, it was natural for Christchurch hotel The George to want to join in the Ellerslie excitement and have some fun during one of the highlights of the Christchurch calendar.

Executive Chef, Andrew Brown, felt Ellerslie was a great time to pay homage to the excellent local produce that The George uses on a daily basis in a way that was meaningful, quirky and relevant to both the show and the hotel.

Accomplished designer Wendy Burton of Major Look has the challenge of themeing the otherwise comfortably contemporary room in to an outside picnic and garden environment. Wendy is well known for her work at World of Wearable Arts as well as many event designs. Her creation will sit upon a carpet of real lawn that covers the entire floor being installed by Readylawn that already has a wealth of Ellerslie experience. In 2009, Readylawn provided living lawn for Ben Hoyle’s award winning grass dome "Dark side of the moon" and Simonetta Ferrari's outdoor living space and
is set to feature heavily at Ellerslie again this year.

However, it is not just the look of the restaurant that will transform. The new all day dining on the lawn menu has been created specifically to highlight the abundant local produce available in gardens around Canterbury and will feature quirky features such as flowerpot bread and salads made from potted lettuces picked and tossed at the tables. The once-were-waiters are now green fingered gardeners charged with nurturing, feeding and watering our guests as if they were tending precious crops.

Overall it is a great opportunity to experience 50 On Park Restaurant as never before.