Greenhill is Back
Long one of our favourites, we drifted away from Greenhill Lodge (in Hawkes Bay) after Neil and Craig had sold it. We thought no one could do better. Wrong again!
John Dick is a longtime senior hospitality professional. Just the sort of background I tend to avoid when looking at luxury hosting! However, you guessed it, he isn't quite the same as all the rest. He's tired of procedures and wants to focus on good old hospitality. Looking after your guests to the best of your ability with intelligence, sensitivity and discretion. Quite a strong link there between Scottish and Maori/NZ traditions. He is loving the small scale, the intimacy, the ability to keep pulling rabbits out of hats. If we're talking about safe pairs of hands, then that's what these are - even when handing you a very rare, very fine single malt. It's also like having a V8 drive a go-kart.
And his wife Christine is blossoming as the very full partner in this partnership. Departing from traditional lodge fare, her creations are absolutely authentically New Zealand, and crafted with love and delicacy. And her hosting is gracious.
In the old days, I and my clients would arrive at Greenhill, breathe a sigh of relief and relax. I cant remember if it was Neil or Craig - when we visited them at their superbly renovated Masonic Hotel - who said that the current team at Greenhill had lifted the bar even from when they had it. Beautiful praise indeed.
Here's to many more years of superlative hosting at Greenhill.