“We are conscious of the environment, so every dish for our plant-based menu represents careful research and sourcing of ingredients. I am passionate about sharing with people that our vegetarian cookery can be just as exciting and innovative as any other restaurant. All vegetables are grown by small-scale farmers in an around the city, grains for the bread are sourced from a small biodynamic farm, and mead and honey is supplied by Moto, a Japanese beekeeper who lives in an adobe home with his little family just outside of the city.”

Pumpkin ceviche with citrus and fermented chilli; celeriac pie with saffron, cavolo nero, and shallots; house-made bread with olive oil or cultured butter.

Alex Davies’ dream is to celebrate the Canterbury region and promote sustainability while he’s at it. “I am passionate about showing people an alternative to the current way we consume food“, he says. “I love engaging people with something they may never have seen before, and I love showing people everything we can do if we look at things just a little differently”. Everything about Gatherings fits this concept. Sit at tables handmade from recycled timber, and enjoy the clever, concise, and delicious menu.

“It would be easy to mistake the impulses that lead Alex Davies as ambition, but it is more like restlessness – a deep, nearly primal desire to keep moving forward as a person and chef, evolving, improving.” neatplaces.co.nz