Ember restaurant rises from the ashes

Ember restaurant rises from the ashes

Waikato diners are in for a treat with the long-awaited, pre-Christmas opening, of a restaurant to replace the award-winning Pumice.

Aptly named Ember, the eatery is nearing completion on the site of Pumice restaurant, which was razed by fire in 2013. It will be ready for the pre-Christmas rush, with the expected opening date set for mid-November.

Ember co-owners David Kerr and Ryan Ladbrook say food enthusiasts have every right to be salivating, as Ember will be offering something new and special to the Hamilton dining scene. They are excited to be offering a new experience to the Waikato public.

Ember is fresh and a completely new direction to anything else in Hamilton. The culinary fare is food of the Americas, drawing inspiration from Argentina, Jamaica and Cuba.

A wood-fired Robata grill will take centre stage in the large, open kitchen.

Dave, and his business partners, say Ember’s north-facing, contemporary New York loft fit-out is something completely new for Hamilton.

Ember will include a large, covered courtyard with open fire. This will be one of three dining environments, all centred round a 15 metre open-plan bar, with an international beverage offering. It will seat 200 in an open-plan restaurant bar style. The emphasis will be family-style service to promote shared dining.

The restaurant will be managed by Hamilton local Mark Smithells, who has been lured back from Foxglove in Wellington. Staff are still being recruited to add to the quality team.

Ember is owned by The Pumice Food Group. The Pumice Food Group is the Waikato’s biggest wedding caterer and one of the region’s leading top hospitality groups. The company owns Coopers wedding and corporate function venue at Mystery Creek Wines, The Ferrybank, Hamilton Gardens Café and Lakeside Venue and Revolve café at the Cambridge velodrome. The catering contract at Woodlands homestead and function venue has recently been added to that already impressive mix.

An exact opening date has yet to be announced for Ember, but the team expect to be thrilling local appetites by mid-November.

www.ember.net.nz

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