06 Aug 2014
With an unprecedented number of Kiwi shows in Edinburgh this year, New Zealand is also preparing to wow festival-goers with delicious New Zealand refreshments and hospitality.
A themed garden bar in the heart of the Fringe will provide a focal point for the NZ at Edinburgh 2014 season, offering the best of New Zealand’s craft beer and cider, organic soft drinks, award-winning wine and delicious coffee.
The Backyard at the Roxy bar will be constructed outside the Assembly Roxy venue and Creative New Zealand’s Cath Cardiff says the aim is to recreate the ambience of a relaxed New Zealand villa garden in the middle of summer, complete with bean bags, deck chairs and designer street art, all provided by New Zealand designers
“With more than 200 New Zealand artists at the festivals, we thought it was a brilliant opportunity to showcase Kiwi hospitality and our boutique products alongside our cultural offering,” she said.
Backyard at the Roxy has been established as a joint project between Creative New Zealand and Assembly with support from Culture and Heritage Cultural Diplomacy International Programme and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.
“We’re pleased to be working with other government agencies to profile New Zealand hospitality alongside a key cultural event.”
Creative New Zealand is working with New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise to connect key suppliers to the Backyard Bar, particularly those launching in the United Kingdom. Suppliers include Monteiths and Old Mout Cider (Dominion Breweries), Babich Wines, Karma Cola and Allpress Coffee.
Sam Lewis, NZTE’s Trade Commissioner in the UK, says, “We will be telling a great story about New Zealand quality and creativity by building on our showcase of performing and visual arts on display for the NZ at Edinburgh 2014 season. This unique vehicle enables us to broaden the relationship between business and art in front of a large, international audience.”
New Zealand design company, Main Reactor, has designed the concept for the bar, working with luxury bean bag makers Coast and Auckland graffiti stencil artist Flox and respected New Zealand nature photographer, Rob Suisted.
For more information check out the website www.nzatedinburgh.com, follow Facebook event NZ at Edinburgh or visit the Assembly website www.assemblyfestival.com.
Editors notes:
More than 200 New Zealand artists will take part in the world’s most acclaimed arts festivals in Edinburgh this August.
This is the first time such a large group of leading New Zealand actors, dancers, musicians, writers, Maori performing artists, spoken word and visual artists has been invited to the celebrated Edinburgh Festivals, which each year attract an estimated 25,000 artists, 1000 international producers and an audience of four million.
The NZ at Edinburgh 2014 season will feature New Zealand artists at seven of the Edinburgh Festivals: the Edinburgh International Festival, regarded as the world’s leading arts festival; the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s biggest arts festival; the renowned Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo; the Edinburgh Art Festival; the Edinburgh International Book Festival; the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival and the Scottish International Storytelling Festival.
Included in the season are director Lemi Ponifasio and his company MAU; Auckland Theatre Company; composer Gareth Farr; Pasifika theatre group Kila Kokonut Krew; pianist Michael Houstoun; Te Matatini’s national kapa haka champions; dance company Black Grace; author Witi Ihimaera and many more.
Backyard at the Roxy will be open from 11 am until 11 pm throughout August, exclusively at Roxy Assembly, 2 Roxburgh Pl, Edinburgh.
Main Reactor is an Auckland-based company providing design, props and makeup effects services to the film and television industry with credits including Spartacus, Legend of the Seeker and What We Do in the Shadows.
Suppliers to the Backyard at the Roxy bar:
Allpress Coffee UK http://nz.allpressespresso.com/
Allpress Coffee are coffee roasters and espresso specialists, originally founded in 1986 in New Zealand when Michael Allpress decided to chase his love of traditional Italian espresso rather than his career as a chef. Tony Papas made the move to London in 2010 and with a skilled team, opened the Shoreditch Roastery & Cafe in East London. Ever since then, they have successfully been raising awareness about great tasting coffee amongst local coffee drinkers and cafe owners.
Babich www.babichwines.co.nz/
“Put simply, we love wine; it is our way of life.” From a love of wine, along with a respect and connection to the land as a means for providing, Babich Wines was born. A legacy of solid farming practices and a desire to produce only the best quality of wine created the foundations for what is Babich Wines today, delivering to the consumer the best possible product, representing the best possible value, for every occasion. “Wine is our way of life, and we want you to enjoy it as much as we do.”
Karma Cola www.allgoodorganics.co.nz
All Good Organics have searched the world for Fairtrade, organic and ethical ingredients and made, quite possibly, the world’s best-tasting fizzy drinks.
Karma Cola uses real cola from the rain forests of Sierra Leone. Proceeds from the sale of each bottle are helping the people of Boma village rebuild their lives in the aftermath of war. Gingerella’s gingerness comes from ginger grown organically by farmers in Sri Lanka. While the juiciest Sicilian organic lemons make Lemony Lemonade the lemonest.
Monteiths www.monteiths.co.nz
“Monteith’s have been brewing on the West Coast of New Zealand since 1868 and as you’d expect, with a history like this, we know how to craft a good beer.”
“At the Monteith's Brewing Co. we love beer. It’s our passion and this commitment to quality, which stands strong and proud. Discover captivating Kiwi craft beer with our ever-changing innovative full- flavoured brews.”
Old Mout www.oldmoutcider.co.uk
OLD MOUT (rhymes with fruit) was dreamed up in New Zealand’s Moutere Valley, over 65 years ago. The country has always been a playground for the naturally adventurous. “We love nothing more than creating new fruit cider combinations that take the best from nature and we’ve got three adventurous flavours for you to take your tastebuds off-road: Kiwi & Lime, Passionfruit & Apple and Summer Berries. Get the Kiwi taste for adventure.”
COAST www.coastnewzealand.com
COAST is a luxury brand specialising in products that reflect New Zealand’s unique quality of life. “From the outset we have drawn inspiration from life by the sea: simple, relaxing and beautiful, but rugged and unforgiving. Inevitably, our design process has concentrated so that everything we make is not only enduring, but timeless.”
Flox www.flox.co.nz
Flocks of stencil artist Flox’s trademark native birds can be found flying across city streets, homes and galleries breathing life into both intimate interiors and the urban environment, creating joyous celebrations of natural New Zealand.
Metalbirds http://metalbird.myshopify.com
Inspired by Banksy, product designer Phil Walters developed metal birds to covertly hammer into lamp posts, trees and buildings in public spaces in late 2011. That Christmas his bombing of metal birds around the North Island was a huge success and they were soon in high demand for gardens and houses and personal installations.
Rob Suisted – Nature’s Pic www.naturespic.com
Rob Suisted is a well-respected wilderness and nature photographer with a huge list of international clients, and a broad publishing record, now with 15 books to his name and countless calendars and magazine covers.
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