Chaîne events in New Zealand are not all about formal dinners, eg five course tasting menus with matching wines.

In Wellington recently, members gathered for a casual dinner at a recently opened, informal but fine food restaurant called Liberty. It’s the newest venture of long-time restaurateurs Maître Restaurateur Steve Logan and Shaun Clouston.

Liberty describes itself as “a place where unfussy dishes full of flavour and intrigue are made to be shared and where drinks for every mood or taste, are sipped and savoured. Using the best seasonal ingredients from Aotearoa New Zealand and inspired by flavours of the world – we’re celebrating cuisine that defies categorisation.”

Guests are invited to “come, enjoy and share in a little liberty”. Eighteen members did just that and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Liberty’s standard menu is sharing plates with just five “bites”. So, five small plates, five main courses and five desserts. Shaun, who was running the kitchen, served up almost all the small and larger dishes on offer.

From the small plates section members were regaled with focaccia; fish and prawn dumplings; grilled octopus; burrata with white olives and tamarillo; soy glazed oyster mushrooms with tamarind chimichurri.

A selection of the larger plates offered: slow-roasted lamb shoulder with celery root and barley ragu; butterfish with potato, seaweed and beurre blanc; ricotta gnocchi. Broccoli with almonds, roasted yams and grilled Brussels sprouts accompanied these dishes.

Sicilian whites and reds from Valdibella Kerasos provided the much appreciate vinous accompaniment.

John Bishop
Chargé de Presse