Sam and Sally Hooper have now paired up with former All Black Andy Ellis to open Christchurch's only Yakitori Bar. There is no shortage of homework that’s been done in the several years leading up to Bar Yokus opening with Sam and Sally having had several trips to Japan themselves and sourcing a Japanese chef with 30 years experience in both yakitori and sushi.

The main focus at Bar Yoku is Yakitori (yaki = grill/burn, and tori = bird) or "grilled Chicken”, but the simple name doesn’t begin to describe the variety, complexity, and deep cultural significance of Japan’s favourite grilled meat. These small but elegant skewers (chicken, usually, but we have other meats and vegetables, too) are the epitome of Japanese barbecue, and some of the best in Asian fast food.

They purchase whole Bostock organic chooks and butcher them into 12 different skewers from the humble chicken breast (MUNE) to the delicate chicken heart (KOKORO). We lease very little behind, what we do have left gets made into organic chicken broth.

We also specialise in Wagyu beef which is sourced locally from Waitaha Wagyu who has been given the seal of approval by the Japanese Wagyu beef Association.

Yakitori parlors dot Japan’s gastronomic landscape, ranging from noisy holes-in-the-wall where commuters can grab a quick snack and a few beers and Sakes before embarking on the long trip home, to local neighbourhood hangouts where local singles might go for dinner several times a week.

At Bar Yoku, we want encourage people to come eat, drink, socialise, relax and enjoy our true Izakaya atmosphere.

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Introducing Will and Katie of Greenroots Juicery, Christchurch’s own organic, local, plant-based, cold-pressed juice company. Realising they had a calling to focus on something bigger than ourselves, that involved greatly improving the well-being of peoples day-to-day lives, Will and Katie dived headfirst into creating truly healthy products hand-crafted from fresh local organic produce. Will is a Chartered Accountant and has focused on helping charities achieve their goals through sustainable business and accounting practices, while Katie studied Business Management and Marketing and then Holistic Nutrition, complementary skills that went on to become the perfect background to their juice business. And why South Town? ‘It embodies the cultural heart of Christchurch with epic local businesses bursting from the seams that just have so much to offer’.

Introducing Corkin & Friends salon Owner Stewart Corkin. With over 20 years experience in the industry he is proud of his hand-picked team of expert stylists. Combining their knowledge, precision and imagination with your wildest dreams, to ultimately set you apart from the crowd.

Flourish Foliage is aiming to provide a range of indoor plants and related products that can enhance any space. We are so excited to be a part of the modern, health focused The Welder and share our plants with everyone in its community. Nature is said to have huge benefits on your wellbeing and can improve air quality, among other things.

Introducing Rhiannon & Else, the dynamic duo behind the creative patisserie, The Great Pastry Shop. Rhiannon was an award winning fashion designer in London (where she's originally from), after moving to New Zealand she has worked as an Art, Design & Photography teacher, magazine editor and chef. Elsie fell in love with patisserie after travelling in Europe and went on to graduate and work as a Pastry Chef in Auckland. The two started the sweet business so they could develop their own creative voice within the evolving world of patisserie and enjoy using top quality ingredients to make exceptional flavours. The young creators think South Town is the prettiest and most authentic side of town, and we think having them here can only improve that!

Introducing Sam Ellis from Grizzly Baked Goods – Christchurch’s very own modern craft bakery. After travelling and living in North America, Sam returned home wanting to become a baker, and gained some awesome experience working for a sourdough bakery in Hamilton. Grizzly started as a side project operating one day a week at the Farmers Market, when Sam’s main gig at the time was the stay at home Dad. But as the kids grew, so did the bakery. Grizzly has now been operating as a wholesale bakery for 3 years, and the team are looking forward to branching into a retail side as well. The best thing about South Town? ‘It's a perfect mix of the old and new Christchurch!’ 

Little Noble is the first flagship tea store for Noble & Savage Tea Merchants.

Designed to be a modern take on the timeless ritual of tea time it will give customers a west meets east tea experience.

In this space one can discover; single origin teas, limited editions teas, iced teas, and some classic cuppas teas curated from the best ethical tea gardens and estates from all over the world.

Situated within an urban sanctuary, away from the busy city bustle guests can relax, unwind and connect to what’s most important over a beautiful unique tea.

Visit our South Town Christchurch teahouse location 20-26 Welles St, Christchurch and experience it for yourself.

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Introducing Two Raw Sisters, a food company set on changing perceptions about a plant-based diet. Feeling a little like people may have lost touch with food and where it comes from, these two savvy entrepreneurs wanted to make a difference to what their community is eating and in turn help tackle stress, tiredness and illness as a direct result. Both young, healthy, well-educated women who are big on eating well for wellness, they love the purity of South Town with ‘no big high rises or pollution in the air’, and can’t wait to share what they’ve learnt with us all in the way of tasty morsels served up over the counter in The Welder.

GoodFor exists for the sole purpose to help aid in the clean up of our beautiful planet that we call Earth.

“We decided that we needed to make sustainable shopping a lot easier for the everyday consumer.

We went ahead and created a plastic free shopping experience that allows you and your family to fill your pantry without all the wasteful packaging that comes with it. We have also created reusable products that aid in this process.

That wasn’t enough for us, we wanted every single one of our customers to plant a tree each time they shopped with us because the world needs more trees, so we decided to team up with the amazing organisation “Trees For The Future” who not only grow carbon dioxide eating trees but also help impoverished communities all over the world to learn how to grow and manage their own foods sources.”

Salut! Salut! [translation; a toast to good health] is inspired by the Spanish tradition of Sobremesa. A post-meal interlude for chatting, relaxing and digesting your food.

As with all their other ventures Sam & Sally travelled to the country of origin - Spain to get inspiration for their Spainish Pub in the hope of bringing this lively culture to life in The Welder internal Garden.

Salut! Salut! invites you to pull up a chair, sit under the citrus trees and toast to good health, great friends and better wine.

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The people behind Felt.co.nz, NZ's online marketplace for locally-made goods and gifts, are putting together a destination homewares store, Sollos. Featuring locally-produced and other ethically-made items alongside real-time production by Canterbury craftspeople.