A slice of calm within the bustle

The sunshine sparkles on the water while it meanders along the riverbank. Birds chirp in the trees as cyclists and dog walkers roll past. A gentle hustle of city life bustles in the background. In front of you a plate of wholesome fresh food and a cup of delicious barista-made coffee – what better way to spend some time taking in the best that Nelson has to offer. River Kitchen has long been the go-to for locals and visitors alike, offering a little slice of calming paradise within the Nelson CBD.

Celebrating ten years of ownership, Clare and Blue Fleming have spent the majority of their lives in the industry. Hospitality runs through their veins with Clare growing up working in her parent’s restaurant in England and Blue working his way through kitchens around the world, before opening his own Cornish Pastry Shop. Moving to Nelson in 2006 the couple purchased Milton Street Fish and Chip shop, prior to River Kitchen in 2013.

“River Kitchen has always been a family run business. We started out here with my brotherin-law as our chef, and pretty much all of our family has worked here over the last 10 years! Our daughters have always had a job here so that’s been really good for them. We are all very passionate about producing a really good, consistent product that is fresh and delicious. We never skip corners on quality, and we also try to evolve with what our customer wants and be quickly reactive with trends. It’s important to stay current in hospitality otherwise your customers go to the new exciting cafe down the road. But our biggest asset is our team. We could not open the doors without them, and they are all so much fun to work with. We feel really grateful that we have had some of our team since the beginning and they have been on our journey with us.”

Proud of delivering great service for ten years, along with fresh local seasonal produce in their recipes, the team always go the extra mile for their customers. “Blue and I love hospitality, and everything about it, the characters you meet every day and the general buzz of the job. There’s something so good about eating food that’s just been picked. There’s literally nothing like it. It just tastes better, it’s better value and, of course, it’s a better deal for the planet.”

This is what continues to fuel their passion for what they do, says Clare. Celebrating their milestone with some ten-pin bowling and a fun night out with the team, they reflect on the last decade and say looking to the future they look forward to many more sunshinefilled summers by the river. “We love people, we love creating great food and most of all we love our River Kitchen! We have the best spot in Nelson!”