Newrybar Merchants’ artists – L–R: Danielle McEwan (Tigmi Trading), Shannon Fricke (Shannon Fricke Home), Stephanie Cassidy (Manager), Nicole Patterson (Nikau), Di Miller (Di Miller Artist), Lhasa Morgan (florist), Nikki Pockock (Nikau), Britte Sunde (Beautiflora)
By: Vivienne Pearson
How often do you pay attention to what your food is served on? Or eaten with? Or how your table is decorated?
The bite-sized town of Newrybar is becoming known for its food and hospitality, thanks to Harvest Restaurant, Deli and Bakery. Now it will also be known for food-related artistry, thanks to the Newrybar Merchants.
Celebrating their first anniversary, some of the merchants gathered for a shared display of their food-related wares. A table was dressed with plates, cutlery, cups, napkins, vases, flowers, water jugs, stationery, candlesticks and crystal decorations.
The Merchants is a collective of nine artists who are co-located in a renovated original house across the road from Harvest, where our photoshoot took place.
I was captivated by the titanium-plated cutlery, impressed how fruit is incorporated into the flower arrangements and, being a fan of all things stationery, loved the idea of little welcome tags.
To me, this looks like tableware for special occasions only but I was interested to learn that all the crockery on display is stoneware (rather than ceramic), meaning that it can be used in the microwave and put in the dishwasher. ‘Stoneware is fully vitrified, meaning that it cannot take on any more water, so is more robust,’ says Shannon Fricke, one of the designers. ‘It has longevity and can be used every day.’ Importantly, all are decorated with food-safe glazes. ‘Not all glazes are; some break down over time and infiltrate the food,’ says Nicole from Nikau.
Back across the road at the Merchants, some of the artists could be seen at work. Diana Miller, whose paintings featured on the cloth napkins, uses her space as both a working studio and a gallery. Britte Sunde and the team of florists at Beautiflora were hard at work preparing arrangements for the weekend’s weddings and corporate events. The central section of the building is taken up with books, including a whole section of cookbooks and other food-related tomes.
Not all things at the Merchants are food related. The candlesticks on the table are sold by Tigmi Trading, who specialise in Moroccan rugs, and the makers of the welcome tags, Fate and Fortune, mainly sell cards, journals and pens. There is also leathergoods and a children’s store.
As I wandered around with my takeaway coffee cup, I reflected that what your food and drink is served in does make a difference, and I found myself wishing that I was cradling, and sipping from, one of the stoneware ‘cuplets’ from the table display.
www.newrybarmerchants.com, open 7 days, 9am–5pm.
