Andrea................Jo Seager in Oxford on TV

Did you see Campbell live last week, they did a story about Jo Seager moving to Oxford and opening a cafe/cookery school ? and how the town is becoming quite vibrant with new shops opening up to cater for the influx of all the tourists etc
GK

There was a new bookshop opened too, now that looked like a great place to browse

My parents live in Oxford and I get down from time to time, being very flat in the village and quite compact means you can stroll around everything and have a good look. I went to primary school there and remember it being a bustling community then, it had the farmers co-op, 4 square, butcher, chemist and milk bar, even a ladies dress shop and a sewing factory. Now its more cafes and gifty shops. Most of the new shops are converted houses and one is in the old salvation army hall.

You'll have to holler next time you're heading this way, Kat. Maybe those of us in the area can meet up with you and "do lunch" at Jo Seagers...

Diane

Yes, Oxford seems to have become a bit of a hub, so much so on a weekend afternoon you can barely drive down the main street without someone swinging a car door open into road without looking first! It's a mixed blessing. The food is really quite good, I just wish they took bookings.

Andrea
Oxford

Sounds like Pukekohe - oooh for a park outside the shop that used to be there only a few years ago! What about the photoraphs in the Local Paper of a local event and you feel like an outsider - who are they? Anyone know why Joe shifted to Oxford?

When I first moved to Christchurch 10 years ago, Oxford was the 'town at the end of the universe'. Now it's a destination for the Sunday morning drive, with a farmers' market and Seagers.

I've eaten there a few times, I like it that the food is very inventive, not your predictable posh restaurant stuff. The children's meals in particular are like nothing I've seen at any other restaurant.

I agree with Andrea that it would be nice to be able to book, especially if you have kids. The wait has never been too long when I've been there (20 mins max), but taking children (I have three boys) into the cook shop is a recipe for stress!

If you have a get-together lunch there, count me in

DiDi;197345 wrote: Sounds like Pukekohe - oooh for a park outside the shop that used to be there only a few years ago! What about the photoraphs in the Local Paper of a local event and you feel like an outsider - who are they? Anyone know why Joe shifted to Oxford?

same here Didi, I have lived in the general area here since 1972 and I see these "faces" in the local social section of papers and a new glossy mag that has been created for our location, and I wonder who are these people, I haven't seen them before.

Mind you, there is a correspondent in our local paper that has been here for about 5 minutes (8 years really) we did some work for him and so I know he came up from Sydney and is now telling everyone how things should be done and how they are doing them wrong...:rolleyes:

Even formed his own "company" and uses the title of Director in his letters to the Ed' so people think he is someone educated and "in the know".

The evil side of me is thinking of "outing" him as my departing shot...[}]

I have been to Seagers a few times myself, its not somewhere I would go again personally, not a great experience , I find the other little place on the other side of the road more of a county cafe experience with friendlier staff, just my humble opinion:)

DiDi;197345 wrote: Anyone know why Jo shifted to Oxford?

On the Campbell Live interview, she also talked about how she was talking with friends one night, having a "what's your dream" type of conversation and the next her and hubby decided they would go for their dream of a cooking school etc.

Her children went to boarding school in Chch, and apparently they all love to ski, so they were looking in that area, and came across Oxford.

I have mixed feelings on Seagars. While I quite agree that the menu is FAB, some of the service in there has been a bit huffy. I agree with feedqueen about the cafe 51 over the road - MUCH friendlier, even though the menu rarely changes. It's good food, but Seagars is better. We go there much more often than we go to the other. If you have a get-together, count me in too!

Cheers
Andrea
Oxford

There's a great wee place in Cust too. The one with the gift shop below. The restaurant upstairs is quite small, but the food was fantastic the time we went. I don't know whether it won, but I remember reading that it was in the final for one of the Cuisine magazine awards this year.

I'm not 100% sure, but I suspect that some of the staff at Seagars are trainees from her cook school. I've found the warmth of the service to be quite variable too, and I guessed that might be why?

Seaside,Andrea,we should arrange a gathering if you are keen and can find some time, anyone else from the area, NZ Appalossas maybe? Um who else is local???

Lunchtimes are best for me as the children are in school/preschool... but not in the school holidays (29 Sept to 10 October). Preferably not Thursday as things seem to always happen on Thursdays.

Kalnetta is in Oxford and there are debnjohn are from Swannanoa, I'm sure there are be others that I can't think of right now.

Lunchtime is perfect for me too, all done with milking, and taking a break before evening chores. Earlier in the season is easier for me than later, as we get caught up with bottle feeding, gardening, planting, etc. as the season progresses.

Cheers
Andrea
Oxford