Blog Layout
From the Ashes - Thirsty Acres

The Alve family have relished the opportunity to transform a local country tavern into something unique and special – a beautiful local destination with service, hearty honest food and a genuine passion for the local area at the heart of their operation.


A small town in the heart of Selwyn District, 25 minutes from Christchurch, Kirwee is perhaps not your first destination when planning a day out, but Jono and Jen Alve are on a mission to change that. Having risen from the ashes of the Kirwee Tavern, which sadly burnt to the ground in late 2019, Thirsty Acres is a tangible realisation of Jono and Jen’s passion for hearty honest food, great coffee and service with a smile. It is also firmly putting Kirwee on the map as a ‘must-stop-at’ point for travellers heading along State Highway 73. 


In fact, it was as travellers themselves that Jono and Jen came across the opportunity. ‘We had recently returned to Canterbury after living in the North Island to be closer to family in Ashburton and Rolleston,’ explains Jono. ‘The desire to be doing something for ourselves was growing and on a day out exploring down West Coast Road we stopped to have a yarn to a man mowing the lawns outside what was a building in construction.’ The lawn mower just happened to be the owner of what had been the Kirwee Tavern and was now a newly constructed shell of a hospitality venture. ‘We really liked what he stood for. He could have taken the insurance money from the fire and walked away, but he felt a sense of duty to the community to rebuild – so that is what he did.’


For Jono, a career in hospitality wasn’t a foreign concept, having spent much of his working life ‘supporting the industry’ as a supplier and consultant. This was his first opportunity to run a venue himself and one he has risen to. ‘It all moved pretty fast from there. When we took on the lease the walls were up and the roof was on but the fit-out was all up to us.’ From the acoustic panelling for sound management, detailing around the bar and wallpapered walls, it is a striking, yet homely aesthetic that is a delight to spend time in. 


From there it was all about the name. ‘We wanted to pay homage to the history of the area, while bringing a new story.’ Sitting between the Waimakariri and Rakaia rivers, Kirwee was originally on some of the driest land in the country. ‘It wasn’t until they brought the water race scheme through this area that the land was able to be used to produce all the agricultural and pastoral products that dominate the area,’ explains Jono. ‘We think of the land around us as the thirsty acres – and that’s where the name came from.’

A restaurant with tables and chairs and a bar.

The surrounding landscape has been of significant inspiration to the Alves and is front and centre in their design with a giant wall map of the region capturing the attention the moment you step inside. ‘For tourists it is great to see where they are in relation to the mountains, the beach, the rivers …’ he continues, ‘while for locals it is a chance to visually connect to their immediate landscape.


Often people from Canterbury are surprised by how close Kirwee is to everything when they see it on the map. An hour and a half to Arthur’s Pass, an hour to Mount Hutt, half an hour to Oxford. We have so much of this beautiful country right on our doorstep.’ 

The local inspiration doesn’t stop there, with the menu a physical realisation of the region. ‘We live and operate in a food basket,’ continues Jono. ‘From crops, to beef, lamb, venison – there is an abundance of local food producers.’ Head Chef Thom Dunbar relishes the opportunity to ‘put Canterbury on the plate’. ‘He is a genius when it comes to flavour,’ enthuses Jono, ‘but also [keeps it] simple – this is a pub after all!’ Simple, modern and delicious are apt descriptors for the menu, with everything you would expect to find on a traditional Kiwi pub menu – but elevated to be a little something special. ‘We didn’t want to be just another country tavern,’ explains Jono, ‘we wanted to cater for everyone.’ 


And that they have, from the 9 am coffee morning groups (yes, there is a toy corner), to large groups at lunchtime, those passing through in need of a mid-arvo coffee, dinner or those seeking a post-dinner drink and chat. There is even a function space with glass doors separating off a section of the restaurant. 


There is no disguising the passion that Jono and Jen have for their business and their patrons, but they are quick to highlight they couldn’t do it without their team. ‘We have a wonderful team who could do it all without us,’ laughs Jono. But they are all too happy (and delight in) being involved. As working owners they are often on the floor greeting visitors and Jono is no stranger to driving the courtesy van. Even daughters Lucy (eight) and Penelope (six) can be found clearing plates on busy weekends. ‘We feel very privileged to be able to do this every day.’ 


www.thirstyacres.co.nz


Recent stories

A cookbook is sitting on top of a wooden stand on a kitchen counter.

How to Make an Adjustable Cookbook Stand

By Klaudia Krupa • May 22, 2024
With its sliding base, this stand can snugly hold any recipe card, tablet or cookbook – no matter how chunky or slim. Choose your favourite colours to ensure it is the perfect match for your kitchen or as a great gift idea. Plus, when it’s not in use, you can easily store both parts flat! What you need: 1 x 300 x 230 mm sheet of pine board, 18 mm thick (backboard) 1 x 300 x 150 mm sheet of pine board, 18 mm thick (baseboard) 1 x 120 mm pine dowel, 12 mm thick 2 x 40 mm pine dowels, 8 mm thick Drill and drill bits Drop saw Drop sheet Jigsaw or reciprocating saw Measuring tape Paintbrush and mini roller Resene testpots – we used Resene Gold Dust and Resene Apache Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel paint, tinted to your choice of colour – we used Resene Bokara Grey Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer Ruler Sandpaper Wood glue Step 1: Cut your wood to the sizes listed above. Step 2: Measure and mark out a 155 x 25 mm slot, positioned 40 mm up from the base of the backboard, as shown. Step 3: Drill a hole in each corner of the marked slot to give your saw a starting point. Then, use either a jigsaw or reciprocating saw to carefully cut out the slot. Step 4: Smooth out any rough edges with sandpaper. Step 5: To make the handle, drill two 8 mm holes in the 12 mm dowel. Each hole should be drilled three quarters of the way through the dowel, centred and positioned 20 mm from each end. Begin by drilling small pilot holes to guide the larger drill bit.
A dog is laying on a dog bed in a living room next to a couch.

Too Good to be True?

By Nathan Miglani • May 22, 2024
We are on the cusp of a once-in-a-decade influx of properties on the market. Nathan Miglani, Director of NZ Mortgages, explains. As we have discussed, in the aftermath of the election we saw immediate momentum in the market. Since March we have seen this start to drop as the reality of interest rates remaining high dampened buyers’ appetite. Petrol prices are high, the cost of living continues to increase and while the OCR is holding, and forecasted to hold for the next few months, people are hurting, which in turn sees the property market slow. But there is hope on the horizon – we are predicting that by September/October we will start to see interest rates slowly start to come down, but do not expect them to drop as quickly as they rose. We are seeing some banks offer as low as 5.99 per cent on a three-year loan, and while this might sound good now, my advice is still to only fix for a short term to avoid costly break fees. The most active market we are seeing right now is in the $800,000 – $1.3 million range with lots of buying and selling happening. This is set to ramp up come 1 July with the changes to the bright-line property rule when it comes to being taxed on capital gain – dropping from 10 years (or five years for a new build) to two. For many it will seem too good to be true, but it is! This is set to put in motion a once-in-a-decade influx of properties to the market from Mum-and-Dad investors who are currently hurting with the high interest rates, creating massive opportunity for both first home buyers and first-time investors. Other sectors of the market continue to feel the pinch and as an advocate and passionate developer it was important to me to be able to assist the construction sector, which sees the launch of our construction division, Construction Loans. This is for those who have decided to build their first home, right up to those developing a subdivision. It is about helping everyone achieve their goals – which underpins everything we do. For this sector, it is about ensuring that the finances are in order before it is too late. Arranging finance for building a property is different from securing finance on an existing home, and it is critical to consider the best way to structure repayments on the section and the build while maintaining lifestyle.  It is about empowering builders, developers and everyone to make informed decisions that work for their unique situations. There is no one size fits all, which is why it is imperative that you seek professional advice before it’s too late. We are here to help you avoid pitfalls.
A group of young boys are playing soccer on a field.

The Future of Happiness

By Dr Cheryl Doig • May 22, 2024
Dr Cheryl Doig explores why a holistic approach, when it comes to educating, parenting and governing should be considered. It’s a complex world that our young people are growing up in. Societal change, the impact of social media and technology are colliding with climate change, misinformation, disinformation, and warfare. Trust in governments has deteriorated and the world is more polarised. It’s no wonder wellbeing and happiness are such a focus in our schools, our homes and our businesses. The recent results from the 2024 Global Happiness Index showed that happiness in Aotearoa New Zealand has fallen significantly for all age groups, but by twice as much for the young as for the old. In 2021–2023, our young people were the least happy age group. Females under 30 have one-third more negative emotions than males. Our young people are not thriving. Contrast this with 2006–2010 results, when the young were happier than those in the midlife groups, and about as happy as those aged 60 and over. The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt provides some insight into what might be happening here. Haidt refers to our young people as ‘the anxious generation’ and outlines the following as contributing factors: Technology – constant connectedness and the facade of always appearing happy and successful on social media. The cult of safety – overprotective parents and risk aversion – not developing resilience nor the ability to cope with challenges. The loss of play – the decline of unstructured play and outdoor exploration, critical factors for social, emotional and cognitive development. The pressure to succeed – intense academic and extracurricular expectations. The loneliness epidemic – social isolation is more prevalent even though our children appear more ‘connected’. These are deep social issues that have no simple solution. What is needed is an holistic approach to parenting, educating and governing. A focus on literacy, numeracy and sciences alone is not going to lead to a wellbeing economy. Supportive relationships and acceptance of diversity matter more than ever. Creative and critical thinking, play and physical exercise cannot be forgotten. Futures thinking is one way of developing resilience, risk taking and autonomy, as it explores alternative world views and encourages anticipating a range of scenarios. Many of our teachers know this but struggle with the ever-changing pendulum swings of successive governments. They’re exhausted and not so happy in their work. Schools need that sense of community support. We are overdue for a bipartisan collective vision for education in order to create a future where our young people thrive, are hopeful and happy. It’s not all doom and gloom. We can make a positive difference! As parents, whānau and communities, my challenge to you is to consider one item from the bullet point list above. Lean into it and give your children a bit of space to be children and have joy in their lives. Don’t crowd them, cosset them and control them so much. Walk alongside and guide them. Let them learn from failure with you as their coach. Celebrate successes.
Share by: