Purple wekas and whitebait
From whitebait patty sandwiches to a new pantry, the inner-city Purple Weka Café and Bar has become a beacon for those seeking good, honest food in a place they feel welcomed.
There is nothing complicated about a Purple Weka whitebait sandwich. The whitebait comes as a patty, tucked into soft white bread, just as owner Stewart McDougall says it should be; in other words, no unnecessary frills.
“We don’t muck about much with our food,” he says.
“It’s simple, honest and traditional.”
That philosophy runs through everything at the Purple Weka Café and Bar (that’s right, they’re fully licensed), from its hearty breakfasts to the shelves of the brand-new Purple Weka pantry, where local olive oils, relishes, chutneys, sauces and other small-producer goods sit alongside the café’s own jams.
There are Glass Eye sauces, Loveli candles, Choice Foods relishes and chutneys, and a big range of Alexandra’s Moroccan couscous, which has quickly become a popular seller.
On the café menu, as well as the ever-popular whitebait patties, another signature dish is the lambs fry and bacon, which arrives with roasted tomatoes on toasted ciabatta and redcurrant jelly.
It’s this kind of food that brings people back time and again. “No one really lives near us, yet people go out of their way to visit so we’re busy at weekends, I’m grateful for that,” Stewart says. “We’ve got really friendly staff and our customers are not just our customers, they’re our friends.”
Drop in and say hi to the team at 48 Fitzgerald Avenue, Christchurch Central. Venue hire, functions and catering also available. purplewekacafe.co.nz
