Fleur

by Fleur Sullivan

Fleur Sullivan is a South Island legend, the culinary maven responsible for not one but two iconic local restaurants Olivers in Clyde and the eponymous Fleurs Place in Moeraki. Now, at the age of 72, she's running a third, The Loan and Merc in her home town of Oamaru. Her eventful career has spanned more than 40 years, during which time she's transformed two sleepy towns into international destinations. Fleur is brimming with great stories, anecdotes, reminiscences, the conversations had round her table and friendships formed in her establishments. This memoir chronicles her early life cooking in a pub on the West Coast, through to setting up Dunstan House in Clyde and on to the heady days of the restaurant scene in the 1970s in Queenstown. Drawing on this range of influences, Fleur then returned to Clyde and embarked on the 20-year journey that was Olivers, using local produce and products at a time when no one else was doing so. From there she went to Moeraki and opened her world-renowned fish restaurant Fleurs Place. Everything Fleur does is touched by her warmth, vision and enthusiams, making her places the place to be. IIlustrated with new photography by Aaron McLean, plus Fleur's own photographs and ephemera.

Genres: Nonfiction

255 pages

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Judith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the first half just like any family history but the second gal was much more interesting as she writes with such passion about both her restaurants in New Zealand. I plan to go to both so well worth reading for that.

[zespri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've given this book 5 stars! For lots of reasons.

Fleur Sullivan has to be a New Zealand icon. I loved reading her story, and having been bombarded with, "You must go to Fleurs Place, Mum" for as long as I have had adult children who are foodies, it was wonderful to find her book in the library.

Impossible does not seem to be a word in Fleur's dictionary. I kept wondering to myself how on earth she had the energy to sustain all the activity that she has been involved with over the years. Plus raising three children at the same time, what a woman!

Having been involved with the hospitality business in New Zealand for over 45 years, her book is such an interesting insight into the changing face of New Zealander's attitudes to food over this time. A bit of a culinary history really.

The photographs in the book are gorgeous, and highlight Fleur's use of old china, crockery and tableware in all her restaurants.

Throughout, Fleur's passion for simple, wholesome food, beautifully cooked and presented shines through.

If you are a foodie, you will love this book, I'm not really in that category, but found the book very hard to put down.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This ‘Life and Times of Pioneering Restaurateur Fleur Sullivan’ is written ‘with’ Nathalie Brown. Fleur has had an amazing life and achieved amazing things. It was hearing her interviewed on Radio NZ’s ‘Sunday Morning’ that made me want to read this book. In my opinion the book tries to do too much and ends up not doing Fleur justice because of this. I found the varied fonts and the lengthy plaudits from celebrities combined to distract me from her impressive story. The photos interspersed in the text were helpful, but overall I felt like I was reading a magazine article that went on and on.

Having said that, Fleur’s love of her restaurants and their locations, and her wonderful personality, shine through. Early in the book she describes her affection for Oamaru, and the last chapters tell of her latest venture which is to set up another restaurant in the historic precinct there. We’re planning a stay in Oamaru later this year, and I hope we may have the privilege of dining with Fleur.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read - there's so much that I didn't know about Fleur. What an amazing life, so far. Would have benefitted from some proof-reading/editing - infuriating use of bought instead of brought, and vice versa. But as Fleur refuses to put an apostrophe in Fleurs Place, (or previously in Olivers!)maybe that is deliberate!

Looking forward to dinner at said apostrophe-free restaurant in a few weeks....

[Tony Nielsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fleur is a well known and well loved restauranteur in New Zealand. She has previously published a book called Fleurs Place about her famour restaurant in the South Island town of Moeraki. This book is her story, throught a tough life sprinkled with wonderful highs and distressing lows. I know her personally and she is a special person.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at a fascinating character. Loved reading about how Fleur found it living in many different parts of the South Island, how the land and the people influenced and continue to influence her life.

[Annette Holwill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely autobiographical slice of New Zealand life, set in Southern South Island, my mouth is still watering in memory of the taste sensations and ambiance contained within!