CNZM
Fleur De Lyse Ross Sullivan, Moeraki
Services to the food industry
A restaurateur credited with putting the tiny
township of Moeraki on the culinary map has been recognised by
Buckingham Palace in the New Year 2013 Royal Honours list.After
a career in the food business spanning 30 years, Fleur
Sullivan, who operates Fleur's Place restaurant in Moeraki and
the Loan and Merc restaurant in Oamaru, was named as a
Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to
the food industry.
Ms Sullivan, who established the award-winning Fleur's Place
seafood restaurant in 2003, after previously running Oliver's
restaurant in Central Otago for 20 years, said it was
''really nice'' to be recognised.
However, she added that although she had been awarded an ONZM
in 1999, she did not expect to be given another award.
''At first, when I saw the letter, I thought that I had been
invited to Charles' and Camilla's birthday party.''
Although Fleur's Place was named by Cuisine magazine as one
of the ''100 best things about New Zealand'' in 2010, she
said her abiding principle as a restaurant owner had always
been to promote local produce, whether in North or Central
Otago.
''Food is part of our identity and cultural heritage and the
aim to keep the connection between the food we eat and the
land [and] ocean it comes from preserves, supports and
promotes a sustainable system.
''So it is great to be recognised at the grass-roots level
for my contribution to this industry.''
Ms Sullivan is also a member of the New Zealand Restaurant
Association's Hall of Fame.
-andrew.ashton@odt.co.nz
A name, residential address, and (preferably residential) telephone number is required from readers who comment on ODT Online. These details will not be visible to site visitors.