The menu and the decor at Dunedin Botanic Garden’s new Aster Cafe have been inspired by Scandinavian cuisine and architecture, and will have a ‘‘Kiwi twist’’.
Given that co-owner Jonas Hansen grew up in southern Denmark, he said that was inevitable.
‘‘Yeah, it’s Scandinavian-inspired, except there won’t be big boxes of kitset furniture lying around,’’ he joked.
‘‘Growing up in Denmark, it’s hard not to use what you have learned.’’
He and co-owner and Kiwi partner Caitlin Holloway met while he was studying fine arts photography in Scotland, and at the same time, she was there on a visa working in hospitality.
When she said it was time to go home, he was hooked, and he followed.
‘‘I’ve been here ever since, pretty much,’’ he said.
More recently, they had started dreaming of the possibility of opening a second cafe, but they never expected to expand their Scandinavian empire so soon.
Mr Hansen said the former Croque-O-Dile Cafe in the gardens had always been his favourite spot in the city.
‘‘We both live in Dalmore and we’re locals in North East Valley.
‘‘So when Croque-O-Dile came up, it was just too good an opportunity to pass by, and we just went for it.
‘‘I’ve always seen the building has heaps of potential, and it should be one of the busiest places in town.’’
Ms Holloway said they decided to called it Aster, after a type of daisy, which grows in the gardens.
‘‘We thought it was very fitting because it’s a botanical name.’’
As well as being influenced by Scandinavia, the cafe’s menu would also have a botanical theme, she said.
‘‘The concept is to have a menu with things like a soup of the day, eggs on toast, like a lot of staples that you’d expect to get in any local cafe in Dunedin.
‘‘But we want to do those things in a way which is perhaps a little unexpected — a way that really showcases botanicals or things that you can find in the gardens or seasonally.
‘‘One of the dishes we’ve got on the menu right now uses pine dust, which we’re getting from a wee organic farm just outside of the city.
‘‘Being able to use elements like that, just makes it feel a little more special and a bit more botanical.
‘‘We’re drawing inspiration from our surroundings, and of course, there will always be that Scandinavian influence.’’
Down the line, they hoped to hold events in collaboration with the Botanic Garden.
Mr Hansen hoped it would become a central hub for the city.
‘‘It’ll definitely be the local for many people, and I do see it being a hub for students sitting and studying, and families coming in.’’
The cafe had a ‘‘soft’’ opening on Thursday, and will officially open to the public today.
