The Crate & Barrel on Market Street has been Leeston's local since opening on 1 September 2017, when Craig Bradford — a publican with more than 30 years running bars and hotels in Dunedin, Nelson and Canterbury — opened the doors with his family. Together with his son Sam, daughter Mayson and their team, they've built a venue founded on great service, cleanliness and value for money.
It's a genuine community hub with a family friendly atmosphere: a restaurant offering a huge variety of meals, a bar pouring a wonderful range of wines and tap beers, and a calendar packed with entertainment — Housie on Mondays, poker nights on Tuesdays, raffles, karaoke, live bands and Happy Hours.
There's more here than a pub, too. The bottle shop (liquor centre) trades 9am to 9pm seven days with deals on beer, wine and spirits, Selwyn's only vape store stocks a wide range of quality products, and upstairs you'll find two function rooms and nine rooms of accommodation. The customised restaurant celebrates the district's hunting and fishing heritage, with a supercool 2017 Indian Motorcycle as centrepiece.
On the corner of Market Street in Leeston, the Crate & Barrel has been the town's local since the 1st of September 2017. That was the day Craig Bradford — a publican with more than thirty years of experience running bars and hotels in Dunedin, Nelson and Canterbury — opened the doors alongside his family, and the Ellesmere district gained a proper community hub with a restaurant, a bar and a whole lot more under one roof.
Step inside and it quickly becomes clear this is no formula bar. The customised restaurant celebrates the hunting and fishing heritage of the local area, and pride of place goes to the pub's supercool 2017 Indian Motorcycle, a favourite subject for photos alongside rows of wine glasses lined up and ready to go. It is, in every sense, a venue with character.
Craig runs the Crate & Barrel as owner-operator, joined by his son Sam, his daughter Mayson and a team of staff who, in their own words, together make a great team. Since opening day they have prided themselves on great service, cleanliness and value for money, with a simple aim: to provide a hub for the community, a family friendly atmosphere, a great menu and a bar that is a great place to relax with friends and unwind from your day. The enthusiastic, helpful staff always aim to go the extra mile and provide the best experience possible.
The restaurant offers a huge variety of meals, and the bar behind it pours a wonderful range of wines and tap beers. Whether it is a family dinner, a catch-up with mates or a quiet drink at the end of the day, there is room for it here — and value for money is a stated point of pride. Planning a weekend dinner or bringing a bigger group? Tables in the restaurant and function rooms are secured by phone on 03 324 4000, as bookings cannot be made by email. For function room enquiries and other information, the team can be reached by email.
Entertainment is a big part of the Crate & Barrel week. Monday nights are Housie, Tuesdays are poker nights, and through the rest of the week you will find raffle nights, karaoke, live bands and Happy Hours, with much more throughout the year. The pub's Facebook page is the place to check for upcoming events and details of what is happening, so it pays to look before you visit.
There is a surprising amount under one roof. The liquor centre trades from 9am to 9pm, seven days a week, with great deals on beer, wine and spirits. Alongside it sits Selwyn's only vape store, stocking a wide range of top quality products. Upstairs are two function rooms catering for most events and meetings, and nine rooms of accommodation — handy for visitors to the district, or for anyone making the most of the late trading hours and wanting to make a proper night of it.
You will find the Crate & Barrel at 3 Market Street, Leeston. Doors open at 7am every day of the week, with the venue trading until midnight Monday to Friday and until 1am on Saturdays and Sundays. Whether it is an early start, a family meal in the restaurant, a night of Housie or karaoke, a function for the work team or a bed for the night, this is Leeston's all-in-one local — and regulars and first-timers alike are invited to come in and experience everything it has to offer.