Newspaper Article 2021 – Godfather of modern cafe, restaurant trade

Godfather of modern cafe, restaurant trade

HISTORICAL HAWKE’S BAY

Michael Fowler
Historic Hawke’s Bay

Many Hastings people in particular will have fond memories of the Mayfair Hotel in Karamu Rd.

With much excitement and fanfare Hastings Mayor Ron Giorgi, with 500 guests, opened the £120,000 (2021:$5.7 million) hotel on March 10, 1960, for Leopard Brewery Limited.

Hastings’ Leopard Brewery started its life in 1880 as Burton Brewery. Owner George Ellis sold out to Edward Newbegin [Newbigin]. A name change occurred in the early 1940s to Leopard Brewery – the name of Burton’s cordial brand, so as to avoid confusion with a brewery in Palmerston North of the same name.

The Newbegin family sold to Singaporean company Malayan Breweries Limited in 1956. New Zealand Breweries (in 1977 changed to Lion Brewery) bought 49 per cent of Leopard in the early 1960s.

Due to the restrictions of selling alcohol, to push their product the two major breweries in New Zealand in the 20th century, Dominion Breweries and New Zealand Breweries, were major owners of hotels. These hotels sold only their beer in what was known as a “tied house” meaning Leopard Brewery could not sell their beer in these hotels.

Therefore, to increase sales, Leopard also got into the hotel business, and owned hotels including Napier, Wellington, Auckland, and Palmerston North.

The Mayfair Hotel had about 930 sq m of bar space for public, private, house and garden bars. There was also a flagon store and enough carparks for 300 vehicles.

Accommodation consisted of six single and seven double rooms – enough for only 20 people.

Hospitality veteran Albert Jensen was recruited out of retirement as bar manager. The former owner of the 1990s demolished Heretaunga Street West, Pacific Hotel, who had sold up in 1947, was in disbelief at the hotel bar having air-conditioning and carpets.

“Carpets [in bars]”, said Jensen, “not only improved their appearance – they’ve made better and more responsible drinkers” (presumably because they tried not to spill beer on the carpet). “The average man”, said Jensen, “appreciates comfort to drink in at the end of the day.”

A snack bar in the house bar area could dispense sandwiches, coffee and “at certain times chops, sausages, and hamburgers”.

In charge of the Mayfair Hotel was J W W (Will) Franssen (1912-1994), an immigrant from the Netherlands who arrived in New Zealand in 1951.

Franssen had wondered what he had struck when he arrived in Hastings and asked the taxi driver to take him to the best meal the town (city 1956) could offer – the cafe had Christmas decorations from the previous year still up. He was served bacon and eggs “of dubious hygiene” with a free slice of white bread thrown in.

His first job was at the Pacific Hotel, where he said “they had never heard of cold beer”.

While Europe had a well-established coffee culture, his attempt to sell it through a business he established – the Windmill Coffee Shop, opposite the Fallen Soldiers’ War Memorial Hospital – proved difficult. An art exhibition to get people into the shop proved a turning point to sell coffee. He bought beans from Wellington and roasted them himself.

Many will remember Will from the Hawke’s Bay Farmers tearooms in Hastings that he operated with a business partner. He left this to manage the Mayfair Hotel. Will Franssen, I believe, can be called the godfather of the modern cafe and restaurant trade in Hawke’s Bay.

He understood service, which he clearly thought New Zealand was rather short of. “Too many service organisations seem to think that the public was there for the organisation’s benefit.”

He was going to extend the restaurant hours for late hotel arrivals from the traditional 7pm closing: “I would rather cook latecomers a steak myself than send them out of my hotel to eat elsewhere.”

The Mayfair Hotel’s restaurant had Franssen’s influence all over it. French cuisine featured which must have been a shock to the people of Hawke’s Bay. Crepe suzettes would be served as a matter of course, and there would be a hors d’oeuvres (small savoury dish) trolley. No wine list – you just went to the display rack and selected your own. An English chef, who had studied in France, was employed.

The Mayfair Hotel soon morphed into what most Hastings people will remember as the legendary Lager and Carousel Bars.

The Carousel Bar – which was originally the Garden Bar – was reputed to be the birth of the hotel music scene in New Zealand.

New Zealand music legends Prince Tui Teka, DD Smash, Hogsnort Rupert, Mark Williams and Tom Sharplin all played at the Mayfair during the late 1960s and through to the 1980s. As did local bands such as Abe Phillips and the Shadracks, Ernie Rouse’s Trad band and Doug Ryder and his band.

Talent contests were held, and one year Doug Ryder came second singing Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head. The winner was Abe Phillips, and soon after this incredible talent was tragically killed in a car accident.

“The Mayfair Hotel soon morphed into what most Hastings people will remember as the legendary Lager and Carousel Bars. The Carousel Bar was reputed to be the birth of the hotel music scene in New Zealand.”

The Carousel and Lager Bars spawned quite a few romances, and many Hastings marriages resulted from a first meeting there.

Regulars at the Lager Bar even had their own named handles, and the Lager Bar was a bit like the sitcom Cheers, where everyone knew your name. A barmaid affectionately called “Aunty Beat” was a punters favourite.

The bars were said to be in the 1970s “overflowing, always noisy and usually great fun”.

Will Franssen left the Mayfair in 1980 and Peter Buhre was manager at some point after this.

About 1982, Malayan Breweries sold its share to Lion Breweries, so it now had 100 per cent control.

The Mayfair Hotel was sold to a Palmerston North company in 1991, and then two months later to North Island Hotels Limited in May 1991.

Long past its glory days of the 1970s, the Mayfair Hotel was put up for auction in May 1993. Twelve hours before the auction could take place, at 12.48am, a fire (which was later thought to be suspicious) broke out and was attended by 50 firefighters from Hastings and Napier.

Most of the hotel was destroyed or water damaged.

The auction, however, still went ahead, and the property was bought by someone from outside Hawke’s Bay.

During July 1993, what was left of the hotel was demolished and the site cleared.

Valdez Motor Lodge was built on part of the former Mayfair Hotel site about 1994-95.

Michael Fowler ([email protected]) is a contract researcher and commercial business writer of Hawke’s Bay history. Follow him on facebook .com/ michaelfowlerhistory

Photo captions –

Four Australian young ladies at the Mayfair Hotel on Christmas Day 1972, who came across to New Zealand that year aboard the Ocean Monarch for a working holiday: Maureen Hopkins (left), Nicky Gardner (who stayed here and married), Roz May, and Dot Fleming.
PHOTO / NICKY GARDNER

The Australian ladies outside the Mayfair Hotel with Shona from Invercargill (striped dress), posing with the well-known Santa on Christmas Day 1972.
PHOTO / NICKY GARDNER

Will Franssen – the Godfather of Hawke’s Bay’s modern cafe and restaurant scene.
PHOTO / NZME