village life
MOVING TO THE WINE village of Martinborough, an hour’s drive east of Wellington, has been a breath of fresh air for Michelin star chef and now boutique hotel owner, Adam Newell. Along with his New Zealand-born wife Nicola, 48, and two daughters, 10-year-old Georgia and Poppy, seven, they settled here two years ago and opened the doors of Union Square Bistro & Bar in the newly renovated Martinborough Hotel.
“The community has really welcomed us. You can walk down the street and say ‘Hi’ to people and it’s all genuine. It gives you a fuzzy feeling, whereas in the city, you get lost a little,” 54-year-old Adam says.
Originally from Cornwall in the United Kingdom, Adam has worked in some of the world’s finest establishments, including London’s Claridge’s and Le Gavroche, where he trained with the legendary Roux brothers, and The Point, a luxury retreat in Upstate New York that was formerly part of the Rockefeller estate. He earned his Michelin star as head chef of Fulham Road Restaurant
