Pat and Roger
Turner show
their handiwork –
resin embedded
shells in tables
and this wall
montage.
“We took great care to present the ‘shell and
sea’ theme in an upscaled, elegant manner”,
says Pat. The decor included a finely crafted
boat hull Roger designed and finished like a
fine yacht. This served as the original centre
piece bar for the restaurant. Pat commissioned
local artist Rachel Olsen to create the stunning
stained glass ceiling lamps still hanging.
PRESERVING AND
PROTECTING THE SHELLS
Pat and Roger decided on resin-embedding
as the way to permanently display the smaller
shells right into the dining tables. Not just one
table.
Twenty-four!
Many of the larger
shells
were immortalized in a thick wall display. This
was Pat’s pride and joy and well it should be.
Many years later and the life and beauty of
those gorgeous shells are still glistening from
beneath the glass (see photo on previous page).
However, the shell top table idea became quite
the challenge.
“We worked with an
industrial
chemist to come up with the formula”, says
Roger. “We needed
to get a clear resin that
looked like water
and would not yellow over
time.”
They came up with the solution with the
help of a kitchen maker.
“Unfortunately, many of the best shells were lost
in the early trials”, explains Pat. “Overheating
of the resin during the initial filling of the table
bases caused splitting and large cracks.”
And
in the end, the final trials were successful
and
their solution worked! Over 20 years
later, and the resin looks as clear as the
water they were intended to emulate.
Roger explains how they finally did it: “We
learned quickly that the prepared table full of
shells had to be ready, because once the resin
is mixed with the catalyst it causes it to heat up
and harden almost immediately. Once we began
to layer the resin, it had to be perfect.” He adds
that the shells were arranged on the table bases
and sand was sprinkled in the gaps. A staged
filling process of a few millimetres each time
was successful, a staggered filling until the
table top level was reached. After setting hard,
the tabletops were polished. Care was taken
to avoid any one shell from standing above the
level set by the table sides. This would cause an
air pocket and a hole in the table top.
“Mother was so pleased to see her ‘legacy’
continue and to know that people would again
enjoy the collection that had given her so
much joy.” The Turners include the decor with
the lease to ensure that Enid’s collection will
continue to be on permanent display.
Current owner/chef Nathaniel Blomfield was
happy to comply with the shell stipulation.
“The shell collection continues to interest
diners, especially visitors, as they enjoy their
meal”, he says. “No doubt they will continue
to be a conversation starter for guests for
many years to come.”
The restaurant and its ingenious
tables attracted the attention and
delight from the onset. One keen
German visitor offered Roger
$10,000 for just one table
to be shipped to him.
Roger refused and all
24 tables remain in
Tairua to this day.
I cheekily suggest
that since Roger
and Pat are semi-
retired, they
could always go
back to making
those unique
shell-and-resin
tables. “No,
NO!” they said
in unison, “Once
was definitely
enough!”
Current Chef/
Owner Nathaniel
Blomfield with
Roger Turner.
Local artist
Rachel Olsen
designed the
lampshades.
CHEF NATHANIEL AT THE HELM
To the delight of his many faithful
diners, Chef Nathaniel Blomfield
took ownership of Shells just over
two years ago. He had previously
worked there as chef for over 9 years
so it was a great homecoming for
him and his customers.
Whatever you order, we can assure
you, you’ll be thrilled with what
arrives at your ‘shell’ table. Due to
popular demand Nathaniel will continue the Friday night
drink-starter-and-meal specials through the Winter. Chef
currently hosts the monthly wine club, dazzling members
with his five-course tasting menu to compliment the wines.
A favourite of locals, Shells is a great place to warm up
next to a cosy fire while you enjoy some real fine dining.
Appreciate the collections of shells and portholes or play a
game of pool with drinks or while waiting for your meal!
Enshrined in Dining Tables
