• Howick and Pakuranga Times

SUMMER FLAVOURS: Left, Smoked Chicken and Strawberry Salad; right, Salmon Nicoise Salad. Times photos.

Sweethearts at Berryfields has just become one of my favourite places in the world. Rurally located just five minutes from Christchurch Airport it is one of those venues every visitor to the region needs to know about.

And knowing we were booked for a flying visit to the South Island city, husband’s boss recommended it to us – praise be that he did because this angelic garden, where berries abound, is heaven.

The rustic café, winner of many awards, is set amongst wistful cottage gardens and berry bushes galore. These, I suspect lent a berry pink tinge to my glasses.

The interior is a far cry from urban contemporary and won’t suit minimalists amongst us but those into flowers, fairies and everything cottagey will love the decor.

And I’m sure few could resist the tree-shaded garden that whisks guests light years away from concrete cities. Here visitors can relax, dine, enjoy a wine and take home a bucket of berries too.

My better half and I were treating a young friend, who’s had a pretty rough health run of late, to lunch and we were blessed with the perfect day – hot, sunny, calm and not a tremor to be felt.

Thinking a Wednesday afternoon would be quiet, we hadn’t booked. Big mistake. We were lucky to get in and no pokey corner either. Tables were all well positioned and we were thrilled with our al fresco setting under a leafy tree.

But then, what to order? The menu, which wasn’t exactly cheap, proved to be worth every cent. Eventually, guest and I opted for the Smoked Chicken & Strawberry Salad (gluten-free) - $27.50. It comprised smoked chicken, rock melon, cucumber, strawberries, Brie, and avocado tossed in the most divine strawberry vinaigrette and served on filo with a mix of summer salad greens.

After much tooing and froing, hubby ordered Salmon Nicoise Salad (also gluten-free) - $28.50. The fat, moist, oven-baked Akaroa salmon fillet came on a classic Nicoise salad of green beans, baby potatoes, tomatoes, boiled egg, Kalamata olives, capers, and red onion. It was finished with a citrus vinaigrette that my man pronounced “Titillatingly tangy!”