A great range of flooring options in what was previously Tony Sly’s pottery studio.
A vibrant atmosphere and hot food on a chilly winter’s day at The Shack in Raglan. Note the surfboard on the wall – Raglan is famous for its long peeling left hand break at nearby Manu Bay – said to offer one of the longest rides in the world.
The iconic Raglan pub – memories of sitting with a cold drink among a friendly crowd on a hot summer’s day.
Helen Goldsworthy of Goldsworthy Financial Solutions and I needed little encouragement to give the little Corolla a burl out to Raglan yesterday. It was one of those clear and sunny Waikato days where the lure of the west coast becomes irresistible.
The prime purpose of the visit was to see the showroom of BNI member Andy Harlow of Raglan Flooring Xtra. He has converted the shop formerly owned by Raglan potter Tony Sly into a smart, compact and enticing flooring showroom. Andy’s proud history as a flooring expert includes being responsible for the flooring of London’s Tate Modern Gallery.
Corn fritters and bacon for Helen and roasted potatoes with poached egg, spinach and chorizo for me at The Shack were welcome warmers against a chilly breeze. The Shack is a vibrant venue for locals and visitors who throng Raglan cafés even in the winter.
Raglan shops have a funky charm. I resisted buying a present for Ana – a pink, white and grey knitted hat whose crown resembled a sheep. The brown, olive green and orange handmade leather boots would have been perfect for Rafa. They had to stay in the shop too. When I heard one of the Putumayo CDs “Jazz Around the World” all resolutions crumbled. The CD will provide just the right ambience when friends come by for dinner tonight.
Kiwi Communicator 
Will check up on the flooring shop next time we’re out there. The Shack is one of our very favourite places, but we can’t wean ourselves off their French toast yet. This has the usual French toast, is topped with bacon and lightly grilled banana, and has sides of red berries and marscapone flavoured with orange zest. I feel weak-kneed just describing this to you.
Scrumptious! If another excuse for a trip to Raglan is needed, this must be it!
And I was abandoned at home where I ate a banana and a honey sandwich. The persimmon for my dessert was great!
The quality of catering sure drops when the chef takes off to try out other people’s cooking!
You really don’t need to resist buying presents for me. Go ahead. I have great memories of our trip to Raglan when we had fish and chips on the pier.
Raglan is full of great presents for you, Ana. I would not have been able to get the car back over the divvie if I had bought all the goodies out there. Those were jolly good fish and chips, weren’t they! Kiwicommunicator will take another trip to Raglan to look at the beach, the coast and the fish and chip shop when the weather is warmer.
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