Sponsored: Fat Tony’s new family creates fresh traditions for all generations

When guests walk through the doors of Fat Tony’s, they may notice a striking resemblance in the smiling faces welcoming them. That’s because the Grovetown eatery is a family place in many interrelated ways.

Evan Tuchinsky

Since late autumn, Ian and Angela Gardner own and run Fat Tony’s. Their three children play big parts as well.

“We’re a family business,” Angela says proudly, with Ian nodding in agreement. “We’re family-operated; we’re here 90 percent of the time.”

Daughter Alizae, who is 16, is starting an apprenticeship there to hone her “front of house” skills. On weekends and school holidays, elder son Trysten, 14, “floats” among jobs in the kitchen – “He has a passion for cooking,” his parents say – and younger son Quade, 11, helps with serving and dishes.

The Gardners have retained and revived popular items from the menu they inherited while also adding new offerings. Long-time patrons still can find the Lamb’s Fry & Bacon; back again is the Chicken Parmigiana. Meanwhile, Angela and Ian expanded the breakfast choices and vegetarian options.

Some of the snacks and meals they roll out, such as burgers, come from their food trailer, Twysted Taste-Budz, which now is parked at home while they focus solely on Fat Tony’s. For both, Angela’s years of experience as a chef informs their innovations.

“It’s recipes that I’ve learned over time, and Ian and I have tweaked them to our taste,” Angela explains. “Or we’ll come up with recipes for ourselves and change them around until it’s exactly how we want it to be.”

They have taste testers at the ready – especially Quade. Angela says the youngest Gardner “is a big food critic; he’ll tell us what he thinks as soon as he tries it.”

An updated all-day menu dropped just last month.

Seniors Menu

Catering to a loyal contingent of Fat Tony’s clientele, Ian and Angela created another menu just for seniors. All of the six choices have reduced prices under $20 and smaller portions for lighter appetites.

The Seniors Menu is available Tuesday through Friday. Those are the “quieter days,” Ian notes, and the special menu “encourages them to come out a little bit more. The response has been good from senior people.”

Angela adds, “It’s actually brought out a lot more than we thought! We give them a comfortable space to come out and enjoy lunch, and they don’t have to fight for car parking like they do in town.”

The establishment at 5 Mills and Ford Road East, just outside of Blenheim, attracts travelers to and from Picton along Highway 1. The prominent sign makes it easy to locate Fat Tony’s from either direction.

Many patrons set out to Fat Tony’s as their destination spot. Beside the restaurant sits another Grovetown draw, Marlborough Four Paws Op Shop, whose proceeds support animal welfare.

From wherever patrons hail, they find food and drinks they savour in a warm, relaxed setting.

“We are family-orientated,” Ian says. “I don’t think you find many places these days that are family-owned and family-orientated. We welcome people’s animals here, their dogs, and we want to see a lot more kids in here.”

The family orientation extends to shelves by the entrance that feature handmade gifts for sale created by Angela’s mum in Australia.

New Management

Fat Tony’s has been around for around two years. Over the decades, the location has housed a grocer, a beauty shop, cafes and a bakery.

“It’s been all sorts of things,” recalls Angela, who was born and raised in Blenheim. Ian is originally from Christchurch.

Angela came to work at Fat Tony’s for the previous owners. When “the opportunity came about” for the Gardners to “take over,” they thought about it and agreed.

“We always talked about getting our own place,” Angela says. Ian describes it as “a stepping stone” from the food trailer; “we wanted an exit away from that, Ange has been in bread-and-butter hospitality for years, so it was a good way to progress, with something so good as this.”

The Gardners put their attention to food first. Soon, they plan to “put our own touches” on the décor to accentuate the atmosphere they’re nurturing.

“Being a young family with kids, we enjoy going out with friends to catch up and have a drink or two and a bite to eat and feel comfortable,” they say. “We plan to create that same space for other families and friends to enjoy and relax with our indoor and outdoor areas.”

Fat Tony’s
Open: 9am to 3pm Tues-Thurs
   9am to 8:30pm Fri-Sat
   8:30am to 7:30pm Sun

For more information: p. 022 131 6176 e. [email protected] www.fattonys.org