Our December get-together with our Super Leisure Group friends was Robin’s to organise. With being away for the previous three weeks, he hastily made a booking for lunch, choosing to dine at Paraparaumu. About halfway for us all, we drove down from Levin, and the others drove up from the Hutt Valley.
Although Paraparumu is about 45km from home, we left bright and early, allowing extra time for heavy pre-Christmas traffic and the never ending road works. And wouldn't you know, we were so early we decided to venture into the Mall to fill in some time. Malls are not our favourite place to be, but this one has a real attraction, Butlers Chocolate Café. What would be nicer while we wait than a cup of Hot Chocolate, served with a complimentary chocolate of our choice. Butlers Chocolates began life in Dublin's Lad Lane in 1932. The company was founded by a pioneering woman called Marion Butler who named her luxury chocolate creations Chez Nous Chocolates. Marion established the company in the heart of fashionable Georgian Dublin, making her delicious confections by hand.
Butlers Café
As we enjoyed our morning indulgence, we watched as a steady stream of people came and went from this establishment. Butlers really is a popular café, and the locals at the table next to us confided that they like to support local business and come each week for their chocolate fix!
Time for a hot chocolate
With lunch time approaching, we made our way to Breakers Restaurant to meet our friends. We reminisced how we had dined here for Christmas Lunch with friends Graeme and Katherine some years ago when the restaurant was a Cobb and Co. But now it is part of the Breakers chain, decorated with a sun shine and surfing theme.
Breakers, Paraparaumu
It was nice to welcome everyone again, catch up on news, and begin the task of “what to have for lunch”. Orders ranged from fish, pork belly, hamburgers and steak.
Lunch at Breakers
The meals were very nice, and several decided they still had room a little room for dessert. Just look what Ashley ordered, a “Double Donut Sundae” – we were all interested to see what it actually was! Ashley was not deterred at all by this large dessert, and he ate every bite.
Ashley’s Double Donut Sundae
After our leisurely lunch, and tea/coffee we wished each other well for the Christmas break and headed on our way back home. So nice to catch up with our SLG friends again.
1 comment:
You certainly have been the social butterflies of late. Your day out sounds like great fun, if a little decadent.
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