A new chapter in history

It sounds just like a pub joke – “An English optometrist and a Cantabrian project manager walk into a bar…” – but this is no joke, rather a poignant tale of two mates looking for a change in direction and new challenges.

It was during a road trip that good friends Cade Thornton and James Jenneson decided they needed a career change, and following extensive research and almost a year of due diligence they became the new owners of the iconic Cardrona Pub on Friday, 1 February 2013.

“When we started this journey, if someone told us we we’d be the owners of the most famous hotel in New Zealand, we’d have laughed heartily at the thought of it, but here we are”, says Cade.

“We feel pretty privileged to be at the helm of something so historic and we have every intention of building on what already exists rather than making dramatic changes.

“We may be new to the industry, but we’ve been working alongside the current team and researching wherever we can.  We also have the full support of our families and girlfriends as we both move to live in the pub over the first year – it’s a commitment that’s seen us both leave successful careers so we are determined to make it work!”

Expect no fly-by-nighters here – these two mates are prepared to invest in the area and have combined expertise that can only bring a positive approach to a well-established icon.

Notes to editors:

The Cardrona Hotel is one of New Zealand’s most iconic hotels and is synonymous with one of New Zealand’s largest selling beer brands - “Speights” - through a history of advertising campaigns in which the hotel features.  The hotel is located on the main tourist route between Wanaka and Queenstown and occupies a high profile position on the highway through Cardrona Township close to the main access to the Cardrona ski field, one of New Zealand’s premium recreational ski fields. Cardrona is a developing settlement with a number of privately owned properties together with the recent addition of tourist accommodation operations consisting of lodges and motel-type accommodation. The development of Cardrona continues to increase on an annual basis. The Cardrona Hotel occupies a total area of some 6229m2 occupied within four freehold titles. It comprises bars, a restaurant, 16 accommodation units of various configurations, and is becoming particularly well known for its function and wedding business. This is in addition to a significant tourist trade resulting from the high tourist traffic count, which passes the front door.