The Helm Bar & Kitchen
What makes your venue the Best Gastropub in New Zealand?
The Helm is known for its amazing food, great atmosphere and top-notch service. We offer a wide range of beer, wine, cocktails and non-alcoholics, so we have something for everyone. Our menu is diverse and features delicious dishes created by a young, enthusiastic and passionate kitchen team. From mouthwatering burgers to seafood, there is a dish to satisfy every craving. The Helm also has a warm and welcoming ambience, making it the perfect place to meet with friends and family or for a work get-together.
We believe our staff are friendly and attentive, ensuring that the customer has a memorable experience. Our core purpose is to be 'everybody's local' which is created through everything I have mentioned above. I have personally been at The Helm for eight years, so you could say I am a little biased, but through this time, I have had customers become regular and then friends. I think we really create an atmosphere which is the answer when someone asks 'where should we go for a drink?'. If you are searching for the Best Gastropub in NZ, you need to check out The Helm.
Describe the experience your customers have at your establishment – what is your food and beverage offering and why do people come back for more?
When speaking with customers at the end of their experience, a comment that is given quite often is, 'great food and great service'. After doing some research about the customers experience, another comment was 'a testament to gastronomic excellence and hospitality'. We offer something for everyone at The Helm. An extensive snack list which runs all day from 11am-late, a chunky lunch menu with classics that haven't changed in the 14 years The Helm has been open (Chower and Gourmet Pie), and a diverse dinner menu with offerings from all proteins as well as pastas, seafood and something lighter if you aren't too hungry. Our menu caters to all dietary requirements and preferences including dairy free, gluten free and vegan and our team are extremely accommodating when a customer would like to make a change on a meal.
We have 11 beers/cider on tap ranging from your lagers, ales and craft. We have low carb options, cider and an alcoholic ginger beer. We like to keep up with trends but also try something different which is why we have a rotating tap which changes every now and then. Our fridge serves 0% options, stouts and low alcohol options. Our wines range from all over offering low alcohol options for those that prefer it.
We also have a large list of cocktails with the knowledge behind our bar to create something for you if nothing jumps out at you. Our team enjoy being creative and enjoy providing that service in the hope that the customer will come back. We love to offer mocktail options too as well as your standard juices and fizzy.
Tell us how you showcase NZ produce / offerings? Does your menu change with the season and how is it locally influenced. How do you accommodate allergy and dietary requirements?
Our menu changes with the season and also the creativeness of our kitchen team. We create what we can in house to ensure the quality is to our high standard. Our head chef has created an allergy sheet so both our front of house and kitchen team are able to assist customers that may have an allergy of how we can change their meal to accommodate.
What are your key points of difference and how have you managed to deliver them?
I think our biggest point of difference was establishing our core purpose and explaining to our team how to deliver that and what that looks like. Our managers have had leadership training to ensure that we drive and motivate and be a part of the crew.
Each of our team know the core purpose and they know what they need to do to execute that. If you come in any afternoon there is no doubt that there will be customers there who we know their name and what they like to drink.
We also offer live music Fridays - Sundays and have people come down just for that but end up staying on later because of the service we like to provide.
The Helm also likes to be doing their part for the community through team sponsorship, donating vouchers for school raffles or our charity golf day that we host every year and spread the love through different local charities in the Waikato.
The community in the Waikato know of The Helm and what we provide and it is through the consistency of our team.
Tell us about your commitments to Customer Service and Host Responsibility
As mentioned, we pride ourselves on service. Each of our team members start with a weeks training with a manager 1 on 1 where they learn our order of service, meet our regulars but also witness how to make sure a customer has the best experience.
We are continuously working alongside them, providing trainings and encouraging them to enjoy their role at The Helm. Under our core purpose are our core values which include, 'Be the Best, Teamwork makes the Dreamwork, Game Face, Communication is Key and No Bullshit Policy'. Our team a constantly talking and nominating one another when they see a team mate display a core value.
Our team all know our host responsibility and the importance of serving in a safe environment. All tables are provided with water, we communicate with our customers about getting them home safely and our team are trained about slowing down and cutting service, non alcoholic options, transport, our late night menu and monitoring those in the venue.
Best Known for:
Everybody’s local
Classic menu, parts unchanged for 14 years
Live music
Community donations
Locally sourced ingredients
Please describe your commitment to sustainability
We prioritize using locally sourced ingredients or making what we can in house. We focus on minimizing wastage by utilizing every part of the ingredients that we use whether that is through creating menu specials or using one ingredient in multiple dishes.
Please describe how you create ambience.
We have a playlist that is perfect background music while you are enjoying something to eat or a cold beverage. The music is never too loud, the lights are always just right and our garden bar is the perfect area to relax under the fairy lights. Our live musicians that play are carefully handpicked to suit the style of our venue and ensure that our customers enjoy it.
