Chris Meehan: Ayrburn Owner on the success of the hospitality hub and the upcoming Ayrburn Classic

A boost for Central Otago business when the inaugural Ayrburn Classic rolls into Arrowtown this weekend. 

Hundreds of vintage and luxury cars will be on show at the 160-year-old farm, which has recently become a hospitality hub. 

The event's taken inspiration from overseas festivals like Pebble Beach in California. 

Ayrburn Owner Chris Meehan told Mike Hosking the land was a sheep paddock around a year ago. 

He says now there are 10 restaurants and bars, a winery – and they're doing about 40-thousand meals per month. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Big weekend in Central O Tigo, the inaugural Airburn Classic.
This is a narrow town. Hundreds of vintage and luxury
cars are going to be on show. Now the wind
and Bossa and the Airburn owner is Chris me and
who's with us? Chris morning, I tell you, I'm very well. Indeed,
it feels to me like a touch of the Pebble Beaches.
Has it got that sort of vibe about it?

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Yeah, I'd say more Goodwood than Pebble Beach. Pebble Beach
is a bit of gold buttons and cravats, but and
I think Goodwood's a bit more fun. So I certainly
sort of heading more towards the Goodwood style of event.
But it'll be a great thing for Chris own and
a great thing can give you on well.

Speaker 1 (00:31):
I was going to say, is this about Airburn, which
of people don't know as a facility in its own right?
Is it about Airburn or the regional both?

Speaker 2 (00:40):
I think it's both mark and mean if you put
it in context. In a year and a half ago,
was a was a sheep addict that no one came to.
And now we've got ten restaurants and bars and a
fantastic winery and we're doing about forty thousand meals a month,
so it's a it's a big step up from being
a place that no one visited, and we just want
fun events like this to incurge people to just have

(01:00):
a great.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
Weekend and the tourism. Are you seeing that in the
region itself doesn't need more events? I thought the place
was pa.

Speaker 2 (01:08):
No, I think you've got you know, there's almost to
have be a reason for people to come down here.
I think we're providing a good reason and I think
in time we will be an event, you know, of
a caliber of the Marasson or the usualand to up
and go, and we'll get a lot of visitation from
overseas as well.

Speaker 1 (01:22):
Good how many cars you got and what are they
tempt me? Are they all on you?

Speaker 2 (01:27):
So if you had asked me a week, yea, we've
got about two hundred on display. But I think that's climbing,
probably closer to fifty. Now we've got everything from you know, Lamborghini's, Spaghetti's,
lots of Ferraris, Esther Martin Montroye, McClaren, loggers.

Speaker 1 (01:43):
It's amazing, isn't it? Because I don't know if you're
a car guy. But New Zealand has per head of population,
more cars than anyone else in the world apart from America.
And you hit the highway on any given Sunday and
the number of fantastic cars in people's garages or collections
is incredible.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
It's been extraordinary. All the cars have just come up
with woodwork, particularly in the south Land. A lot of
them have stepped away and balanced and verizers and people
have had them for years and that they're itching for
a chance to hit them on display.

Speaker 1 (02:10):
Yeah, well you have a good time with them, appreciate
your time. Chris Maham, who's the Winter and CEO and
the Airburn owner. For more from the my Casking Breakfast,
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