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Elm Tree House

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There's no better place to enjoy your Christchurch bed breakfast holiday than the charming Elm Tree House in stylish Merivale. It is so named because of the large weeping elm set amongst its spacious grounds. This large family house was built in 1920 by the England Brothers who were known at the time for their unique architectural style, and was later owned by Canterbury's Member of Parliament from 1925 to 1930. Native timbers and lead light windows are used throughout both storeys of this early New Zealand colonial style home.

Elm Tree House bed breakfast is well situated 2km from the central city district, Hagley Park and the Christchurch Gardens. It is 15 minutes by mini shuttle from the airport and Trans Alpine Rail, and just 5 minutes walk to many fine restaurants, antique shops and a shopping mall in fashionable Merivale Village.

Owned and hosted by New Zealanders Karen and Allan Scott, who began their bed and breakfast careers on the edge of the Cotswolds in England, Karen is particularly proud of the fact that everything on the breakfast table is sourced locally from Canterbury's abundant 'larder' or is home made. The honey, which comes from Kaikoura on the East Coast of the South Island, is made and packaged especially for Elm Tree House and the chutneys and marmalades are sourced from suppliers in Christchurch.

Karen makes her own yoghurt, muffins, breads which are served with local cheeses such as Kapiti Kapimana, a semi-soft "Italico" style cheese with a sharp acidic flavour and light crumbly texture, and fresh fruit salad which, depending on the season, can include any combination of local fruits such as feijoa (a fruit with a thin green skin and a flavor reminiscent of strawberry, banana and pineapple), nashi (a cross between a pear and an apple), peaches, persimmon (a crisp, orange fruit with a 'melony' flavour) and kiwi fruit. Karen also picks her own berries to make jams for the breakfast table, such as boysenberry, blackberry and raspberry. The house specialty is warm cinnamon buns. The cinnamon buns are such a favourite with guests that Karen is regularly asked for the recipe which remains a family secret to be passed on through the generations. Another frequently requested dish is Karen's 'Freshly picked Otago apricots cooked in their skins and juices, served with home made, unsweetened, natural yoghurt'.

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