Sun and Splendour at WBC (Wholesale Boot Company) Wellington

You could not find a more glorious city centre location than that of WBC in Wellington. We are sat at the iconic corner table. The sun streams through the waist to ceiling palatial windows and we are bathed in glorious light with a surprisingly lovely coolness and clarity. From our first-floor window the traffic weaves its way below us, through the jaunty intersection of Victoria Street and Manners Street. The buildings are suitably dense, filled with independent retailers and offices. One has a wonderful metropolitan-oasis feeling. The bustling city right in front of our eyes, but cool serenity within.

The enigmatic Owner-Chef, Clay Toomer, comes to join us. He has not one, not two, not three, but four types of oysters. I ask for creamy and salty, Clay recommends the Te Kouma and Orongo Bay Oysters. We decide to accompany them with a young aromatic and textural pinot blanc… And so we begin our Dejeuner in the Wonderful Wellington Wholesale Boot Company (WBC). The building itself was – as the name suggests – a boot factory in the art deco era. The space lends itself perfectly to Clay’s concept of a bistro and oyster bar. Clay tells us that it has been eleven years now, establishing WBC in 2013. I tell Clay that in Indian culture, eleven is a very auspicious number.

Conversation flows easily. We decide to mix it up and share plates of Lamb T-bone steaks and duck leg massaman – Glorious. It doesn’t take long for us to start waxing lyrical about Great Burgundy. Laughter and smiles ensue. I am with the Dhall and Nash gang from the Wellington office. The food, wine and ambience are so good that we splash out a little. As I pay the bill I see I’ve popped over budget slightly. Clay laughs. “You’ve been WBC’ed” he booms. Indeed we had. Happy eleven years to WBC. Here’s to another eleven years and more of being happily “WBC’ed”

WBC WEBSITE – https://www.wbcrestaurant.co.nz/