His Excellency President Epeli Nailatikau (right) unveils the plaque at the newly opened Denarau Yacht Club at Port Marina while the owners Mike Dennis (left) and Nigel Skeggs (centre) look on. Photo: MARGARET NAQIRI.
On Saturday the 16th of May 2015 the new Denarau Yacht Club and The Rhum-Ba were officially opened by His Excellency the President of Fiji, Sir Ratu Epeli Nailatikau. Officiating the proceedings in front of a packed house of government officials and distinguished guests, His Excellency commended the owners, Mr Mike Dennis and Mr Nigel Skeggs for their commitment to Fiji and the outstanding building that was a result of a lot of hard work and collaboration by various parties.
The Rhum-Ba and Denarau Yacht Club will be the premier Restaurant, Bar and social club not only in the Western Division of Fiji but in Fiji as a whole.
The need and desire for the Yacht Club has been present since the inception of the working marina, and has been a topic of discussion for locals for several years. With the growing number of residents, visiting yachts and tourists to the area The Rhum-Ba and Yacht Club will be poised to cater for this growing market.
The Rhum-Ba and Denarau Yacht Club has been designed and built to cater for locals and yachties with the expectation that this will create a great atmosphere to attract the general tourist market.
Designed and built by Kyronn (Fiji) Limited with interior design by Furnz in New Zealand the end result is a spectacular building lifting the profile of Port Denarau Marina which only last week won the Marina Industries Association, “International Marina of the Year” award for 2015/16.
The Rhum-Ba menu philosophy is based on using fresh quality ingredients prepared in a simple yet delicious manner. The kitchen under the guidance of Executive Chef, Mr Henry Selman, is committed to using local farm fresh flavours and ingredients throughout the menu with the goal of keeping imported products to a minimum.
The newly opened Rhum-Ba at the Denarau Yacht Club. Photo: MARGARET NAQIRI.
The Rhum Ba Kitchen will be open from 11am – 10pm, seven days a week, serving late breakfast, lunch and dinner. Ala cart lunch service will be between 11am- 3pm, Ala cart Dinner service will be from 5:30pm – 10pm. Pizzas and Bar Snack menu options will be available from 12pm-10pm.
The Lunch and dinner menu options will offer “premium” dishes. The pizza and snack options will allow customers to eat during any time they arrive.
In addition to a delicious food menu, The Rhum-Ba will feature a fine selection of wines and cocktails, and as a world first will be the only bar outside of New Zealand to have Lion Breweries premium beer, Steinlager Pure on tap. In addition through this partnership Speights’ Cider is also available on tap. This is another Fiji first.
“We are very excited about our relationship with Lion and look forward to launching more new products for Fiji over the coming year” says Mr Michael Dennis.
As the name implies, The Rhum-Ba will be renowned for its large selection of rums (rhum) from around the world. Currently there are 100 rums on offer with this set to grow over time.
“Rum is an incredibly diverse spirit with a colourful and important maritime history. Our intention is not just to stock Rum but also to inspire our customers to explore the different varieties and gain more knowledge of rum. We intend to hold rum appreciation courses and rum also features heavily in our cooking which adds a fun and unique element to our cuisine” says Nigel Skeggs.
The venue is ideal to be used for large groups such as weddings, meetings, incentives, conferences and events. Without being attached to a hotel this venue offers customers a more flexible and diverse location with unrivalled views over Port Denarau Marinas Super Yacht Jetty with the Sleeping Giant in the background.
Taking it to the next level The Rhum-Ba have also released their own range of swimwear and merchandise designed by renowned Fiji fashion and fabric artist, Ms Sonam Sapra.
The overall design and build concept is the result of a partnership with the Primary Shareholders and Directors Nigel Skeggs and Michael Dennis, each person having suitable and relevant experience in the industry and business locally.
Additional consultation with experts in their respective fields have resulted in a well planned Bar Restaurant and Club that will meet the needs of the market with high quality products and service through the use of sound business practices, technology and modern design.
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