The University of Canterbury Club

20/10/2026

🌸☀️ LABOUR WEEKEND OPEN DAY – THIS SATURDAY! ☀️🌸

The countdown is on! This Saturday, 24 October, we're throwing open the doors of the beautiful Ilam Homestead, and the gardens are looking absolutely magnificent!

With sunshine forecast, it's shaping up to be a wonderful afternoon to enjoy the historic Homestead, admire our spectacular rhododendrons in full bloom, and relax in the gardens with friends and family.

And we've got plenty of delicious reasons to visit!

🚚 FOOD TRUCKS – Serving up tasty treats throughout the afternoon.

🌭 SAUSAGE SIZZLE – Nothing says a Kiwi spring afternoon quite like a good old-fashioned sausage sizzle!

🧺 HOMESTEAD HAMPERS – $16 – Our individual picnic hampers feature aged cheddar, creamy Camembert, Verkerks salami, sausage, artisan crackers, fresh grapes and a sweet treat. Perfect for enjoying on the lawn with a glass of w**e!

Add Farmhouse Chicken Liver Pâté for just $5 extra.

🍺 BAR OPEN – Enjoy a refreshing craft b**r, w**e, cocktail or something non-alcoholic while soaking up the spring atmosphere.

🌺 HISTORIC GARDENS – Wander through the grounds and admire the magnificent heritage rhododendrons at their springtime best.

📅 Saturday 24 October 2026
🕛 12pm–5pm
📍 Ilam Homestead, University of Canterbury

EVERYONE IS WELCOME – NO MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED!

Bring the family, invite your friends, come hungry and enjoy a relaxing afternoon at one of Christchurch's hidden gems.

🌸 We look forward to welcoming you to the Homestead! 🌸

07/10/2026

It’s a tough job….but the b**r list for South Island B**r Festival #27 on Saturday 21 November is coming together!!

We are all sold out for November but our 13 February 2027 event is on sale now! https://sibf.flicket.co.nz/events/dffe2140-0f12-4895-8007-ba9fa972d64e?tc=sibf-website

**rfestival **r **rlist

01/10/2026

Yes we have chicken... Friday night dinner is sorted.

Join us at Ilam Homestead this Friday, 2 October, when Empire Chicken will be joining us from 4pm–7pm, serving up their seriously good fried chicken.

Come down after work, grab a drink from the bar and kick off the weekend with some delicious food and a relaxed Friday evening at the Homestead.

🍗 Empire Chicken @ Ilam Homestead
📅 Friday 2 October 2026
⏰ 4pm–7pm
🍺 Bar open as usual

Bring your friends, bring your appetite, and leave the Friday-night cooking to Empire Chicken!

You can check out Empire Chicken and their menu at Empire Chicken.

We look forward to seeing you on Friday!

24/09/2026

Forget cooking tonight — Bacon Bros are coming to the Club! 🍔🍗🍟

Join us tonight, 25 September, when the Bacon Bros food truck will be parked outside Ilam Homestead from 4pm–7pm, serving up some serious Friday-night comfort food.

Expect their delicious Smash Burgers, legendary Fried Chicken and homemade fries — perfect alongside a cold pint or your favourite drink from the bar.

Friday 25 September | 4pm–7pm
Bacon Bros Food Truck @ Ilam Homestead

Grab your friends, head down to the Club, order something delicious and settle in for a relaxed Friday evening.

Come hungry — we’ll provide the drinks, Bacon Bros will take care of dinner!

See you tonight!

18/09/2026

Congratulations to the four lucky winners of our Kate Sheppard Camellias, drawn this afternoon at Ilam Homestead!

We held the giveaway to mark Women’s Suffrage Day – 19 September, commemorating the day in 1893 when New Zealand became the first self-governing country in the world to grant women the right to vote in parliamentary elections.

The white camellia has a special connection to the suffrage movement, having been worn by supporters of women’s suffrage. It was wonderful to celebrate that history by sending four beautiful Kate Sheppard Camellias home with our winners. 🌿🌸

A big thank you to everyone who joined us over the past couple of weeks, bought a drink, collected a ticket and took part.

Congratulations to our four winners — we hope your camellias flourish for many years to come! 🌸 Woodend Nursery

17/09/2026

There are still a few tickets available for our FINAL B**r Tasting of 2026, and we’d love you to join us for one last tasting evening at the Ilam Homestead!

On Tuesday 22 September, from 6:00pm – 7:30pm, we’ll be welcoming Brew Moon Brewing Company from Amberley for a guided tasting of eight fantastic North Canterbury b**rs.

🍺 B**rs on the Night
Sour Face Feijoa Sour – 4%
Neon Rooster APA – 5.5%
Tiger’s Nest West Coast IPA – 6.3%
Leithfield L***r – 4%
Czech Please Pilsner – 5%
Wolf of Washington APA – 5.8%
Dark Side of the Moon Stout – 6%
Waipara New England IPA – 5.8%

Your ticket includes the guided tasting of all eight b**rs and a light supper. Once the tasting finishes at approximately 7:30pm, we’ll keep the bar open, so there’s no need to rush away — grab another drink, find a spot by the fire and enjoy the rest of the evening.

Tuesday 22 September 2026
6:00pm – 7:30pm
Ilam Homestead

Members – $25
Non-Members – $30

This is our last b**r tasting of the year, so if you’ve been meaning to come along to one of our tasting evenings, this is your final chance for 2026!

Tickets are still available, but numbers are limited — book your place before they're gone.

Get your tickets from the website https://www.ucc.org.nz/events/winter-b**r-tasting-brew-moon-tuesday-22-september-2026

Great b**r, a light supper, good company and a warm fire — a pretty good way to farewell our Winter Tasting Series.

We hope to see you there!

15/09/2026

13/09/2026

Pizza Friday was so nice that we are doing it twice! Rolling Dough will be back this Friday from 4:30pm serving up their authentic Neopolitan Pizzas to you! Thanks for the support last Friday 🍕🍕🍕

11/09/2026

New one tonight. Ilam Homestead Club, 4.30 to 7.30, first time we've ever set up here. If you're a member, come find out what all the fuss in the What's On email was about.