Cafe of the Year winner announced
NZ CAFÉ OF THE YEAR COMPETITION
Paper Moon is set for the stars
Auckland seaside café Paper Moon, Mairangi Bay has been crowned the top café in the country in the inaugural NZ Café of
the Year competition.
The Mairangi Bay eatery got a huge thumbs up from the public, receiving hundreds of votes in the nomination stage of the
competition.
Now the public’s high praise of Paper Moon, Mairangi Bay has received further endorsement from an expert team of judges
including hospitality industry guru Kerry Tyack and New Zealand’s first Master of Culinary Arts, Mark Gregory.
Paper Moon, Mairangi Bay takes out the overall prize in the event organised by The Restaurant Association of New Zealand
and is also the regional winner for the Upper North Island.
Other regional winners are:
• Central North Island - Bosco Café, Te Kuiti
• Lower North Island - Mcfarlanes Caffe, Inglewood, Taranaki
• Upper South Island - ARTISAN by Rangiora Bakery, Rangiora
• Lower South Island - The Roost Café, Oamaru
In its inaugural year, the NZ Café of the Year competition has been a hit. Around 400 cafés entered and more than 24,000
votes were lodged by the public, indicating our café culture is more vibrant than ever.
Paper Moon, Mairangi Bay claims the title of NZ Café of the Year 2012 and will feature on the popular primetime TV
segment Food in a Minute later this month showcasing its soon-to-be-famous Beans & Bacon dish.
Their signature dish pairs the great taste of Wattie’s Baked Beans with pan-fried chorizo and onion, delicately blended
with a smoked tomato relish, served on a perfectly toasted bagel, layered between slices of Kiwi Middle Bacon. It’s
topped off with a poached egg and drizzled with buttery hollandaise sauce.
The Food in a Minute episodes are being filmed at the café this week and screen on TV1 and TV2 from 26 November.
In addition, Paper Moon’s recipe is emailed to the Food in a Minute database of more than 100,000 fans and will feature on recipe cards in-store at supermarkets. It also appears on the Food in a Minute and Café of the Year websites and Facebook pages.
Chief judge Kerry Tyack said Paper Moon has a lively atmosphere, exceptional service and “a comprehensively
mouth-watering menu”. He said this package provided a memorable experience regardless of whether you are a regular from
the local community or a travelling guest.
The winning dish was “generous, innovative and down-right Kiwi. Definitely worth a visit just to try this dish.”
Last month, public voting determined the 15 regional finalists but the cafés were then put to the test by the experts,
judged on appearance, atmosphere, service, meals and overall experience.
Other winning cafes and their dishes are:
• Bosco Café, Te Kuiti - Bean To Bosco dish
Bosco’s hand made hash browns, stacked with Kiwi middle bacon, a dob of homemade aioli and served with poached eggs and
Boston beans on toasted Vogels.
• Mcfarlanes Caffe - Kiwi Pork and Beans
Wattie’s Baked Beans, removed from their traditional sauce and enveloped in the café’s own secret sauce then napped atop
a thick slice of locally made Vienna and dusted with chopped Kiwi streaky bacon.
• ARTISAN by Rangiora Bakery - Kiwiana Eggs Benedict
Bacon wrapped around beans on homemade potato hash, nestled on a bed of spinach then topped with a poached egg and
hollandaise sauce. Served with oven roasted tomatoes for breakfast and a side garnish of salad for lunch.
• The Roost Café - Kumara & Bean Patties with bacon skewers
A delightful twist on the kumara pattie with a tasty salsa and bacon accompaniment.
Westport swim instructor Toni Menzies was the winner of the $5000 prize that was up for grabs to members of the public
who voted in the competition.
For more information go to www.nzcafeoftheyear.co.nz