DISHING UP COMMUNITY SPIRiT
Generous portions and a generous spirit is what makes The Daily Café in Te Puke so special that it won a national award for New Zealand Café of the Year in 2018.
Yes, the food is divine and the décor is as Kiwi as it comes. But helping the community is what this place is all about. The Search Party Charitable Trust runs the café on a not-for-profit basis, and all income is invested back into helping local Te Puke residents and organisations.
The team behind this café believe Te Puke is the best little town around but that collectively, they can make it even better.
The Daily is often transformed into a communal kitchen to make cottage pies to give away as crisis meals, and free pizza nights are held to feed those in need. Youth support services and other projects to help individuals are also funded thanks to this superb little café on Commerce Lane.
Simply buying a coffee will guarantee you a feel-good, pay-it-forward moment thanks to The Daily’s partnership with organic and Fair Trade supplier Excelso and an organisation called Good Trust.
Not only does the coffee taste fantastic but 100% of the profits are used to build wells and provide fresh water for communities in Cambodia. Isn’t it amazing how your daily treat can make such a difference to someone else’s life!
All of that aside, the food alone is worth the trip to Te Puke. There are between three and six fresh wholesome meals to choose from each day that are reasonably priced and will fill the hungriest of tummies. Fresh vegetables and herbs are picked straight from the garden and a selection of cabinet food (both sweet and savoury) plus tasty salads will leave your mouth watering. They also cater for New Zealand’s obsession with pies so if you haven’t tasted one yet, this is the perfect opportunity!
The Daily values our environment so there’s always a strong focus on local produce and minimising waste. Large farm reels have been upcycled into tables and the use of wood, vintage armchairs and corrugated iron creates a distinctly Kiwi décor with a strong nod to sustainability.
Te Puke has incredibly fertile soil and is New Zealand’s premier region for growing kiwifruit as well as avocados. Nearby attractions include Kiwifruit Country (where you can tour through an idyllic working orchard), the Looking Glass Garden with its whimsical sculptures, the Papamoa Hills and the historic seaside settlement of Maketū. The Daily is a perfect place to dine on your way to or from these attractions so plug ‘3 Commerce Lane’ into Google Maps and visit today.
Café opening hours are: Monday to Friday from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm; Saturday 8:00 am to 2:00 pm, closed on Sundays. For more information, phone +64 7 282 8903 or visit www.thedailycafe.co.nz.