Trail 6

NORTH TARANAKI

[View Trail Photos Here]

Hop on a minivan and visit...

Natural Fare

A staple brand in most supermarkets around the North Island, Russell grows Natural Fare Herbs in 11,000 square meters of glasshouses in New Plymouth.  From the roadside, you would never know there was such an operation, but once you step inside the huge glasshouses, the sight and smell are just glorious!  Russell has been doing this for 43 years, so he knows a thing or two!  They grow 28 different types of herbs, 7 different salad greens and 6 types of lettuce.  In the morning, their staff cut for the local cafés, restaurants and supermarkets and in the afternoon they focus on orders going out around the North Island, sometimes packing up to 200 different combinations of greens and herbs!  Russell says his favourite herb in Marjoram for its smell.   It’s the perfect place to be on a cold winters day - warm and aromatic.

IncaFé Coffee

Award winning coffee and a sustainable focused business, IncaFé Coffee is roasted in New Zealand’s first Toitū carboNZero certified roastery in New Plymouth and packaged in compostable bags.  IncaFé Organic Coffee is the ultimate blend of quality and sustainability with co-founders Carmen and Joop also putting great emphasis on fairtrade and supply chain transparency.   They source their beans directly from remote plantations in South America and Indonesia and pay above market rates for quality.  When travel allows, it is important to them to visit their plantations and keep a close relationship with their growers.  They will tell you a good few stories about their visits and 'adventures'(!) while travelling and you'll get a great insight into how their core values and dedication to 'doing things the right way' has lead to this local business  competing in the global coffee market and becoming a leading supplier of quality coffee to cafés around New Zealand.  This certainly is an inspiring and uplifting story.  They will of course also provide you all with a delicious coffee to sip on, before taking a tour around their roastery.

Treasured Morning

When granola guru Liz O'Callaghan, decided to move her business from Auckland, she knew Taranaki was the perfect place to dive deeper into growing her superfood business, Treasured Morning.  Originally branded High Protein Breakfast, her granola-style breakfast provides a tasty, crunchy blend of superfoods to fuel a healthier, happier, more energetic you.  There are three different flavours to enjoy; Apple Crumble (plant- based), Peach & Nectarine, and Berry (include honey).  Whether you mix Treasured Morning with yoghurt, sprinkle it over fruit or use it in your cooking, you're sure to find a favourite way to add this delicious, filling food to your brekkie routine!  Liz will provide a generous taste of each product while talking to you about how she carefully selected all the superfoods to ensure that her customers have the best start to their morning or a boost of additional nutrients at any time of the day!

South Seas Icecream

The journey of the South Seas Ice Cream Company was born from the chance encounter of Sean and his Italian wife, Paola, in a London bar.  Their beautiful love story unfolded, guiding them to move to Italy.  It was there that Sean's love for Italian gelato ignited. This passion led him to get a qualification as a gelato maker through the renowned Carpigiani Gelato University.  However, life's trajectory led Sean down a different path, as it often can, keeping him in his career as an engineer for many years.  It wasn't until after a life-changing move to the paradise shores of New Zealand that Sean decided to embark on a new adventure.  This remarkable odyssey would finally allow him to live out his long-time dream of crafting gelato and creating the South Seas Ice Cream Company. ​Sean's passion and mastery for crafting gelato and sorbets has resulted in a range of superb flavours using local ingredients wherever possible.  A surprise favourite would have to be the lavendar gelato!

Lunch - Nice Hotel 

A boutique hotel and restaurant offering sophisticated comfort and award-winning dining in the heart of New Plymouth. Here you can trust the Chef to surprise you with a signature dish using some of Taranaki’s famed produce to titillate your taste buds.