Cafe with hint of strawberry
Ruakura Berry Farm is moving into the hospitality business with The Camarosa, a new cafe, bar and restaurant soon to open in east Hamilton.
Director Kamal Dhillon said the 4 hectare block on Ruakura Rd was purchased five years ago.
‘‘It was very run-down and we’ve put a lot of work into it. We’ve been operating as Ruakura Berry Shop for the past two seasons where the public can pick berries on-site, and we make our own fruit icecream.
‘‘The Ruakura Berry Shop has become a popular destination in sum- mer. We see the development as a great opportunity, not only to provide for the local market but also to create a tourist attraction – something similar to the (tourist attraction) Zealong Tea near Gordonton on the outskirts of Hamilton.’’
Camerosa is the name of a popular early season strawberry plant variety grown on the block.
‘‘We have about 3ha in growing area in which we plan to provide an inter-active learning experience to tourists, locals and school groups,’’ Dhillon said.
The Camarosa has a floor area of about 500sqm and will cost just over $3.5 million to build.
‘‘I’ve always envisioned a modern cafe, bar and restaurant well positioned to Hamilton with good parking and a full-sized commercial kitchen allowing us to provide breakfast, lunches and dinner.’’
Located on the corner of Ruakura and Davison roads, The Camarosa is next to Tainui’s huge inland port, which is under construction, and occupies a busy area on a Waikato Expressway feeder route.
‘‘We expect a lot of people will make use of the ease of access and come in for their morning coffee. We want to provide a peaceful area for people to relax and indulge in the delicious food that we will have on offer,’’ Dhillon said.
The menu will include classics ‘‘that everyone loves’’ such as eggs benedict and fried chicken, but also cater for healthier meals and offer a
wide variety of vegetarian dishes.
‘‘There will also be a big playground to keep the kids happy,’’ Dhillon said. Local brewers Good George will supply the beer and plans to create a unique berry cider exclusive to Camarosa.
Construction of The Camarosa on Ruakura Rd began in June. Taurangabased Form Construction is the lead contractor and completion date is around December 15.
‘‘It was very run-down and we’ve put a lot of work into it.’’ Ruakura Berry Farm director Kamal Dhillon