Great food in the slow lane
Tissa Kamlade and Cherie Town know all about the image of the swan, gliding majestically across the water with no effort whatsoever, while beneath the water its feet are paddling madly.
That pretty much describes what goes on at their Little Kitchen cafe´ and bar at Mangonui, where every effort is made to ensure that every customer enjoys the best possible experience whilst indulging in Mangonui’s charming version of life in the slow lane.
Situated right on the waterfront, in what used to be the Village Post Office, the big attraction, apart from very friendly, professional staff and a menu that has something to tempt everyone, is the outdoor seating area, where patrons can relax and enjoy their food and coffee while admiring the view across the harbour, and watching life go by at the old whaling port’s less than frenetic pace.
Tissa and Cherie, who have been calling themselves locals for more than 20 years, bought the Little Kitchen licensed cafe´ and bar in March last year, and immediately began expanding the menu, not least for the benefit of those with special dietary requirements. Their fully-fledged vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options are now a major part of the business. And whether it’s salmon eggs benedict with homemade hollandaise sauce, a warm chicken salad, scotch fillet or something from the cabinet, the emphasis is very much on fresh, local and delicious.
Local flavour
From the start Tissa and Cherie were determined to embrace all things local, from stocking the kitchen larder all the way to Max coffee, from Kerikeri.
Like all businesses, and particularly those in the hospitality trade, the greatest asset though Tissa Kamlade putting the finishing touches to a serving of salmon eggs benedict.
is the staff.
“We’ve got a great team here, all locals, from front of house to the kitchen,” Cherie said.
“Our team expands over the No one enjoys a better view at Mangonui than Little Kitchen patrons.
summer, and it can be very busy here at times, but they always offer just the right balance of friendliness and efficiency. They always ensure our customers
have everything they need.”
The Little Kitchen was well supported by the local community, she added, and in return she and Tissa were proud
sponsors of local school activities, the local stock and saloon car club, and other local events.
They are also keenly aware of the very special environment that surrounds them, and have never taken it for granted. That includes using compostable take-away cups, straws and bags.
“We want this to be a business that tries to do its very best in every area,” Tissa said.
“At The Little Kitchen we now not only have good food and coffee, but we are doing our part to be good to the environment, especially in Mangonui, where we need to be conscious of where our waste ends up. We have to think about future generations. Our cafe´ is making changes in all the areas we have control over.”
And she hoped the commitment to operating a sustainable food business would inspire not only customers, but other enterprises in the village.
“I hope our choices educate others, especially in the food industry, because we go through a lot of packaging,” Tissa added.
“It’s totally worth it. For us its non-negotiable now; we are never going back to plastic.”