Team effort in award win

Michael Kloeg of Clareville Bakery 2015 winner of a TripAdvisors certificate of excellence award. WAG 08Dec15 - BEST IN THE COUNTRY: Michael Kloeg's Clareville Bakery and Cafe is the best rural c

BEST IN THE COUNTRY: Michael Kloeg's Clareville Bakery and Cafe is the best rural cafe.

Baker Michael Kloeg might be in need of an award for surviving the barrage of ongoing awards for his Clareville Bakery and Cafe.

The bakery has been named the best rural cafe in New Zealand, alongside Red Shed Palazzo in Drury.

Kloeg's operation, plus the Village Grinder in Masterton, were among 78 finalists selected nationwide for the New Zealand Cafe of the Year awards.

Other categories were the New Zealand Cafe of the Year, won by Queenstown's Bespoke Kitchen, Best Suburban, Best Metro/CBD, Classic Kiwi and People's Choice.

Speaking to the Times-Age, Kloeg said he and his team were "extremely pleased" with the result.

"With the amount of entries, the other names, that really puts this win up there," he said.

He said the judging was done by a mystery shopper.

In his cafe's two-year operation, Kloeg has won awards at Visa Wellington on a Plate, earned a Certificate of Excellence from travel website TripAdvisor, claimed the Supreme Pie Award in 2014 and won a national gold for his Christmas mince pies.