The Figgery Cafe chefs Caleb Clare and Reina Chanel, and baker Matt Neale, Photo / Paul Taylor
It’s all go at the Figgery Cafe & Shop in the lead-up to Christmas, with its exclusive gift packs “flying out the door”.
Last year, owners Murray Douglas and Helen Walker thought it would be a good idea to make gift packs with their products.
“It was an experiment really,” Murray said.
“We thought we might sell 100 if we were lucky. We sold 700. So this year we are a bit more organised.”
He said it had been a tough year for everyone in hospitality.
“Tourism Hawke’s Bay is doing a fabulous job but we still have to be innovative. We are always thinking about new ideas, testing and tasting,” he said.
“We have an absolutely wonderful team. Some of them have been with us four or five years. Unfortunately, we lost our baker who moved to Auckland for personal reasons. We were devastated.
“However, now we have Matt Neale who has reshaped and altered our menu. He recently decided to put a meringue on top of our lemon tart and one customer said it was like eating a cloud.”
Murray said their gluten-free steak and cheese pie had been a huge hit.
“It’s hard to get gluten-free flaky pastry right, but he’s done it.”
All the food at the Figgery Cafe is gluten free, but if you didn’t know you wouldn’t know.
They also have a new chef, Caleb Clare, who has worked in several places in both Hawke’s Bay and New Zealand.
“Caleb takes one day a week to think. He designs, tests and comes up with new ideas.
“We have a tasting panel that we turn over every six months, but according to the staff I have an 80 per cent normal palate — which means if I like it most other people will.”
He said they were grateful for the continued support of the community.
“We pinch ourselves sometimes.”
Murray said this year’s crop was looking “brilliant”.
“It’s looking promising for fresh figs for Christmas or New Year. The main crop will start to be harvested on February 3. The quality looks brilliant. We have had perfect fig-growing weather.”
He has some plans for “a few things in the figgery” plus, because their pie had been such a hit with people buying them to take home for dinner, “it triggered in the back of my head an idea about developing ready-to eat meals including our new fig and apple pie”.
“I would like to wish our customers and all the community a merry Christmas. Thank you for being so supportive.”
The Figgery Cafe & Shop is open every day except public holidays.
If you are after one of the Christmas gift packs — best to get in now.
The 36-year-old died on December 19.