This is the place
Pāpāmoa’s renowned lakeside retirement village is about to go even further with their impressive offering.
Pāpāmoa’s renowned lakeside retirement village is about
to go even further with their impressive offering.
Words Monique Balvert-O’Connor | Photos Jahl Marshall + supplied
On the coastal stretch between Mount Maunganui and Pāpāmoa, you can feel the excitement building at Pacific Lakes Village, as the forward-thinking lifestyle village continues to expand. Designed to serve as a central hub, The Pavilion, currently under construction, is set to open in spring next year.
The design of this 2,500m2 community facility has been carefully considered. The teams at architectural practice Peddlethorp and interior designers Space Studio have come together on the project, resulting in a classic, sophisticated building that will stand the test of time.
Spearheaded by David Sweatman of Space Studio, the selected interior focus is on “natural materials, warmth, character and familiarity. The decor will be modern, with hints of mid-century”, David says.
Other design highlights will include the extensive use of timber as interior cladding, together with natural stone; parquet flooring, and the inclusion of extensive skylights to maximise natural light. Pacific Lakes purposely selected a main structural frame of LVL timber rather than steel to align with the village’s sustainability ethos. These components were all fabricated in Auckland and transported to the site for a seamless construction methodology.
Part of the Generus Living Collection, Pacific Lakes aims to offer a unique, modern and engaging community with facilities more like an upmarket resort. “Our intention has always been to offer our residents choice. That’s one of the great things about the village model, choice is possible, and we position ourselves to provide facilities, service and amenity at the highest level,” says Graham Wilkinson, the director of Generus Living. “Like the Lake House, which opened in 2022, The Pavilion is an integral part of that picture. Our model is firmly rooted in hospitality and The Pavilion will be a true reflection of that concept.”
With an estimated cost of over $40 million, it will be one of the largest and most comprehensive community facilities in any New Zealand retirement village. It will provide communal areas for a variety of activities and incorporates a stylish eatery, lounge bar, library, art studio, billiards room, beauty salon and a wellness suite for visiting consultations (for example, to cater for podiatry, acupuncture, physiotherapy, massage and village nurse health checks).
The Pavilion will also feature an impressive and spacious multi-purpose recreation space that has been designed with flexibility in mind. Operable dividing walls will enable smaller gathering spaces, yet, when used as one large area it will be perfect for large gatherings. A similar desire for flexibility is evident in the design of the restaurant area to cater as a daytime café as well as evening dining. Highlighting the village’s garden to table ethos, a chef’s garden with raised garden beds and a glasshouse will enable the restaurant to embrace a local and seasonal approach to sourcing ingredients.
In short, The Pavilion will be perfectly suited to hosting a wide range of events, private functions and resident activities and will truly enable the village community to come together.
Adding to its appeal is its location – on the lake’s edge opposite the popular smaller community facility, the Lake House. The two buildings complement each other beautifully. The Lake House includes sweeping decks and a barbecue area overlooking the lake, as well as the village’s Little Green café, a perfect place for socialising. Positioned alongside it is a full-size, green-weave bowling green.
Over the past year, the village has seen further development, the newest addition of pickleball courts (which also acts as a full-sized tennis court) is proving very popular. The on court pickleball action has included “try and learn” sessions that have progressed into games and then competition matches. It’s understood that pickleball courts are a first for
a New Zealand retirement village.
The Village Common, a serene area with bench seating amidst the greenery, has also been a wonderful addition to the village amenities. It features a winter garden glass atrium as well as a community garden with raised planting beds and a greenhouse.
“It’s there for residents to use at their leisure,” says Mark Vincent Pacific Lakes Village manager. “The idea is that it offers another spot to enjoy a cuppa with a neighbour or friend, host small gatherings or
a meeting, or simply to enjoy a moment of solitude.”
The burgeoning Bay of Plenty population is watching developments at the village with interest. With its park-like grounds, beautiful waterways and eco-friendly lifestyle, it’s proudly the first Generus Living village to take a comprehensive approach to sustainability in design.
All building materials throughout have been carefully considered, and environmentally preferred solutions have been front of mind throughout the village’s development. For example, solar energy is utilised at the Lake House, LED lighting has been selected for both street and internal lighting, there are EV charging stations, and Pacific Lakes has also used
every effort to adopt best practices and demonstrate good stewardship of the water resources from irrigation to stormwater management.
Pacific Lakes is also part of the Tauranga Council Resource Wise Business Programme – a programme supporting local businesses to reduce the amount of waste they send to landfills. The Village has achieved remarkable Green status with over 98 percent of operational waste being diverted from landfills.
These are only a few examples of an impressive list as the village is steeped in sustainable ways of living with a strong support from the residents. “Resident surveys have illustrated that a sustainable lifestyle is either important or very important to over 94 percent of village residents and over half of the respondents said that the village's approach to sustainability contributed to their decision to purchase at the village,” says Graham.
Pacific Lakes is a growing community. There are currently 190 residences, catering for just under 300 people, and when completed, the village will comprise 250 homes. Villas and terrace houses are selling now. “We are delighted but not surprised by the positive feedback being received as the village continues to grow from both happy residents and
from those hoping to make it home, says Mark. The village is already in high demand, and the addition of The Pavilion will only increase its desirability.”
Cool, calm and collected
With its artfully designed space, locally-sourced treasures for sale and delectable food on offer, every detail of this café has been thoughtfully curated
With its artfully designed space, locally-sourced
treasures for sale and delectable food on offer, every detail of this café has been thoughtfully curated.
Words Hayley Barnett
As far as locals go, Gather is up there with the best. The vibe, the crowd, the food. It’s slightly bigger than a hole in the wall, but everything just works. And not one bit of it is an accident. Chatting with owner Steph Meaden, it’s obvious there was a very clear focus when she and husband Sam took over the Pāpāmoa spot three years ago.
“We knew we wanted to run a neighbourhood café but we both agreed it had to be three things – good for the community, good for the body and good for the environment,” explains Steph.
Having spent most of the first year behind the counter with their first baby in a front pack, this wasn’t easy to execute, especially during Covid 19 when supplies were limited and there were very few customers. But this is a couple who knows an opportunity when they see one.
They first opened the Tay Street Store two years prior to opening Gather, selling local products (mainly created by innovative and entrepreneurial friends), with the aim of branching out into food. When Gather came up for sale in 2020 the couple jumped at it. They had a bit of experience with a coffee caravan business , Lulu Coffee, which was a great first taste of the hospitality scene. It was just lucky they weren’t put off by dire times.
Today Gather is run by an all-women team, bar Sam who runs the finance and payroll back of house. Their head chef, Dominique Rojo Vivot, is Argentinian and the menu is largely influenced by her home country’s cuisine, with a colourful, vegan twist. The cheese puffs, vegan carrot cake and chimmi chilli eggs have all become loyal customer favourites. Thank goodness they’re staying on the upcoming, otherwise-new winter menu.
Steph and Sam aren’t chefs themselves but they were inspired by the very “farm to plate vibe” that they picked up on their travels overseas. “When we came home, we realised there’s an abundance of good food out there – you just need to know where to get it from,” says Steph.
Keeping in line with their noble ethos, they worked with their friends
– Mt Atkinson Coffee – who has a direct trade relationship with Ugandan coffee farmers and gives back through village projects. It does, however, come all the way from Auckland, which is quite a way away for Steph and Sam these days. A lot of product in the café is close to fully local, even the wide array of wares, skincare and clothing they sell in store. The clothing is actually designed by Dominique herself. Steph and the multi-talented chef even have plans to start their own pantry range.
With another baby in the front pack, Steph and Sam certainly have their
work cut out for them, but that’s all part of the fun.
“One day we’ll get back on the road – that’s kind of the idea of setting up a business!” she laughs. But right now, they’re both enjoying being part of a community which has embraced them and their passion for all things local and delicious.
Pearl of the Bay
Good food, good coffee and good vibes are top priorities for the new owners of Papamoa’s award-winning Pearl Kitchen.
Good food, good coffee and good vibes are top priorities for
the new owners of Pāpāmoa’s award-winning Pearl Kitchen.
Words Monique Balvert-O’Connor Photos Rachel Hadfield
Nestled in the heart of Coast Boulevard in Pāpāmoa Beach, Pearl Kitchen has become an iconic spot, with an amazing team behind it.
A relaxed place, with an ethos centred on delivering “banging coffee, delicious food and vibrant staff”, it's the perfect place to enjoy hearty food packed with ingredients by local growers and suppliers. And it’s also a “go to” on Friday night, offering drinks, tapas and gourmet pizza, to unwind after the working week.
How good does all that sound? It gets better. Pearl Kitchen is the winner of the most recent Bay Hospitality Awards’ Outstanding Café accolade.
To its many loyal followers, the award was no surprise. Just ask one customer who travels from Whakatāne and back specifically for breakfast Pearl Kitchen style. And, in the words of a local: “Gorgeous and well thought out design and layout, fabulous service, delicious and interesting food, perfect coffee, atmosphere, and diet choice sensitivity from staff.”
It's little wonder that Chanel and Justin Rawiri are immensely proud to now own this winning eatery. They’re quick to assure little will be changing, although, of course, a seasonally appropriate menu will be introduced in late October (with the old faves remaining).
“We couldn’t be more excited to join such a talented team and amazing community,” Justin says.
“The key message from us is that we fell in love with Pearl Kitchen just the way it is, so aren’t planning to make any significant changes. It will be the same great team, relaxing vibe, scrumptious food and delicious coffee."
The whole team remains, led by Nigel Reid and Kirsty Moore. Along with key staff David Stuart and Tanesha Horsburgh, all were instrumental in the café’s award-winning success, and are celebrated members of the Pearl Kitchen team with serious credentials, Justin praises.
Chef Nigel Reid started his career as protégé of top New Zealand chef Simon Gault. After a seven-year stint overseas, Nigel returned to become Simon's right-hand man as group head chef for the Nourish Group. Cooking in London for a group of restaurants (under the Cubitt House umbrella), he had the opportunity to serve some of the world's elite and even some royals. Back in New Zealand he’s played an integral part in setting up top eateries. He includes Pearl Kitchen on that list.
Nigel, who loves people who love food, can be found front and centre in Pearl's open kitchen warmly welcoming its patrons each day. His recipes are inspired by travel, family and the seasons.
“Creating and leading with passion, I share my own brand of honest and exciting cookery,” he says.
Front-of-house manager Kirsty Moore hails from Edinburgh, Scotland. Armed with a degree in History of Art and Design and a Master’s degree in marketing, she arrived in New Zealand six years ago seeking a complete lifestyle change after working as a marketing manager. Queenstown beckoned and she managed Mrs Ferg (part of the famous Fergburger empire) there. Tauranga has been home for two years. There’s much to love about working at Pearl Kitchen, she says, such as the great work-life balance, family culture, love for customers, fun environment and delicious food.
David Stuart also hails from Edinburgh and happens to be engaged to Kirsty. David studied Culinary Arts and Food Preparation and worked as a chef in Vietnam, then in Melbourne, and also at an award-winning cocktail bar (with a focus on small bites) in Edinburgh. Add to that five years clocked up as head chef of a Mexican restaurant in Queenstown, before moving to Pearl Kitchen as sous chef. His experience and knowledge of Asian-style dishes influences Pearl Kitchen’s much-enjoyed Friday night tapas menu.
Rosario Ross Murro identified his passion for pizza at an early age – he began work as a pizza chef at 14! From Puglia, Italy (a region known for its great food and beaches), Rosario makes a true Italian-style pizza with hand-stretched sourdough and fresh ingredients, cooked in Pearl Kitchen’s wood-fired oven. He has been in New Zealand for four years, working in Melbourne beforehand.
Love a good cocktail? If yes, then chances are you may already know of Tanesha Horsburgh. This Pāpāmoa local studied Food and Beverage Hotel Management before finding her niche in hospitality. She moved from Auckland to help open Pearl Kitchen, where she now looks after the bar and drinks menu. Her Friday night cocktail specials are a highlight of the week for many customers.
As for new owners, Chanel and Justin, they’re proud to have such an excellent team of 17, and excited to be part of the greater Pearl Kitchen community. The couple moved from Auckland with their young apprentices – Charlotte (4) and Georgia (2.5) – to a region that was already familiar. Justin grew up in Tauranga, and both have family here.
“We are both foodies and we bought Pearl Kitchen because we love it," says Chanel. "We look forward
to becoming part of such a great community."
Pearl Kitchen, 20 Coast Boulevard
Open: Saturday – Thursday 8am–2pm
Friday 8am–8pm (Happy Hour 4pm-6pm)
Insta: pearlcafecoast