The Tahi Bar + Kitchen
Rachel and Gareth are the proud owners of The Tahi Bar + Kitchen in Warkworth. We were fortunate to have a chat with Rachel about her journey in hospitality and what she enjoyed about being involved in the Top 50 New Zealand Gastropubs competition.
Tell us about your establishment and hospitality journey?
I spent seven years living and working in New York, doing all sorts of jobs, including managing an art gallery on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. During that time, I supplemented my income by working for a tiny local restaurant as a bartender / waitress / Jill-of-all-Trades. Working in that friendly, fabulous restaurant is where I fell in love with hospitality. I returned to New Zealand to be close to family, and in 2019, my partner Gareth and I decided to buy The Tahi Bar.
While the bar had long been a local favourite, we saw an opportunity to infuse the space with a fresh, creative touch inspired by my experiences abroad. With a background in the wine industry, I revamped the beverage list and worked with our Chef to create a menu centred on local, seasonal ingredients. We wanted to become a showcase for our region’s offering – from produce, to meats, to the locally made craft beers, wines and ciders. Today, The Tahi Bar + Kitchen stands as a vibrant gastropub, offering a welcoming atmosphere, regular live music, and a menu that pairs perfectly with an exceptional drink selection.
What do you think defines a gastropub and how do you stand out in this space?
A gastropub offers the sense of place and cosy atmosphere that a traditional pub does, while placing a particular focus on delivering high-quality restaurant style food. The Tahi Bar + Kitchen offers a mix of an easy-going vibe with a non-intimidating, yet well-crafted menu. We pride ourselves on our inviting atmosphere and sense of community, creating connectionswith our regular locals, as well as those that have travelled from far and wide. Our live music offering is a key part of this experience, providing an extra element of magic and energy that live music adds to our customers’ experience here.
Equally crucial to our atmosphere is our food and beverage offering. On our menu you will find delicious, traditional pub fare alongside an ever-changing ‘Specials Menu’ of innovative, Chef-inspired dishes using only the freshest, local and seasonal ingredients. Our beverage listpays tribute to boutique wine and cider producers and unique craft breweries in Warkworth, Matakana, and our surrounding area. The Tahi Bar + Kitchen is the ultimate gastropubdestination, complete with exceptional food, quality drinks and a friendly, invitingatmosphere.
How would you describe your clientele and what are they often looking for when they visit you?
Our patrons are a mix of locals and travellers from further afield. Our regulars visit for our sense of community, and the local pride they feel in supporting us, and the producers that we work in partnership with.
Our personalised service is a standout – with a small but mighty team, often working with just four staff members, we focus on building genuine personal relationships, creating a relaxed, welcoming, community-centred atmosphere where customers feel like part of our community.
We are dedicated to delivering what feels like a home away from home, a comforting and familiar experience that our customers can always look forward to. This connection brings them back time and again for an authentic experience.
What’s your approach to crafting your menu?
Exceptional food is the cornerstone of our place. Our menu begins with discovering what produce is in season and crafting dishes from there. Our staple menu changes every few months, offering quintessential pub-style dishes like chicken wings, spectacular burgers and our favourite Jalapeno Poppers. Alongside these staples are our Chef’s Specials that change daily.
Designed by our Head Chef Kahui, these dishes showcase the best of the season’s offerings while allowing him to have fun in the kitchen and create some unique dishes – including one of our recent favourites, a gourmet take on a traditional boil-up.
What is your favourite meal on the menu at the moment?
The Tahi Smash Burger – while a burger may seem like a typical offering on a gastropub menu, how this burger is crafted is of great importance.
The Tahi Burger centres around a 100% beef brisket patty sourced from the award-winningWarkworth Butchers. It is accompanied by rich smoked cheddar, golden fried onions, fresh tomatoes, a signature beetroot relish, crisp pickles, classic American mustard, and a bed of mesclun all sitting within a seeded brioche bun. Pair this with a fresh pint from our local brewers,and you’re onto a winner.
What inspired you to enter the Top 50 Gastropubs competition last year?
We knew we were a great live music venue with a unique food and beverage offering butweren’t 100% sure how we identified as an establishment within the industry. When the Top 50 Gastropubs competition came out, we did some research to understand what it means to be a gastropub and knew that we had found our niche and wanted to showcase this within our community. Being part of the competition, and ultimately coming out on top in our region validated our efforts as a leading establishment in this space.
What advice would you give to those considering entering this year?
Give it a go! For The Tahi Bar + Kitchen, entering this competition helped identify who we are and what we represent in the industry. It challenged us to take a closer look at our strengths and what sets us apart. Whether you win or not, being a part of the competition gives your team a sense of pride and accomplishment.