Falls Retreat

Dont forget to join us tomorrow night ( Sunday 21st Jan) for wood-fired pizzas, organic salad and chips for our Locals Night. With lots of room to run around, outdoor games and adventure playground, it’s the perfect spot to enjoy some Al fresco dining while the kids can play ❤️ Kicks off at 4pm - no bookings required! Accommodation available if anyone wants to stay the night!

We have some availability coming up in our Log Cabin next week so snap it up for a last minute family getaway with the kids before they go back to school! Suitable for up to 5 people, this is the perfect opportunity to get them off their devices as there is so much to explore! Try swimming at Owharoa Falls, cycling along the Hauraki Rail Trail, exploring the relics of the Victoria Battery Tramway and Museum. All on our doorstep!

Join us for our Long Table Feast tomorrow! Lunch kicks of at 11.30am and dinner is at 6.30pm ….. and then We do it all again on Saturday! This is unique dining experience which includes a housemade welcome drink on arrival, A breaking bread course then followed by a delicious 3 course set menu featuring produce from our organic kitchen veggie gardens and local suppliers such as BND Farms Grow My Goodness Opito Bay Salt Co. Menefy Honey & Pollination

Our good friends The Sauna Project will be back on site THIS SUNDAY 21st January to join us for another LOCALS NIGHT with their wood-fired sauna sessions available from 4pm. Tie this in with a waterfall dip ( or one of their cold plunge pools) followed by a sourdough wood -fired pizza all made from scratch, organic garden salad and one of our housemade sodas get a taste ( excuse the pun!) of what “ wellness” feels like ❤️

Absolutely love this photo of our kitchen team sharing lunch last week in the height of our busy season …….as for me this totally represents why we have recently changed our business model. We have always focused on “Taking care of people” but this was often to the detriment of the health and well being of our staff (and ourselves) with lunch often meaning something that got shoved down while on the go or while sitting on a crate at the back of the kitchen in the middle of a 14 hour shift (which is the norm for our industry). Ironic really ! Double shifts and big days are still the norm here but now we are able to make a point of feeding our staff and also sitting down to enjoy a meal together between our lunch and dinner sitting ( well most the time anyway). There’s always different ways to measure success and for me this photo shows me we are winning!
Restaurant Association of New Zealand

HEAD CHEF VACANCY! If you are a qualified chef with lots of experience working in professional kitchens, a passion for cooking food from scratch and sustainable living and the ability to lead a small team whilst retaining a good, positive attitude then look no further. This is no ordinary job though! Brad is looking for a right hand person and he has high standards! The role would suit someone looking for a lifestyle change as we promise to offer more balance than the usual “ thrash fest” that a regular head chef role entails. Staff meals, waterfall swims on break time, a family focused environment, a beautiful view and access to our incredible kitchen veggie gardens are some of the perks. We work hard but have an eye on the bigger picture so if you would Like to be part of our new direction then please send a resume to [email protected] . The confidence / knowledge / ability to run a cooking workshop would also be advantageous. Please tag and share far and wide to anyone that would like a slice of our paradise and join our awesome team ❤️

Another sunny Sunday……..Perfect for Al-fresco-dining under the shade of our beautiful trees! The line up for today is as follows:
10am - Freshly baked sourdough bread out of the oven and available to purchase for $10 each
11.30am - The Long Table Feast lunch sitting in our barn - a delicious “ long lunch” showcasing all the amazing produce from our organic kitchen veggie gardens. Bookings essential
11-3pm Enjoy a grazing platter and a glass of wine ( our delicious housemade soda) in our gardens - available to “‘walk-ins”
From 4pm it’s Locals Night which means wood-fired pizzas, organic salad and chips, ordered at the bar. No bookings but expecting it to be busy so head on up early to grab a table.

Great day at Katikati Avocado Food & Wine Festival for Brad and Hamish Pennell , our apprentice as they demoed four different dishes at the cooking theatre there, including this delicious chocolate, banana and avocado ripple cheesecake! Sun was shining, good vibes seeing lots of familiar faces and awesome food showcasing locally grown produce! We have sone left over delicious ripe avos thanks to Seeka which we leave at Waikino sharing stall ❤️

Grab your tickets for the Katikati Avocado Food & Wine Festival happening tomorrow! Brad is guest chef and will be doing culinary demos throughout the afternoon, starting at 1pm and continuing on the hour through till 4pm, showcasing some amazing avo dishes! Then hang around to see the Black Seeds live on the main stage from 4.30pm - 6pm. Weather looking great for this amazing day out!

JOB VACANCY! We are on the hunt for a Housekeeping superstar to take care of our charming cottages and light gardening duties. This is a part time position with approx 3 shifts/ 12 hours per week from 10.-2 so could suit mums needing to do school run, someone semi retired wanting to do a few hours to keep active or maybe a backpacker (as we also have casual FOH shifts over the the Bistro!) All applications considered but you must be a able to work unsupervised, be physically fit ( you need to climb a small ladder in our waterfall cabin) and preferably with housekeeping experience. Please DM us with resumes or email [email protected] . Please share far and wide!

Weather forecast looking good for the rest of this week so we have decided to run our LOCALS NIGHT all over again THIS SUNDAY 14th Jan! Infact we are thinking we will run them every Sunday for rest of January to make the most these blue sky days and warm weather! We are the perfect spot for alfresco dining so come up to enjoy Wood- fired pizzas, chips and organic salad between 4-8pm (Sundays only) - no bookings required and no table service . Let us know if you are keen?

Loved reading this article about a food revolution happening in NZ with innovative food producers trying new concepts. We know our Long Table Feast challenges people’s preferences for traditional restaurant style dining but we also feel passionate about serving less people to be able to offer a unique food experience where you can reconnect with food , nature and each other.
This Google review from last Saturday sums up why we have chosen this direction for our business : “We had a wonderful well considered set menu for lunch, the food was varied and consistently delicious with impeccable service. High attention to detail and beautiful local produce. Very special indeed, would love to return!”
Come try it! Eat New Zealand Cuisine Magazine nourish

A food revolution is happening in the land of fish and chips Something powerful that is happening in New Zealand right now: a quiet culinary revolution.

Just a reminder we are open ALL day tomorrow! Serving lunch with our Long Table Feast available at 11.30 for those wanting a long leisurely lunch with incredible food all made from scratch so be sure to book in to end your holiday in style. Then from 4pm it’s our “locals night” where we dial it right back, serving only wood-fired pizzas , salads and chips from our bar ( no table service or bookings) for a casual evening ! We will also have our freshly baked sourdough bread for sale from 10am and a delicious grazing board available for walk ins over lunch time. So be sure to pop in on your way home whatever time that may be and we will be sure to make you welcome and feed you :)

The news you have been waiting for ….. LOCALS NIGHT IS BACK THIS SUNDAY 7th Jan from 4pm-8pm ( last orders) . Locals night means wood-fired pizzas, chips and organic salad with no bookings required and no table service - just rock on up to order at the bar! We also have our friends from The Sauna Project joining us with their wood-fired mobile sauna so be sure to book your session with them. Our aim is to offer casual laid back dining to end the week with chilled vibes, good food and wellness ❤️

Our Log Cabin is the perfect place for a Summer family getaway and we have 3 nights availability NEXT WEEK! * Sun 7th / Mon 8th and Tues 9th * Located between Waihi and Paeroa, with the Hauraki Rail Trail runing alongside our property meaning you can explore the area on bikes ( we can even organise hire for you) and magnificent Owharoa Falls is at the bottom Of our driveway so it’s a just short stroll for a daily dip! Don’t hesitate as this won’t last long! Find out more >>>>> https://www.fallsretreat.co.nz/stay-1

Happy New Year to all our customers, suppliers and wonderful staff! Looks like a stunning week and we look forward to welcoming you all here for some amazing food and great hospitality. This weeks operating hours are
Thursday - Sunday (lunch sitting at 11.30 and dinner sitting at 6.30). Come try our Long Table Feast or pop up for a coffee/ glass of wine and looksie in our shop or to grab some fresh sourdough bread!
CLOSED 1/2/3 January - we are off for a little bit of family time ❤️

We still have a few tickets available for our NYE Paddock to Plate Degustation dinner tomorrow night! Let us take you on an immersive dining experience - 4 incredible courses showcasing homegrown and local produce with a delicious homemade welcome drink on arrival and optional wine matching, all set amongst the backdrop of our beautiful property. A great way to celebrate the end of the year and look forward to 2024! #2024

I have been working on the floor over the past few days and have been blown away by all the wonderful feedback we have been receiving about The Long Table feast. Having been filled with so much doubt about the changes we have made this year, it’s very affirming to learn first hand that guests LOVE this dining experience. Thank you to everyone that has joined us, we appreciate your support ❤️

We are back in action with the Sunmer version of our Long Table Feast! Open Thurs- Sun for the next couple of weeks with a lunch sitting at 11:30 and dinner at 6.30. This is an amazing dining experience focusing on all the incredible produce we have coming out of the kitchen veggie gardens and a delicious free range meat cooked in the wood-fired oven! We also offer a vegetarian version of course . Don’t miss out these holidays ! Click the link in the comments box to view a sample menu ( changes daily according to our produce!) -

Our final service of our Festive Feast today was such a pleasure as we welcomed so many of our long term, loyal customers to dine, it felt like we were surrounded by friends. Makes me realise that Food really is the best way to connect people and we have met so many wonderful people along our journey so far. Merry Xmas people, stay safe and we look forward to welcoming you back for sone more shared dining experiences from Dec 28th when we reopen!

Make sure you find some time to escape the rat race to reconnect with good food, nature and each other! One night is literally all it takes! Just looking at calendar and we still have a few days available for maon Summer weeks - 27 Dec / 2nd, 3rd and 7/8/9 Jan. Hop online to book in!

Check out our latest newsletter with details of our holiday opening hours and some last minute gift ideas! ❤ - https://mailchi.mp/fallsretreat/christmas-gift-ideas-for-all-food-lovers-9621150

Our Xmas Boxes have been selling like hot cakes! Featuring our house made chutney and pickle, artisan cheeses, marinated olives , crackers, candied cashews and delicious chocolate brownie - a taste of The Falls Retreat at home ! We still have 4 left which can be ordered on-line! The cut off date for posting has now passed but we are here daily so if you live locally, pop out to check out our retail area for some last minute gift ideas!

Our Festive Feast has been a big hit! We have been wowing guests with our incredible seasonal dishes, all made from scratch using organic produce from our veggie gardens and local suppliers and obviously with a festive twist! We still have spaces available next week for our final week - open Friday and Saturday for lunch and dinner plus Xmas Eve lunch so make sure you don’t miss out!

Earlier this year we were super excited to film a music video here! Produced by two talented media studies students from Plains College featuring an upcoming musician Jacob King ❤️ for his new song Heart 2 Heart…… you can check it out on YouTube ( see link in comments). I think we may be a bit biased 😉

It totally filled our cup hosting this group of boys last week. By sharing our passion for cooking from scratch and using homegrown produce we are hopefully inspiring a new generation to live and eat more sustainably and also taste the difference! We were super impressed by their skills , rolling the dough, making their pizzas and using the peel to putting their own creations into the wood-fired oven to cook…….hoping one or two of them may consider a career in our kitchen in a few more years time! Eat New Zealand Waihi Community Resource Centre

We held another successful sourdough bread making workshop yesterday with everyone leaving super inspired and equipped with their sourdough starter and their recipe / instruction books ready to recreate the magic at home. Next one is scheduled for Sunday 7th April 2024. Will sell out so be sure to secure your spot! Also makes a great Xmas prezzie! https://www.fallsretreat.co.nz/breadmaking
fallsretreat

Our Christmas Inspiration edition! - https://mailchi.mp/fallsretreat/whats-on-at-the-falls-retreat-9616130 Check out our latest newsletter for inspiration on gift ideas and festive feasting!

Just a reminder that it’s our Locals Night tomorrow from 4-7pm. For those following silly comments on a local community page , we just want to clarify that our pizzas do not cost $85! You can look forward to freshly made sourdough pizzas made in our wood fired oven for $26-$28 each plus delicious garden salads from our organic veggie garden with house made dressing and also chips, both sold at $12 each. Casual vibes, no bookings or table service , just rock on up to order! Takeaways also available. Our good friends The Sauna Project will also be onsite offering our community the chance to enjoy a restorative wood- fired sauna. If you haven’t tried this yet, it highly recommended for getting rid of sone of that Xmas stress and resetting your balance .
Perfect to end the crazy week we all just had! See you tomorrow!

It’s starting to look a lot like Christmas! Tonight we launch our new dining experience - The Festive Feast. Same incredible food and service as usual but with a festive twist! If you haven’t yet sorted your Xmas function, family gathering or even date night for this month, we still have some availability so make sure to get in touch!