Comfort food like grandma’s: The Purple Weka Café
As autumn moves inexorably towards winter, we become creatures in need of comfort and warmth, both in our environment and in the food we crave.
It’s now we seek out local hospitality spots that will satisfy these needs. The Purple Weka Café dishes up warmth and comfort in spades along with a big helping of smiles and a bit of cheek on the side. Owner Stewart McDougall takes pride in the truly old-fashioned, traditional Kiwi fare that is the staple offering at the café.
“Many of our dishes are just as Grandma used to make. The most popular ones are the savoury mince served with a soft poached egg on five grain toast, or the creamy mushrooms served with bacon on toasted ciabatta.
At this time of year as well, we have some wonderful winter warmers, cottage pie or lamb’s fry and a range of hearty country style soups.
For something a little decadent you can have hot cakes with bacon, banana, maple syrup and lashings of whipped cream”. Purple Weka definitely has the mix right as last year customers voted it NZ Café of the Year.
Purple Weka sells jars of its homemade raspberry jam and marmalade too. “My grandmother’s recipe,” says Stewart. The café is now also the home of the “Very Yummy Cracker” – long, thin, salty, and delicious biscuits made from nuts and seeds. You can buy them by the bag.
