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Hosted tour · 8 hours
Artisan Producers Full Day, eight hours.
A day with the people who grow and make Hawke's Bay's food, ending with a curated selection from the day's producers.
The Artisan Producers Full Day is an eight hour private hosted food tour in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, priced from $720 NZD per person for a party of seven and $1,200 NZD per person for two, GST included. It includes an Arataki Honey private tasting, an owner-hosted platter lunch at Te Mata Figs, a stop at The Strawberry Patch, and seasonal producers advised at the time of booking.
Hawke's Bay grows a large share of New Zealand's apples, stone fruit and vegetables, and the region's food producers are as serious as its winemakers. This is the day for guests who want the growers and the makers rather than another cellar door.
You go behind the scenes at Arataki Honey, a Havelock North family business that began in 1944 when Percy Berry bought nine acres on Arataki Road and registered 131 hives. It is still family owned, now across three sites and well over a billion bees, and known for its mānuka and specialty honeys.
Then on to Te Mata Figs, an orchard planted in 2007 that grows around thirty fig varieties in the region's Mediterranean climate. Lunch is an owner-hosted platter in the Figgery, the orchard's café and shop, showcasing the seasonal harvest, followed by sweet treats and coffee.
The day also calls at The Strawberry Patch on Havelock Road, a berry grower whose real fruit ice cream is made with fruit picked a few hundred metres away.
The rest of the day flexes with the season. We advise additional producers at the time of booking, and Sunday departures include the Hawke's Bay Farmers Market. Every guest goes home with a curated selection from the day's producers.
Guest price, per person
New Zealand dollars · GST included · minimum 2 guests
Includes the owner-hosted platter lunch at Te Mata Figs and a guest gift from the day's producers. The Arataki Honey private tasting is not available on Napier cruise ship days, and we substitute alternative producers. Infants aged 0 to 4 travel free. Children aged 5 to 12 receive 50 percent off the per-person rate.
What the eight hours include
- Arataki Honey private tasting
- Te Mata Figs owner-hosted platter lunch in the Figgery
- The Strawberry Patch, real fruit ice cream and seasonal fruit
- Seasonal producers advised at booking
- Guest gift from the day's producers
- Private vehicle and local host for the full day
- Pickup and return to your accommodation in Napier, Hastings, Havelock North or Cape Kidnappers
How the day changes with the season
Hawke's Bay produce runs to a calendar, and so does this tour. Stone fruit, berries, figs, apples and the honey flow each have their own window, and the producers we add to the day follow them.
Sunday departures include the Hawke's Bay Farmers Market, where most of the region's growers sell directly.
We confirm the full list of producers when we confirm your booking, and we substitute where a producer is closed. Tell us about allergies and dietary requirements at the time of booking and we will brief every stop.
Prefer wine to food? See the Great Wine Capital Reserve, a full day across three wineries with lunch at Craggy Range.
The shape of the day
Eight hours, in order.
Tours run by arrangement rather than to a timetable. Tell us the start time that suits your day and we build the tour around it, in New Zealand time.
- 0:00Pickup from your accommodation in Napier, Hastings, Havelock North or Cape Kidnappers
- 0:30Arataki Honey, private tasting and a look behind the scenes
- 2:00A seasonal producer, chosen for what is ripe that week and confirmed at booking
- 3:30Te Mata Figs, owner-hosted platter lunch in the Figgery, then sweet treats and coffee
- 5:30The Strawberry Patch, real fruit ice cream and seasonal fruit
- 6:30A final producer, or the Hawke's Bay Farmers Market on Sunday departures
- 8:00Return to your accommodation with a curated selection from the day
Times are elapsed hours from pickup, not clock times. The order changes with the season and with each producer's opening hours, and we confirm the full list when we confirm your booking.
★★★★★
"Duncan provided exceptional service from start to finish. He made the entire process incredibly easy, from booking to being flexible with timing."
Questions
Artisan day questions, answered.
How much does the Artisan Producers Full Day cost?
From $720 NZD per person for a party of seven, rising to $1,200 NZD per person for two guests. All prices are in New Zealand dollars and include GST, and the owner-hosted platter lunch at Te Mata Figs is included.
Is lunch included on the Artisan Producers Full Day?
Yes. Lunch is an owner-hosted platter in the Figgery at Te Mata Figs, showcasing the seasonal harvest, followed by sweet treats and coffee.
Which producers do you visit?
Arataki Honey, Te Mata Figs and The Strawberry Patch, plus seasonal producers we advise at the time of booking. Sunday departures include the Hawke's Bay Farmers Market.
Do you visit wineries on this tour?
The Artisan Producers Full Day is a food tour. If you would like wine as well, tell us when you book and we will add a cellar door to the day, or choose one of our three Great Wine Capital wine tours.
Can you cater for allergies and dietary requirements?
Yes. Tell us at the time of booking and we brief every producer and the lunch venue in advance.
How long is the day, and where does it start?
Eight hours, beginning and ending at your own accommodation in Napier, Hastings, Havelock North or Cape Kidnappers.
What happens on a cruise ship day?
The Arataki Honey private tasting is not available when a cruise ship is in Napier. We substitute alternative producers and tell you before the day.
Enquire
We would be delighted to host your day.
Tell us your dates, your party size and where you are staying. We reply by email, usually within a few hours between 04:00 and 23:00 New Zealand time.