Duncan Darroch
Founder. A trained winemaker, with a University of Auckland Postgraduate Diploma in Wine Science with Distinction, the 2007 vintage at Kumeu River and four years at Villa Maria, then a decade teaching science.
Home / Artisan Producers Tour
Hosted tour · 6 hours, 10:00 to 16:00
Artisan Producers Tour
Hawke's Bay feeds the country. This is the day you meet the people who grow it, make it and sell it, hosted by the owners themselves rather than by counter staff.
The Artisan Producers Tour is a six hour private hosted food tour in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, on a fixed schedule from 10:00 to 16:00 New Zealand time. It runs seven days a week, on three itineraries. Monday to Friday the day opens at Hawthorne Coffee Roastery and takes a private tasting of twelve honeys at Arataki Honey. Saturday opens at Bellatino's Food Lovers Market and takes the ten honey tasting in Arataki's public tasting room. Sunday opens at the Hawke's Bay Farmers' Market. The tour is priced from $695 NZD per person for a party of seven and $995 NZD per person for two, GST included, and the price is the same on all three.
Set out on a day through Hawke's Bay's most beloved artisanal producers with your expert local host.
Monday to Friday you begin at Hawthorne Coffee Roastery in Havelock North, where the owner walks you through the business and the beans over a coffee of your choosing. From there it is on to Arataki Honey for a private tasting of twelve honeys, each one carrying the flavour of the ground it came from.
The centre of the day is Te Mata Figs. The grower hosts you through the orchard himself, then you sit down in the Figgery to a platter lunch built from the seasonal harvest. It is unhurried on purpose.
The afternoon turns sweet. High tea at Birdwoods is taken in a garden set with sculpture, with a handmade sweet shop on site. The day closes at the Strawberry Patch with real fruit ice cream and a tasting of whatever is ripe that week.
Guest price, per person
New Zealand dollars · GST included · minimum 2 guests
2 guests$995
3 guests$850
4 guests$850
5 guests$750
6 guests$750
7 guests$695
All prices in New Zealand dollars, including GST. Minimum 2 guests. Eight or more guests by quotation. Children 5 to 12 travel at 50% of the per-person rate, under 5 free. The price is the same on all three itineraries.
What is included
- Private vehicle and expert local host for the full day
- Monday to Friday: an owner-hosted visit to Hawthorne Coffee Roastery with a coffee of your choice, and a private tasting of twelve honeys at Arataki Honey
- Saturday: Bellatino's Food Lovers Market, and a tasting of ten honeys in the Arataki Honey public tasting room
- Sunday: a hosted visit to the Hawke's Bay Farmers' Market, 10:30 to 11:45
- Owner-hosted orchard tour and platter lunch at Te Mata Figs
- High tea at Birdwoods, with time in the sculpture garden and the sweet shop
- Real fruit ice cream and fresh fruit tasting at the Strawberry Patch
- Artisan product gift bag. On the weekday and Saturday itineraries this includes Arataki honey and Manuka lozenges.
- Pickup and return anywhere in Napier, Hastings, Havelock North or Cape Kidnappers
Not included
- Beverages beyond those named above
- Anything purchased in the producers' retail areas or the Birdwoods sweet shop
Good to know
- The tour runs seven days a week on a fixed 10:00 to 16:00 schedule, New Zealand time, on three itineraries: Monday to Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The price is the same on all three. We do not operate on Christmas Day.
- Pickup and return anywhere in Napier, Hastings, Havelock North or Cape Kidnappers, at no extra charge.
- We travel in our electric-first fleet, matched to the size of your party.
- We assist guests with limited mobility, and a folding wheelchair or walking frame travels with the guest. Our vehicles are not certified Total Mobility vehicles and cannot carry a passenger who remains seated in a wheelchair.
- Cancellation is free more than 30 days out, 50% from 30 to 14 days, and 100% inside 14 days.
Bringing children
Children are genuinely welcome on this tour. There is a junior high tea at Birdwoods, a sculpture garden to run around and a sweet shop at the end of it. On the weekday itinerary there is beeswax candle rolling at Arataki Honey as well.
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
Six hours, to a fixed schedule.
This tour is the one exception to our by-arrangement timetable. It departs at 10:00 and returns at 16:00, in New Zealand time, seven days a week.
Your day, Monday to Friday
- 10:00Pickup from your accommodation
- 10:30Hawthorne Coffee Roastery, owner-hosted visit with a coffee of your choice
- 11:10Arataki Honey, private tasting of twelve honeys
- 12:15Te Mata Figs, owner-hosted orchard tour and platter lunch in the Figgery
- 14:00Birdwoods, high tea, sculpture garden and sweet shop
- 15:15Strawberry Patch, real fruit ice cream and fresh fruit tasting
- 16:00Return to your accommodation
All times are New Zealand time. On Napier cruise ship days the private tasting at Arataki Honey is replaced by a tasting of ten honeys in the public tasting room, and we add a stop at Bellatino's Food Lovers Market in Havelock North.
Your day on a Saturday
Saturday opens at Bellatino's Food Lovers Market in place of Hawthorne Coffee Roastery, whose owner-hosted visit is a weekday arrangement. Arataki Honey is open seven days, and on Saturday you taste ten honeys in the public tasting room rather than twelve in private. Everything from midday onward runs exactly as it does during the week, and the price is the same.
- 10:00Pickup from your accommodation
- 10:30Bellatino's Food Lovers Market, Havelock North
- 11:10Arataki Honey, tasting of ten honeys in the public tasting room
- 12:15Te Mata Figs, owner-hosted orchard tour and platter lunch in the Figgery
- 14:00Birdwoods, high tea, sculpture garden and sweet shop
- 15:15Strawberry Patch, real fruit ice cream and fresh fruit tasting
- 16:00Return to your accommodation
All times are New Zealand time. A Napier cruise ship call on a Saturday changes nothing, because this itinerary already carries Bellatino's and the public tasting room.
Your day on a Sunday
On Sundays the day opens at the Hawke's Bay Farmers' Market in place of the coffee roastery and the private tasting at Arataki Honey, both of which are weekday arrangements. Everything from midday onward runs exactly as it does during the week, and the price is the same.
- 10:00Pickup from your accommodation
- 10:30Hawke's Bay Farmers' Market, Hastings Showgrounds, Kenilworth Road, Hastings
- 11:45Depart the market
- 12:15Te Mata Figs, owner-hosted orchard tour and platter lunch in the Figgery
- 14:00Birdwoods, high tea, sculpture garden and sweet shop
- 15:15Strawberry Patch, real fruit ice cream and fresh fruit tasting
- 16:00Return to your accommodation
All times are New Zealand time. The Farmers' Market trades on Sunday mornings only, which is why this itinerary runs on Sundays alone.
★★★★★
"Duncan provided exceptional service from start to finish. He made the entire process incredibly easy, from booking to being flexible with timing."
Your host
A named host, not a driver.
Every tour runs with one host for the whole day. We tell you who it is when we confirm your booking.
Heather Clinton
Formerly of Zest Food Tours Wellington, Heather curates and hosts our Artisan Producers tours, leading with food, people and what makes Hawke's Bay tick.
Niki Willis
Decades of professional driving and wine tour hosting across Hawke's Bay wine country.
Philip Shambrook
A former Royal Air Force officer and community leader who hosts our Te Mata Peak excursions.
Louise Shambrook
A former Royal Air Force officer and business manager, Louise has called Hawke's Bay home for more than 20 years and loves sharing the lifestyle of the Bay.
Leo Olsen
Born in South Africa and a New Zealander for 20 years, Leo is a keen tennis player and former county cricketer who loves sharing the journey with every guest.
Ginny Williams
Originally from England and a Hawke's Bay local for more than 30 years, Ginny is a former tour guide and winery and distillery cellar door manager who loves sharing the region with guests from around the world.
Bronnie Coory
A foundation of Electric Executive and a former charity general manager, Bronnie brings warmth and meticulous organisation to every guest she welcomes aboard.
Trevor Morrison
Formerly Chief Pilot at Napier Port, Trevor brings calm precision and quiet professionalism to every journey.
When the day changes
What happens when a day goes sideways.
An itinerary is only a plan. A good day depends on what happens when that plan meets a delayed flight, a closed cellar door or a vehicle that cannot run. We plan for each of those before you arrive.
- A backup vehicle, always. We hold a backup vehicle on every operating day. If a vehicle cannot run, another one collects you.
- Your flight, monitored. We track your flight and start complimentary waiting from actual landing: 30 minutes for a domestic flight and 90 minutes for an international flight.
- A closed venue, replaced. If a venue on a published tour closes on your day, we substitute an equivalent award-winning estate: Black Barn for Craggy Range, Mission Estate for Church Road, and Te Mata Estate or Black Barn for Smith & Sheth, choosing one not already on your route.
- A person on the phone. Our duty number, +64 21 025 87832, answers by call or WhatsApp on the day.
- Vetted, trained hosts. Every host is Police vetted, passes driver safety testing and holds a comprehensive first aid certificate.
- Licensed and insured. Small Passenger Service Licence 0332519, $10 million NZD public liability cover, and Qualmark Silver.
Questions
Artisan Producers Tour questions, answered.
How long is the Artisan Producers Tour?
Six hours, on a fixed schedule from 10:00 to 16:00 New Zealand time, seven days a week. There are three itineraries. Monday to Friday opens at Hawthorne Coffee Roastery with a private tasting of twelve honeys at Arataki Honey. Saturday opens at Bellatino's Food Lovers Market with a ten honey tasting in Arataki's public tasting room. Sunday opens at the Hawke's Bay Farmers' Market. The price is the same on all three.
What is different about the Saturday tour?
Saturday opens at Bellatino's Food Lovers Market in Havelock North in place of Hawthorne Coffee Roastery, whose owner-hosted visit is a weekday arrangement. Arataki Honey is open seven days, and on Saturday you taste ten honeys in the public tasting room rather than twelve in private. Everything from midday onward is the same, and the price is the same.
What is different about the Sunday tour?
On Sundays the day opens with a hosted visit to the Hawke's Bay Farmers' Market at the Hastings Showgrounds, 10:30 to 11:45, in place of Hawthorne Coffee Roastery and Arataki Honey. The market trades on Sunday mornings only. Everything from midday onward is the same, and the price is the same.
Where does the tour pick up?
Anywhere in Napier, Hastings, Havelock North or Cape Kidnappers, at no extra charge.
Is lunch included?
Yes. A platter lunch at Te Mata Figs, built from the seasonal harvest and hosted by the grower. High tea at Birdwoods follows in the afternoon as a separate sitting.
How much does the Artisan Producers Tour cost?
Per person, including GST: $995 for 2 guests, $850 for 3 to 4, $750 for 5 to 6 and $695 for 7. Children 5 to 12 travel at 50% of the per-person rate, under 5 free.
What is the maximum party size?
Seven guests on the published rates. We quote parties of eight or more on request.
Is the tour suitable for children?
Yes. This is the most child-friendly tour we run. A junior high tea at Birdwoods, a sculpture garden and a sweet shop at the end of the day, plus beeswax candle rolling at Arataki Honey on the weekday itinerary.
What vehicle will we travel in?
One of our electric-first fleet, matched to the size of your party.
What happens on a Napier cruise ship day?
The tour runs as normal. On the weekday itinerary the private tasting at Arataki Honey is replaced by a tasting of ten honeys in the public tasting room, and we add a stop at Bellatino's Food Lovers Market in Havelock North. A cruise Saturday changes nothing, because that itinerary already carries both. The Sunday itinerary does not visit Arataki Honey, so a cruise Sunday runs unchanged. The fixed 10:00 to 16:00 schedule suits ships alongside before 10:00 with an all-aboard time after 17:00.
What is the cancellation policy?
Free more than 30 days before the tour date, 50% from 30 to 14 days and 100% inside 14 days.
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.