The Wonderful World of The Waipu Pizza Barn

Magi with the owner, Ale

Since Auckland, whenever we have mentioned that we'd be heading up the east coast to Lang's Beach, the first thing people said was that we should visit the Waipu Pizza Barn. It turned out that the owners of the house where we were staying, had got their own wood fired pizza oven because of their next door neighbours, who own the Waipu Pizza Barn! We invited one of the owners, Ale and her son Tomo over for some of our second rate pizzas one night. The next day we headed to their incredible palace to pizzas.

Ale (short for Alejandra) used to work in film, as a make up artist, and lots of the furniture and props; battered leather suitcases, gramophones, photos of highland cattle and deer heads, have come from films over the years. Because Waipu still has a large Scottish population, they even have the highland games here every New Year's Day, Geoff and Ale have installed a whisky bar at the back of the place. The pizzas were on another level - heavily loaded, but still with an incredible crisp base. Bear also tried the Fejoya (a bit citrusy - a taste of its own) Smoothie. Ale gave the kids some black t shirts with a tartan cow on the back, a tour around the kitchen and some pudding pizzas with butterscotch sauce. Digs and I came away wishing they had one near us in Devon. 

Pudding Pizza to share: banana, caramel, choc sauce and ice cream.

The Highland Whisky Bar.