‘Still loving our jobs’: Pacifica duo to leave top Napier restaurant in 2025

Natalie Bulman and Jeremy Rameka inside their Napier restaurant, Pacifica. Photo / Paul Taylor

The couple behind what is arguably Hawke’s Bay’s best restaurant, Pacifica, will move out of the region and start a new restaurant in 2025, leaving a big blue hole in Hawke’s Bay’s culinary scene.

The restaurant’s building in Napier - affectionately referred to as ‘the blue bungalow’ - has been put up for sale by the owner of the property.

That won’t impact Pacifica’s current lease, which runs until 2025, but the couple behind the business has announced they intend to finish up at the restaurant when their lease ends.

Pacifica was one of just six restaurants across New Zealand recognised as a three-hat restaurant this year.

It was also named New Zealand’s best overall restaurant in 2017 at the Cuisine Good Food Awards.

Head chef and owner Jeremy Rameka, who runs the restaurant alongside partner Natalie Bulman, said it was coming time to move on after operating Pacifica for 17 years.

Rameka and Bulman have plans to start a smaller restaurant together elsewhere in the country, likely in King Country.

“The original plan was to go back to a place called Kākahi, between Taumarunui and National Park - that is where I’m from,” he said.

“That was the original plan, but we are open to other places as well.”

Pacifica restaurant along Marine Parade in Napier. Photo / Warren Buckland

He said it would be a new challenge, and it was important not to become stagnant.

“It is a hard industry to enjoy forever,” he said.

“We are constantly trying to find ways of still loving our jobs.

“I consider myself in the top one per cent [of people] on the planet that loves what he does. There are not many people that love their jobs.”

He said a heartfelt thank you to all those who had enjoyed the restaurant over the years.

“Thank you. We can’t do these things without people’s support. I think the both of us do it for the people.”

Rameka said it would be hard to say goodbye to the iconic blue bungalow when that time came.

He added that being recognised as the country’s best restaurant in 2017 had been a major highlight.

Bulman, originally from Wales, said they were shocked at how in demand the restaurant became following that accolade.

“We massively, massively appreciated it - it was so unexpected,” she said.

“It has never ever been that busy before. As soon as it was announced, the phone was just frantic.

“At the time, we did not have online bookings; the system wasn’t in place. It was literally me on the phones, and I was clearing 100 messages.

“I was getting up at 5am to listen to messages - and I’m not a morning person.”

She said when they open a new restaurant in the future, it will have a “similar style” to what they had become known for in Napier.

Rameka said his time in Hawke’s Bay had been priceless and he had learnt so much from many people.

He added that Hawke’s Bay punched well above its weight when it came to quality restaurants, particularly in recent years.