The Local Cafe, in Taradale, co-owners Jeff Tyler and Rajaa Mounir pride themselves on scones. Photo / Gary Hamilton-Irvine
The Local Cafe, in Taradale, co-owners Jeff Tyler and Rajaa Mounir pride themselves on scones. Photo / Gary Hamilton-Irvine
A Napier cafe is trying to find the best amateur scone baker in Hawke’s Bay by starting a competition that will give lovers of the floury treats plenty of cause for celebration.
The Local Cafe in Taradale is crazy about scones and has 10 different varieties available in its cabinet.
Co-owners and couple Jeff Tyler and Rajaa Mounir are behind the Best Scone Competition which will be staged at the cafe on Saturday, March 22.
Anyone apart from commercial bakers can enter and entry forms will be available from inside the business from March 1 (this Saturday).
A five-strong panel will be tasked with scoring the scones.
“When we opened the cafe we were surprised at how much people loved scones – it was our best-seller, cheese scones,” Mounir said.
“So we tried to come up with new flavours.”
Scones have become a big part of the menu and Mounir, originally from Morocco, said she and her husband thought it would be cool to host a competition.
Mounir said, similar to hot pies, scones were a “quintessentially Kiwi” part of a cafe menu.
Tyler said they wanted to do something different by running the competition and he hoped it grew into a popular annual event.
“We love being involved in the community and ... we just wanted to take an extra step and do something else to be fun and exciting and get some sponsors to put some prizes out there, with the hope we can turn it into something every year.”
A poster for the competition. Photo / NZME
For the inaugural competition, there is only one category (the best scone) and entrants must enter five scones on the morning of the competition (one for each judge).
“I would like, if we find something great, to put it on the menu,” Tyler said.
There are prizes for first, second and third including a KitchenAid mixer valued at $899 for first place.
While unlikely to hit the cap, the competition will be restricted to a maximum of 100 entrants.
The Local Cafe has been running for two years on Gloucester St.
Cheese scones and mushroom and truffle scones are the best sellers at the cafe, but the owners say their favourite is the Greek-style sconakopita with feta, spinach and mint.
Two more judges are still needed for the contest, preferably people who are well-known in the community. Email jeff@thelocalcafe.co.nz if interested.
Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.
