The chefs at The Bay Taupō, from left; Francisco Braga, Jesse Kilmartin-Smith and Josh Aro. Photo / Supplied
The chefs at The Bay Taupō, from left; Francisco Braga, Jesse Kilmartin-Smith and Josh Aro. Photo / Supplied
The Bay Taupō is celebrating it's first birthday under new ownership.
Owner Josh Aro says they have already gathered a lot of support from the community in their first year and aim to provide a great local establishment where people can socialise, dine, relax and unwind.
"As new owners we are passionate about sourcing food from sustainable suppliers and growers. Almost everything is carefully hand made in house.
"We change our menu seasonally, utilising the great local fresh produce to inspire new and creative dishes."
He finds it hard to pick a favourite dish - "all our dishes are our favourites", but a few highlights to savour could include the confit duck leg in The Bay's own duck a l'orange, the slow-cooked lamb shoulder to share, creme brulee and Portuguese tart.
They have a wood-fired pizza oven where they create amazing wood-fired pizzas that are also available for takeaway, and for making their popular chilli honey cheese bread.
They work closely with local suppliers to ensure they get quality produce and can find out about new and upcoming produce, which changes with the seasons.
"There are also a lot of local forageable products." Josh says Taupō is a great place with lots of local and community support. It is located centrally, which means they can get fresh fish from Hawke's Bay and fresh fruit and veggies from the surrounding towns.
"The different clientele makes cooking a joy - tourists looking for something special and exciting to eat and the locals after something more homely and heartfelt.
The Bay Taupo has been around for more than 30 years servicing the community and travellers in Acacia Bay.
"We have raised the bar by utilising the local suppliers to create delicious meals. We listen to our patrons' feedback to help craft the menu."
This year they entered the New Zealand icecream awards and won two gold medals for their salted butterscotch and mint chocolate chip flavours.
"Our chefs come from different walks of life and combine their shared experiences to create the amazing dishes we serve."
One chef was born in Taupo and moved to Hawke's Bay to build on his knowledge and training before returning to Taupō.
Another chef was born in Portugal before moving to Switzerland to build on his career and experience, before working in Wellington and now Taupō.
A third chef was born in New Zealand before moving to Australia where he worked in Sydney and then bought a food truck in Sydney, before moving back across the Tasman.
Josh says without the support of Acacia Bay and Taupō people, they would not have a business that is thriving.
The Bay Taupō has just released a new menu and it encourages people to come across and enjoy it.
Recipe: Venison Tartar with home-made potato chips
