Cafe's mouth-watering dish makes NZ finals

Capers Epicurean staff Julie Todd, left, Christie Young, Stephanie Davies and Matthew Semple are delighted with the Rotorua cafe's latest accolade Photo / Andrew warner

Capers Epicurean's new signature dish is more than enough to make the punters drool - and it's also been enough to see it named as one of three finalists in its category of the New Zealand Cafe of the Year awards.

Now staff are hoping the Southern-style corn bread with cinnamon poached black dorris plums, candied bacon and orange creme fraiche also is enough to wow the judges, who will be visiting over the next month ahead of the national winner being announced.

The popular Rotorua cafe is the only one in the city to be named a finalist, up against a Tauranga and an Auckland cafe in the upper North Island category of the awards.

Business development manager Megan Douglas said the cafe had made the finals through a public voting process.

"It is really thanks to our loyal customers and lots of locals, who went out of their way to vote for us."

She said they had been watching the voting "like hawks" and were really pleased to have made the finals.

Some time over the next month, mystery judges will visit to evaluate the cafe on the four pages of judging criteria.

Ms Douglas said staff were a little on edge about the judging but it would largely be business as usual.

"We hope we are [up to that standard] all the time."

Since opening in 2001, Capers has established itself as a well-known Rotorua cafe - something Ms Douglas said was down to "good service, good food and good prices".

"I think it has a nice atmosphere, people feel welcome and the staff are friendly and smiley," she said.