Spread the word – Brownbutter Bakery and Cafe
Last spring, the Brownbutter bakery and café opened at Masterton Golf Club. Rumours of moreish pastries, sweet treats and tasty lunches spread faster than you can say mascarpone custard doughnut.
Putting the pastries and the menu to one side for a moment, the café has the relaxed friendly feel all neighbourhood cafés should have. Spacious, light and airy inside; golf memorabilia and a photo or two of historic golfing champs on the wall will intrigue even non-golfers. Fresh flowers are on every table, with some bunches for sale, and there’s a tantalising aroma of warm pastry in the air. Wide windows frame a peaceful view of trees, lawn and mountains. On a warm day, outside tables beckon..
At the counter, you’re faced with delicious choice – sweet or savoury; golden-brown, flakey croissants or buttery Danish pastries, sugary doughnuts or herbed focaccia. A blackboard menu offers four tasty dishes. Everything here is made from scratch, and where possible, from locally sourced ingredients.
And here, local means very local, with eggs, olive oil, fruit and vege delivered fresh and direct from a grower just down the road. Customers too, often bring in fruit from their gardens to see what delights chefs/owners Jime Norbu and Zoe Paris can make with them. When we called in, Zoe had plans for a windfall of blood peaches and figs. “We change the menu every week – we are excited about the food, and our customers have been excited about it too,” she says.
And if you are wondering about the name, brown butter is the cooking technique of gently heating butter until the milk solids caramelise. “We use a lot of it in both sweet and savoury dishes. It’s delicious!” says Jime.
Moving from Wellington to the Wairarapa, the couple’s original plan was to start small, build a following with a catering business, then set up a café. “We contacted sports clubs for work and Masterton Golf Club got back to us, to say this space was available. We could instantly see it would work for us.”
Initially, they underestimated local love of a good café. “We thought at first it would be small enough to run by ourselves. We soon realised we needed staff!”
Their CVs read like a roll call of beloved restaurants and cafes. They met when Jime was Head Chef at Wellington’s cherished The Larder. Zoe also worked at Myrtle, a capital favourite; and at renowned Wharekauhau Lodge. Her overseas experience includes a stint at the two Michelin-starred Whatley Manor in the Cotswolds.
Zoe grew up in Masterton, and the pull of home, plus the couple’s desire to go into business for themselves drew them to the Wairarapa. “We have found a huge community here; it’s one of the reasons we moved.... starting our own small business didn’t feel so out of reach.
“Where we are is a great place for families – there’s no busy road, and it feels homely. We hope people come here and feel they can relax. We get locals, nurses and visitors to the hospital who want a break from the hospital setting.
“I wanted to make this a place my Mum or I would have liked to have come to when I was growing up here,” says Zoe.
Zoe and Jime are also available for catering, depending on availability. Pre-book to treat your whanau or team to a morning tea box of pastries.
Brownbutter, 1 Boltons Road, Masterton. Open Thurs-Sun, 9am-4.30 in summer. Winter hours: café closes at 3.30pm.
