Cookie Time Bakery Shop in Templeton, Christchurch is the retail home of one of New Zealand's most loved cookie brands — a family-owned company founded in February 1983, when 21-year-old Michael Mayell and his mum delivered 70 jars of the Original Chocolate Chunk cookie to 70 Christchurch stores. Today the shop sits right next to the head office and bakery on Main South Road, a direct line into Cookie Time's world of fun, flavour and nostalgia.
Inside, the shelves are jam-packed with great-tasting products at great prices: the famous large cookies in an ever-evolving range of flavours, smaller-size treats, and the popular Bakery Imperfections range of perfectly imperfect cookies and treats that taste just as good as the rest — some say even better. It's also the place to find limited runs, fresh finds and the little surprises you won't always spot in regular stores.
Beyond cookies, the shop stocks a sweet collection of Cookie Time branded gear, from cuddly Cookie Muncher soft toys to t-shirts, socks, hoodies and gifts. The brand behind it all was named Most Trusted Cookies from 2021 to 2025, held the Guinness world record for the world's biggest cookie from 1996 to 2008, and supports the Cookie Time Charitable Trust, which has raised more than $2 million to help New Zealand children discover their gifts.
On 1 February 1983, a 21-year-old Christchurch entrepreneur named Michael Mayell and his mum delivered 70 jars of a brand-new cookie to 70 Christchurch stores. By that afternoon, the phone was ringing off the hook with new orders, and New Zealand's love affair with Cookie Time had begun. Today that story comes full circle at the Cookie Time Bakery Shop on Main South Road in Templeton, which sits right beside the company's head office and bakery — a direct line into the world of New Zealand's favourite cookies.
The early days of Cookie Time were a masterclass in making do. Chocolate was chopped up on a customised bread slicer to get those big, chunky pieces, cookie dough was portioned out with ice cream scoops, and paint scrapers were used to lift freshly baked cookies off the trays. Technology has moved on since then, but the commitment to quality products made with real chocolate and real ingredients hasn't budged.
The business Michael started remains family owned, still run by Michael and his younger brother Guy, who joined within a year of that first delivery. Along the way, Cookie Time has collected a few claims to fame: it held the Guinness Book of Records for the world's biggest cookie for 12 straight years, from 1996 through to 2008, and it has been named the Most Trusted Cookies brand from 2021 through 2025. Its grinning mascot, the Cookie Muncher, remains a favourite with kids and adults alike. People still talk about the 'all you can eat' factory tours of the 1980s — fitting for a brand created from the get-go for serious cookie munchers who appreciate quality, taste and value.
Step inside the Templeton bakery shop and you'll know straight away that this is paradise for cookie lovers. The shelves are jam-packed with great-tasting products at great prices, from the famous large cookies in an ever-evolving range of flavours to a selection of smaller-size treats, all presented in the brand's vibrant, fashionable and fun packaging.
One of the shop's biggest drawcards is the Bakery Imperfections range — perfectly imperfect cookies and treats that taste every bit as good as the rest. Some regulars say even better. It's also the place to discover limited runs, fresh finds and the little surprises you won't always spot in regular stores, which gives locals a reason to keep coming back to see what's new. What began with 70 jars hand-delivered around Christchurch has grown into a brand loved all over the world, but the Templeton shop keeps things nicely local — this is where the cookies are actually baked.
The shop is also home to a sweet collection of Cookie Time branded gear: cuddly Cookie Muncher soft toys, t-shirts, socks, hoodies and gifts that carry the cookie spirit into everyday life. Whether you're stocking up on snacks, grabbing a bargain or hunting for the perfect present, there's something here for every cookie fan.
There's a generous streak running through the brand, too. The Cookie Time Charitable Trust, established in 2003, has raised more than $2 million to help New Zealand kids discover their gifts, supporting initiatives across innovation in learning, thinking differently and physical pursuits — including funding the Dyslexia Foundation of New Zealand and becoming a KidsCan Official Partner. Sales of Cookie Time Christmas Cookies help fund the Trust each year, and the company is committed to sustainable business practices and reducing its environmental footprint.
The Christchurch Cookie Time Bakery Shop is at 789 Main South Road, Templeton, open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm and Saturday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm. You can ring the shop directly on +64 3 349 3523 or email [email protected].
Because the shop sits right next to the head office and bakery, what's on the shelves reflects what's coming fresh out of the ovens — and with flavours and sizes always evolving, no two visits need be the same. Pick up the Original Chocolate Chunk cookies that started it all, dig through the Bakery Imperfections for a bargain, and grab a Cookie Muncher soft toy on the way out. As the brand itself likes to say: it's always Cookie Time.