Zephyr Wainui is a plant-based café at 4 Oneroa Road in Kaiti, Gisborne, a short way from Wainui Beach. It opened in December 2020 in the old Wainui Store, a classic New Zealand dairy, and the owners kept the building's character while fitting it out as a café. Its menu is 100 per cent plant-based, with organic, locally sourced ingredients, and it also offers grass-fed meats and organic dairy for people who prefer animal food. Vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and dairy-free meals are all on offer. The café serves organic coffee roasted by Far East Coffee Co, along with smoothies, specialty drinks, and organic dairy and plant-based milks. The menu changes with the seasons.
The café also sells plant-based groceries, its house-made aioli, and hemp Zephyr apparel. Zephyr says it composts, recycles and uses eco-friendly products. It describes its space as a place to catch up with friends, read, bring the family, or get some work done. Our pick in Gisborne for an organic coffee and a plant-based lunch.