Kaye's Bakery is a Southland owned and operated commercial bakery that has been part of Invercargill since 1978, when Evan and Lois Penniall bought the then Kaye's Kake Kitchen from a supplier of Evan's. Once Mum taught Dad to bake, as the family tells it, there was no looking back. What started in Tisbury with a staff of five is now firmly planted on Onslow Street, making as many fantastic bakery products as it can fit into a day's production.
Biscuits are what Kaye's is best known for — Anzacs, Belgiums, Chocolate Chips, Shortbread and other home-style favourites made to share — alongside slices that mean something special, like Gooey Caramel Slice, Lollie Cake and Raspberry Slice. The range has since grown to include the famous Hopgood's Mutton pie, sponges, fruit mince pies, loaves, kiwifruit export cookies, truffles and more, produced under the Kaye's and Cottrell's brands as well as for other companies in retail, wholesale and gift markets.
Locals can buy direct from the seconds shop at the Onslow Street bakery, open Monday to Friday, and home bakers can stock up on popular ingredients there too, with some larger items available for pick-up only. Kaye's also runs a busy commercial side: contract manufacturing, old-fashioned crumbing, service industry supply, fundraising support and catering for crowds.
Kaye's Bakery has been part of Invercargill's story since 1978, when Evan and Lois Penniall bought the then Kaye's Kake Kitchen from a supplier of Evan's. Once Lois taught Evan to bake, as the family story goes, there was no looking back. What began in Tisbury, Southland with a staff of five has grown into a Southland owned and operated commercial bakery, now firmly planted on Onslow Street, making as many fantastic bakery products as it can fit into a day's production.
The heart of the place hasn't changed. Kaye's recipes are based on what you would make in your own kitchen — the family just makes them on a much larger scale, because they have huge big ovens. They've kept the look of the traditional home-baked biscuit, used the best ingredients available, and stuck to a hands-on approach and a philosophy of listening to what customers have to say. Staff are treated as family too, part of what the Pennialls call the whole Kaye's Bakery Community.
Biscuits are the headline act: Anzacs, Belgiums, Chocolate Chips, Shortbread and all the other favourites, made to share from Kaye's kitchen to yours — ideally with the jug on. Alongside them sit the slices that mean something special: a towering plate of Gooey Caramel Slice, luscious Lollie Cake or an elegant Raspberry Slice, the kind of thing that signals an occasion is ready to be celebrated, or that it's simply time to treat yourself.
Over the years the range has kept growing. The famous Hopgood's Mutton pie has joined the lineup, along with sponges, fruit mince pies, loaves, kiwifruit export cookies, truffles and many other edible treats. Kaye's produces under both the Kaye's and Cottrell's brands, and also makes a whole range of items for other companies' brands in the retail, wholesale and gift markets — plus quality commercial and export goodies that carry the taste of Southland well beyond it.
Kaye's products are easy to find — there are distributors throughout all the major cities in New Zealand, plus an online shop for everything from biscuits to home-baking ingredients. But Invercargill locals get something extra: the seconds shop at the bakery itself on Onslow Street. It's open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5pm and closed on public holidays, and it's where you can pick up Kaye's bits and pieces direct from the source. If you're stocking up for a big baking day, note that some larger ingredient items are pick-up only from the Invercargill factory.
The Onslow Street operation is also a serious commercial bakery. Kaye's offers contract manufacturing, tailoring orders to specific needs and sorting out trays, packaging or labels — or working with yours. Crumbing is done the proper, old-fashioned way: first they make the biscuits, then they smash them up, producing tonnes every week in Vanilla, Arrowroot, Gingernut and Chocolate. Service-industry partners rely on Kaye's for everything from sponge cake and beyond, and the factory has even produced crumb for 10,000 cheesecakes.
Community-minded customers have options too. Sports groups and schools planning a big fundraising splash can get ingredients for large-volume treats like truffles and lamingtons, or skip the working bee entirely and on-sell Kaye's delicious bits and pieces. And when you're feeding the hordes, the catering side steps up with bumper sponges, pies and bulk sausage rolls — so you can let Kaye's do the hard work while you enjoy the compliments. They don't mind if you tell everyone you baked it yourself.
The whole thing runs on a simple idea: people are busier than they used to be, and fitting in a spot of home baking can be a challenge. So why not relax with a fantastic home-style biscuit that someone has lovingly prepared for you? No guilt necessary — Kaye's enjoys baking, and customers clearly enjoy eating. Evan, Lois and Luella Penniall remain owners and directors, supported by a management team spanning the office, the bakery floor, sales and the seconds shop. They've stayed in Southland because they love it there, and now they're bringing the best of Southland to the world. Whether you're filling the biscuit tin, shouting morning tea or planning a crowd-sized feed, Kaye's is made to share.