Neck of the Woods Beer / Food Co

About Neck of the Woods Beer / Food Co

Neck of the Woods Beer Co is a brew pub in the heart of the Tauriko business district, set on a plateau overlooking 12,000 native trees with scenic views over the Kaimai Ranges from an expansive pergola-covered deck. Made for after-work drinks, long summer afternoons or a family meal on a cold winter night, it was named the 2026 Champion Micro Brewery of New Zealand.

The beer range runs from crisp, clean lagers like Tauriko Draught and Neckable to big, juicy hazy IPAs such as Nectar and Cobra Kai, with pilsners, witbiers, sours, stouts and barrel-aged specials in between. The trophies keep coming: NZBA gold medals for P.O.E.T.S. Pale Ale and Rusty Dingo, 2026 Champion NZ West Coast IPA for Kinky M.I.L.F., and People's Choice wins for The Fae and Cobra Kai.

It is really two venues in one space. The Food Co café opens weekdays 7am–2:30pm with coffee, tea, smoothies and cabinet food, while the brewbar pours seven days from 11:30am. The kitchen turns out big breakfasts, focaccia sandwiches made with local Pocket Bakery sourdough cultured on the brewery's first beer, wagyu smash burgers, hand-stretched sourdough pizzas and a proper kids' menu — a warm, family-friendly stop for locals and passers-through alike.

Neck of the Woods Beer Co: Tauriko's Award-Winning Brewpub Among the Native Trees

Neck of the Woods Beer Co sits on the Tauriko plateau off Taitimu Road, set among 12,000 native trees with the Kaimai Ranges spread out beyond. It is a brew pub in the truest sense: a working local brewery at the front of house, a serious kitchen behind it, and an expansive pergola-covered deck in between where the views do half the entertaining. In 2026 it was named Champion Micro Brewery of New Zealand — an award that confirms what regulars already knew.

Your local brewery

The team calls it 'your local brewery', and the beer list explains why. Styles run from crisp, clean lagers — Tauriko Draught, an amber Vienna-style lager, and the dry, citrus-tinged Neckable — to big, juicy hazy IPAs like Nectar and Cobra Kai. In between you'll find a traditional pilsner with a story (The Fae is named after the brewer's late mother and uses Tauranga's Pilsen-like water with Saaz and Motueka hops), a witbier brewed with orange peel and coriander, passionfruit sours, a chocolate chipotle milk stout, and a barrel-aged Belgian IPA that spent three years in oak.

The medals have piled up quickly. P.O.E.T.S. Pale Ale and Rusty Dingo took gold at the 2026 NZ Beer Awards, with silvers for Tauriko Draught, Neckable and Fresh M.I.L.F #4 and bronze for The Hef fresh-hop hefeweizen. Kinky M.I.L.F. was crowned 2026 Champion NZ West Coast IPA, Cobra Kai won People's Choice at the NZIPA Challenge, and The Fae took the same honour at Lagerfest 2026. The tap list rotates with fresh-hop, competition and limited brews, so it always pays to ask what's pouring.

Two venues, one space

Technically one big space, Neck of the Woods opens in two halves. The Food Co café side runs Monday to Friday from 7am to 2:30pm, serving coffee, tea, smoothies and cabinet food alongside a cooked breakfast and lunch menu. Regulars text or call their coffee orders ahead — the team asks you to be specific about milk and sugar, include a name and pickup time, and reminds you an order is not confirmed until they reply by SMS.

From 11:30am the brewbar takes over and runs seven days, staying open late Wednesday through Saturday. Weekday mornings suit early risers and the office crowd; weekends belong to long lunches on the deck.

From the kitchen

Head chef Jeffery MacLean describes the menu as a melting pot of cultures and styles from the team's culinary journey — with a love of good food and hospitality as the constant ingredient. Breakfast is a highlight: the Sequoia Big Breakfast piles eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, garlic mushrooms and guacamole onto focaccia, the Dirty Sanchez puts poached eggs on buttermilk fried chicken tenders, and the Breakfast Poutine tops tater tots with cheese curds, gravy and poached eggs.

Sandwiches come on sourdough focaccia made locally in Tauriko by Pocket Bakery — cultured, fittingly, with yeast from the brewery's first beer. From midday the menu turns pub-classic: wagyu smash burgers served with fries and gravy dip (The Beast doubles up with bacon and BBQ sauce), hand-stretched 12-inch sourdough pizzas like the Three Little Piggies with pulled pork and crackling, and share plates from cheesy garlic bread knots to chicharrónes with rosemary salt.

Families are well looked after. The kids' menu (12 and under) serves mini cheeseburgers, nuggets, mac n cheese and cheese pizza under names like 'I Don't Know' and 'When Are We Leaving?', finishing with an ice cream sundae. Vegetarian, vegan, spicy and gluten-free dishes are flagged, and GF buns are available.

Plan your visit

Come for after-work drinks, a long summer afternoon on the deck, or a family meal on a cold winter night — the pergola cover keeps the view on the menu year-round. The café side can also be hired for functions on weekday afternoons after 2pm and on weekends; enquire by email. Locals and passers-through alike are invited to drop in, say hi, try some of their delicious food and beverages, and relax a while. It is their neck of the woods — but they are happy to share it.

Signature items

• Cobra Kai – Hazy NZ IPA
• Kinky M.I.L.F. – WCIPA
• Sequoia Big Breakfast
• Wagyu Smash Cheeseburger
• Breakfast Poutine
• Three Little Piggies

Menu

Pizzas

• Sausage Fest — Pepperoni, chorizo & sausage on tomato marinara.
• Truff Love — Truffled mushroom, prosciutto & rocket with feta whip.
• Three Little Piggies — Pulled pork, crackling, bacon bits, pickled onion, apple & jalapeño salsa, BBQ sauce.
• Arti Chick — Artichoke, roast chicken, pesto, tomato & rocket on marinara.
• Garden Party — Caramelised onion, roasted pumpkin & rocket on hand-stretched sourdough.

Burgers

• Wagyu Smash Cheeseburger — Smashed wagyu patty, NOTW pickles, American cheese, caramelised onion, chipotle aioli & smoked ketchup; gravy dip.
• The Beast — Two smashed wagyu patties, bacon, mesclun, tomato, guacamole, aioli & BBQ sauce on a brioche sourdough bun.
• Prawn Star — Wagyu smash patty with adobo chipotle peppers, smoked house ketchup & sriracha coleslaw.
• Papi-Chulo — A signature wagyu smash burger & fries build from the NOTW kitchen.

To Share

• Cheesy Garlic Bread Knots — Sourdough with confit garlic, feta whip & parsley.
• Chicken Nibbles — A bowl of nibbles with mango jalapeño, Korean BBQ, hot honey or honey soy sauce.
• Cauliflower Bites — Fried cauliflower in NOTW house spices with a tzatziki dip.
• Chicharrónes — Deep-fried pork skin with rosemary salt.
• Jalapeño Poppers — Jalapeños filled with feta whip.
• Gravy Dip & Fries — Fries served with a rich gravy for dipping.

Breakfast

• Sequoia Big Breakfast — Eggs your style, bacon, sausage, hash browns, garlic mushrooms, guacamole & caramelised onion on focaccia.
• Hash Eggs Bene — Two poached eggs on hash browns with hollandaise; choose bacon, garlic mushrooms or salmon.
• Dirty Sanchez — Poached eggs on NOTW buttermilk fried chicken tenders with bacon bits, chipotle aioli, guacamole & fresh salsa.
• Scrambled Fry Up — Scrambled eggs with spicy chorizo, feta, mini hash browns & roast peppers on sourdough focaccia with chilli oil.
• Sweet Waffles — Two waffles with caramelised banana, streaky bacon, maple syrup & whipped cream.
• Breakfast Poutine — Tatertot mini hash browns with cheese curds, brown gravy, bacon bits, poached eggs, hollandaise & spring onions.

Sandwiches

• Roast Chicken & Avo — Roast chicken, coleslaw, avocado, rocket, tomato, roast red pepper, cheddar & aioli on focaccia.
• BBQ Pulled Pork — BBQ pulled pork with aioli & coleslaw on focaccia.
• Chipotle Beef Brisket — Slow-cooked brisket, roast red peppers & tomato, chipotle aioli, rocket & fried shallots.
• Reuben — Corned silverside beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, thousand island dressing & pickles.
• Roast Vege — Eggplant pickle, rocket, tomato, roast red peppers, marinated artichoke & vegan pesto.

Breakfast Add-Ons

• Two Eggs — Add two eggs, any style, to your breakfast.
• Hash Brown — An extra hash brown on the side.
• Guacamole — A side of house guacamole.
• Two Bacon Rashers — Extra streaky bacon.
• Jalapeños — A spicy kick for any breakfast.
• Two Sausages — Extra sausages on the side.
• Garlic Shrooms — Garlic mushrooms as a side.
• Chorizo — Spicy chorizo added to your dish.

On Tap – Craft Beer

• Tauriko Draught – Draught 4.5% — Amber Vienna-style lager; toasted malt, light caramel, crisp finish. NZBA silver.
• Neckable – Lager 4.5% — Clean, dry lager with subtle NZH111 citrus. Lagerfest 2025 People's Choice.
• The Fae – Pilsner 3.8% — Saaz & Motueka pilsner with noble spice & minerality. Lagerfest 2026 People's Choice.
• P.O.E.T.S. – Pale Ale 4.7% — Citrus, melon & candied grape from Citra, Simcoe, Centennial & Nelson Sauvin. NZBA gold.
• Nectar 2 – Hazy NZ IPA 5.9% — Tropical Nectaron, passionfruit Nelson Sauvin and a bright Cryo Cascade kick.
• Kinky M.I.L.F – WCIPA 6.3% — 2026 Champion NZ West Coast IPA; bold Cryo Strata, Simcoe, Mosaic & Nelson Sauvin.
• Blood Moon – Choc Chipotle Milk Stout 5.5% — Roasted malt, creamy lactose, velvety chocolate and lingering chipotle smoke.
• Sylvan – Witbier 4.7% — Wheat, orange peel & coriander; soft, zesty and delicately floral.
• Grasshopper 2 – Low Alc Pale Ale 2.5% — Stone fruit, pineapple & citrus from Nectaron and Comet; crisp and easy-going.
• Cobra Kai – Hazy NZIPA 5.8% — Riwaka, Motueka, Nelson Sauvin & Kohatu; passionfruit, mango, pineapple. 2026 People's Choice.
• Elixir: Eye of Newt – Passionfruit Sour 5.8% — Bright tropical tartness and a lively sour finish.
• Elixir: Mandrake – Golden Gooseberry Gose 4.0% — Golden kiwifruit tartness with salt, vanilla and a tarragon twist. Brewed for Beervana.
• Rusty Dingo – American Brown Ale 5.6% — Citrus, pine & resin over rich toasted malt. NZBA gold.
• The Hef – Fresh Hop Hefeweizen 5.4% — Lifted banana with mango & papaya from fresh Superdelic hops. NZBA bronze.
• Howlin – Hazy Pale Ale 5.3% — Nectarine, apricot, citrus & lime zest on a soft, cloudlike hazy base.
• Eclipse – Chocolate Passionfruit Milk Stout 6.0% — Velvety chocolate from dark malts & cocoa husks with bright passionfruit.
• Noctis – Choc Liquorice Milk Stout 5.5% — Silky milk chocolate, roasted malt and star anise liquorice spice.
• Nectar – Hazy NZ IPA 6.2% — Ripe nectarine and apricot with citrus & lime zest; soft, lush, all-NZ hops.
• Fresh M.I.L.F #4 – Fresh Hop IPA 6.3% — Fresh Riwaka citrus and tropical notes, crisp and clean. NZBA silver.
• M.I.L.F #3 – Fresh Hop IPA 6.1% — Pineapple and candied lemon over a light, crisp pilsner base.
• Rascal – Hazy Pale Ale 5.3% — Ripe tropical fruit, citrus and a stonefruit wink; barely-there bitterness.
• Cabin Fever – Barrel Aged Belgian IPA 7.0% — Three years in oak; toasted oak, vanilla, spice, pear and pepper.
• Grasshopper – Hazy Low Alc 2.2% — Mango, pineapple & passionfruit aromas; soft, smooth and refreshingly light.

Kids Menu (12 & Under)

• I Don't Know — Mini cheeseburger & fries.
• I Don't Care — Chicken nuggets & fries.
• I'm Not Hungry — Mac n cheese.
• When Are We Leaving? — Cheese pizza.
• I'm Bored — Ice cream sundae with chocolate & caramel sauce.
• 6-7 Whatever — Half eggs bene — one poached egg on hash brown with bacon & hollandaise.
• Can I Have Your Phone? — Waffle with caramelised banana, streaky bacon, maple syrup & whipped cream.

Café – Coffee & Cabinet

• Barista Coffee & Tea — Coffee and tea at the Food Co counter; text-ahead orders welcome.
• Smoothies — Smoothies from the café side, weekdays.
• Cabinet Food — Cooked breakfast & lunch options from the cabinet, weekdays 7am–2:30pm.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Neck of the Woods Beer Co?

50 Taitimu Road, Omanawa 3110 — on the Tauriko plateau above the business district, overlooking 12,000 native trees with views over the Kaimais.

What are the opening hours?

The brewbar is open 7 days: Mon–Tue 11:30am–8:30pm, Wed 11:30am–9pm, Thu 11:30am–9:30pm, Fri 11:30am–10pm, Sat 10am–10pm, Sun 10am–8:30pm. The café runs weekdays 7am–2:30pm.

Can I book a table?

Yes — call 022 467 1122 for restaurant bookings.

Is it family friendly?

Very. There's a kids' menu for 12 & under (mini cheeseburger, nuggets, mac n cheese, cheese pizza and an ice cream sundae), and the venue is set up for family meals in any season.

Are there gluten-free or vegan options?

The menu flags vegetarian, vegan, spicy and gluten-free dishes, and gluten-free buns are available. Note the kitchen uses shared equipment and cannot guarantee a completely gluten-free environment.

Do you host functions?

Yes — the café side is hired out on weekdays after 2pm and on weekends. Email [email protected] to enquire.

Can I order coffee ahead?

Yes — text or call 022 467 1122 with your order, a name and a pickup time. Orders aren't confirmed until you receive an SMS reply.

Tips

• {"body":"Text or call 022 467 1122 with your order, a name and a pickup time — it isn't confirmed until you get an SMS reply.","title":"Text your coffee order"}
• {"body":"The café runs weekdays 7am–2:30pm; the brewbar pours from 11:30am daily. Early birds should aim for the café side.","title":"Know the two halves"}
• {"body":"The beer range rotates with fresh-hop, competition and limited brews — staff can point you to what's pouring today.","title":"Ask what's on tap"}
• {"body":"Grab a table on the pergola-covered deck for the Kaimai views; the cover makes it comfortable in cooler months too.","title":"Chase the view"}
• {"body":"Call 022 467 1122 for restaurant bookings, or email [email protected] about hiring the café for weekday-afternoon and weekend functions.","title":"Book or hire the space"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Dedicated kids' menu for 12 & under, from mini cheeseburgers to ice cream sundaes; family-friendly year-round.","dietary":"Vegetarian, vegan, spicy and gluten-free dishes are flagged; GF buns available. Shared kitchen, so no guaranteed gluten-free environment."}