The Craftsman Cafe is a small, family-run cafe on 92 Bateup Road in Richmond, in the beautiful Tasman region near Nelson, New Zealand. Run by Rob and Jodi, the cafe's philosophy is simple: crafting food and drinks for a sustainable future. Everything is built around vegetables and plates made with sustainable, organic produce sourced from small local farms, with ingredients carefully and locally sourced wherever possible.
Sustainability at The Craftsman goes beyond the plate. The team works to minimise waste, single-use plastics and energy usage, pairing an organised, fair, progressive and thoughtful ethos with a comfortable, relaxed setting designed for the community.
Rob brings an impressive kitchen pedigree: he began his career cooking at prestigious locations around Chicago before moving to New Zealand, has worked at many reputable NZ restaurants, and is a Cuisine Top 100 Chef. Jodi adds two decades of experience in high-end hotels and restaurants along with a deep wine knowledge — she's the Wizard behind the cloth. The couple first made their mark at North Eatery in Upper Moutere after moving from Wellington in 2021, then opened the Richmond cafe to be closer to home once their son Koa started school in Stoke.
The cafe is open daytime hours — Monday 9:30am to 2:30pm and Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 2:30pm — serving fresh, seasonal food and some epic beverages, all delivered with genuine food with thought.
On Bateup Road in Richmond, a short drive from Nelson, The Craftsman Cafe is doing things its own way. The line on their website says it plainly: 'Crafting food and drinks for a sustainable future.' It is a small cafe with a big idea — that the best food comes from the land around it, grown by people who care, and served in a space where the community feels at home.
Rob and Jodi run the cafe as a family, alongside their son Koa. Their journey to Richmond took a few turns: the couple moved from Wellington to Nelson in 2021 with the goal of opening their own restaurant, and made a successful start at North Eatery in Upper Moutere. There they introduced themselves and their products to an amazing community, building relationships and creating a real experience for all to enjoy. When Koa started school in nearby Stoke, they wanted to be closer to home — and their new venture in Richmond was born.
The food at The Craftsman Cafe is built around vegetables and plates made with sustainable, organic produce sourced from small local farms. Ingredients are carefully and locally sourced wherever possible, and the menu moves with the seasons — what is ripe, ready and growing in the Tasman region right now. A colourful butternut salad, photographed on their site, gives a taste of the style: simple, produce-led cooking that lets good ingredients do the talking.
Drinks get the same thought. Jodi brings a deep wine knowledge from twenty years in high-end hotels and restaurants, and the team is known for what they proudly call 'some epic beverages'. Whether you are stopping in for a morning pick-me-up or settling in for a plate and a glass, the drinks are chosen with the same care as the kitchen.
Rob's cooking resume stretches a long way. He began his career cooking for prestigious locations all around Chicago before moving to New Zealand, where he met Jodi — 'and the rest is history', as they tell it. He has since worked at many reputable New Zealand restaurants and is a Cuisine Top 100 Chef. Jodi, meanwhile, is described as the Wizard behind the cloth: calm, thoughtful, and the one who keeps the whole operation humming.
Family time matters to them both. Finding a beautiful area for Koa to grow up in was essential, and the move from Upper Moutere to Richmond reflected that — a welcoming space, close to home, serving the community they had come to love.
Sustainability at The Craftsman Cafe is not a marketing line; it shapes daily decisions. The team works to minimise waste, cut out single-use plastics and reduce energy usage. The ethos pinned above it all reads: organised, fair, progressive, thoughtful. It shows in plates built on organic produce, in sourcing from small local farms rather than big supply chains, and in a menu designed to make the most of what each season offers.
Visiting is easy — and relaxed. The cafe keeps daytime hours, opening at 9:30am on Mondays and from 9am Tuesday to Saturday, with service wrapping up at 2:30pm each day. That makes it a natural stop for a late breakfast, a long lunch, or an afternoon treat while you are out and about in Richmond and the wider Tasman region.
The setting is comfortable and unhurried — the kind of place where the goal, in their words, is to bring you the best food and beverages while fulfilling both your appetite and your soul. Because the menu follows the seasons, no two visits are quite the same; it pays to check their Instagram or drop by and see what the local farms are delivering this week.
If you are in Nelson Tasman and care about where your food comes from, The Craftsman Cafe is worth the stop: organic, sustainable, delicious food made by a family who genuinely believes in thoughtful food, thoughtful drinks and serving their community.