A Bakery Born from Passion, Nestled Within Vanilla County

Tucked into the airy alfresco space at Vanilla County, where dappled sunlight filters through terracotta-tiled roofs and the scent of cardamom hangs in the air, is something quietly special: Taranaki.

More than just a bakery, Taranaki is a personal chapter of Vanilla County — born not out of necessity, but passion. Every loaf, every cookie, every cake that leaves our oven carries with it a story of place, patience, and purpose.

From the Mavady Hills to Mount Taranaki — A Story of Two Worlds

The name Taranaki comes from the Māori word for the iconic volcanic mountain in New Zealand’s North Island — a region known for its fertile soil, slow rhythms, and deep respect for nature. It was in that part of the world, while studying and working in kitchens across the country, that I fell in love with the kind of baking that requires presence — not perfection. Where bread is made by feel, cakes by instinct, and ingredients are treated with reverence.

That philosophy found a natural home here in the Mavady Hills, where Vanilla County stands. Both places, worlds apart, share a quietness, a sense of grounding. Naming the bakery Taranaki was a way to honour that connection — between the hills that raised me and the mountain that taught me how to slow down and bake with intention.

A Bakery Built on Feeling, Not Formulas

We don’t mass-produce. We don’t outsource. Taranaki is deliberately small — a bakery for our in-house guests only. Everything is made here, by hand, in small batches, with ingredients we truly believe in.

Our sourdough is fermented over days, shaped with care, and baked to a golden, crackling crust. Our cakes are simple, unfussy, and full of character — no fondant, no frills. And our hand-rolled cookies, served often in the afternoons with tea, have quietly developed a following of their own. Buttery, deeply aromatic, sometimes spiced, sometimes citrusy — each batch feels like a conversation with the season.

We source only the best — fresh eggs from our farm, flour we trust, spices ground right here. Even the vanilla, of course, comes from Vanilla County itself.

There are no shortcuts here, because that’s not what Taranaki is about.

Baked into the Experience

Taranaki isn’t separate from your stay — it’s woven into it. Breakfast toast is sliced from loaves still warm. Our cakes often appear, unannounced, after a swim or a spice walk. You might find cookies laid out by the breeze-filled verandah in the afternoon. Guests are welcome to peek into the bakery, to watch the quiet rhythm of things being made — or simply sit nearby with a coffee and take it all in.

We don’t sell outside. Not because we want to be exclusive, but because this bakery was never built for scale. It was built to serve the home we love, and the people who stay here.

Why We Bake

Taranaki is a space where we remember that good things take time. Where the scent of baking mingles with birdsong and the slow swirl of morning mist. It’s a place that reconnects us — to the ingredients, the craft, and to the joy of creating something real with our hands.

And at the end of the day, that’s what makes Taranaki special. Not just the bread or the cookies or the cakes — but the feeling. The sense that something warm and meaningful is always rising, quietly, right in the heart of Vanilla County.