Country Bake Ruakaka — Restaurant in Northland

2024 provided nothing but hardship and tribulation - everyone’s leaving the country, the welcoming of a recession, the lacklustre of buying a home, Taylor Swift stealing the Grammys from Lana. We went to Ruakaka in the new year to escape the oculus we call reality and leave 2024 behind. However, the weather also visited and casted one heck of mood dampener just to piss on faces before we entered 2025. There was one shining light on that trip, and perhaps the entire year however. That light came from Country Bake. I don’t exaggerate so when I say this is one of, if not, the best bakery I went to, then I mean it (and I’m a Taurus, that surely has some weight). I tried the bacon quiche, steak and cheese pie, creamy chicken pie and curry roll. The pastry had the flakiest top with the base having that pleasantly slight chew. Perfect duo. The pie fillings was the right amount of richness to give body and taste to the pies without being heavy. The egg was fluffy in the quiche. The bacon was the good kind - not the cheap ham looking replacement you often get. The bacon also had a nice crisp on the top too. The curry roll was THE best I’ve ever had. It wasn’t a roll with a curry flavouring but curry in a freaking roll. I will be yearning for that roll my whole life.

So despite the misfortune which was 2024, this place slapped so hard I rolled my eyes back all the way into 2025 with love and optimism. I will miss you. Compliments to the chef.

TL;DR: this place is amazing. I feel like anything you will get here will make your heart smile. For recommendations: the bacon quiche, creamy chicken pie, steak and cheese pie,...

Have eaten here several times but the business has developed a careless attitude and the food? Bland. A sit down eat had us having to go find the coffee and tea we ordered. They left it sitting on the counter, couldn't be bothered bringing it to the table. It's not like they were rushed off their feet. The cup of tea ended up half a cup as for the food, the "southern fried" chicken seemed to have missed every herb and spice, it was chook dipped in flour and tossed into a vat of fat? The steak pie must have been put in the wrong shelf as it was steak alright, with kidney. These guys are tied into the same cafe at Marsden Cove, I wrote a stinker of a review there after going back yet again and ending up with the same garbage but Ruakaka seemed different. That's...

Hello my name is Erin my wife and I came into your shop this morning and got breakfast. I wouldn't normally do this because normally I don't care too much about things but I was so impressed with your food your guys customer service and the young man art that dealt with us this morning I had to message you. The honesty that arts showed to us over we were overcharged was phenomenal not only was impressed by this this doesn't happen anywhere any more. Thank you very much for a awesome dining experience I will definitely recommend you to everybody I know and definitely be back in the future. Erin and jen...