The PackingShed Cafe Review

I went to The PackingShed Café on Saturday for lunch. Tara gave us a voucher for a free main course and dessert and we didn't have softball till 3pm so the timing was perfect. After a nice morning spending up large at the Lyttleton farmer’s market, Mum and I headed out to 161 Early Valley Road in Tai Tapu to The PackingShed café. As we were driving I wondered how a café could survive so far out in the wops. When we got there we were greeted with a homely but modern café surrounded by farmland. Apparently they also sell fruit from the orchard during the summer months.

Seeing as we both had softball, we steered clear of the wine and stuck with a Phoenix organic juice and a Charlie’s grapefruit soda. There were lots of attractive options on the menu, including more than one vegetarian choice, but in the end we opted to share a Ploughman’s platter. It was one of the best platters I have ever had. Everything except the blue cheese (ewww) was delicious. There was bread, rice crackers, cheeses, gherkins, sundried tomatoes, and a selection of dips and spreads including sundried tomato pesto, hummus, mushrooms with mustard, caramelised onions and salsa. It wasn’t very large but it was the perfect size for me (average eater) and Mum (light eater). For dessert, we opted for a bite-sized selection for two. It took a while to come out, but a couple of minutes after Mum asked “How much longer?” it arrived. It consisted of two small pieces of four different slices from the cabinet and a shot of peach sorbet. I enjoyed the apricot caramel slice, the mudcake and the sorbet. It was good, but not amazing, and we slightly regretted not trying the chef’s special which was apricot and gooseberry crumble.

They also sell a range of pickles and sauces and we bought three bottles on the way out. We were surprised that they let us use the full value of our voucher even though we shared the main and dessert. The service was great and the food was delicious so I would highly recommend The PackingShed Café for a relaxing weekend lunch in the country. I accidentally left my black jacket at the café so now we are going to have to return again next weekend. I have made the booking already!