An Southland cafe has been judged the country's best café in the 2012-13 New Zealand Best Café Awards announced today by Cafe magazine.

The awards, now in their 12th year, has seen Mrs Clark's Cafe in Riverton take top honours, ahead of Mavis & Co. in Hamilton, a relative newcomer to the cafe scene. The top winners and runners-up were announced for 25 regions throughout New Zealand. Cafes are judged anonymously by independent reviewers.

Mrs Clark's, named after its owner more than a century ago when the historic old building was the local grocery store and bakery, is run by Cazna Gilder and her husband Pat.

Mrs Gilder said she felt emotional about the award.

"I'm pretty proud - it's been five years of hard work for us and we've had lots of community support.''

In fact, today was the first day the cafe has been closed for a month. The Gilders felt they deserved a break after a busy school holiday.

Awards chief judge Michael Guy said the café had put the tiny town of Riverton firmly on the map as a great café destination.

"Mrs Clark's has all the hallmarks of a great destination café where you come away having had a fantastic experience as far as the ambience, service, food and coffee are concerned," Mr Guy said. "With lots of hard work they have created an extremely successful venture with around 80% of its customers the locals."

Results: 

Northland

Winner: Nectar Café - Whangarei.

Runner-up: Café Blue, Kerikeri .

 

North Auckland

Winner: Chocolate Brown - Warkworth.

Runner-up: Bennett's - Mangawhai.  

Hokianga

Winner: Elle Cee - Ruawai.

Runner-up: Waterline Café - Kohukohu.  

Auckland

Winner: Takapuna Beach Café.

Runner-up: Grey's Ave Deli.  

The Coromandel

Winner: Colenso - Whenuakite.

Runner-up: Success Café - Coromandel.  

Waikato

Winner: Mavis & Co. - Hamilton.

Runner-up: Workman's - Matamata.

Bay of Plenty

Winner: Grindz - Tauranga.

Runner-up: Bravo - Tauranga.

Rotorua

Winner: Third Place.

Runner-up: Capers.  

Gisborne

Winner: Zest.

Runner-up: Bookshop Café.

Hawke's Bay

Winner: Opera Kitchen - Havelock North.

Runner-up: Groove Kitchen - Napier.  

Central North

Winner: Café Replete. - Taupo.

Runner-up: Piccolo - Taupo.  

Taranaki

Winner: Elixir Café.

Runner-up: Sugar Juice - Opunake.  

Wanganui

Winner: Jolt Coffee House.

Runner-up: The Flying Fox.

Manawatu

Winner: Tomato Café.

Runner-up: Barista - Palmerston North.

Wairarapa

Winner: The French Baker - Greytown.

Runner-up: Café Medici - Martinborough.

Wellington

Maranui Café - Lyall Bay.

Runner-up: Café Caribe - Brooklyn.  

Marlborough

Winner: Raupo - Blenheim.

Runner-up: CPR - Blenheim.

Nelson

Winner: Morrison Street Café - Nelson.

Runner-up: Deville - Nelson.

North Canterbury

Winner: Nor'wester Café - Amberly.

Runner-up: Crema Cafe.

Canterbury

Winner: Under the Red Verandah - Christchurch.

Runner-up: Black Betty.

McKenzie Country

Winner: Arthur Street Café - Timaru.

Runner-up: Verde Café - Geraldine.                                                                                

Otago/North Otago

Winner: Nova Café - Dunedin.

Runner-up: Riverstone Kitchen - Oamaru.

Central Otago

Winner: Vudu - Queenstown.

Runner-up: Vesta Café - Queenstown.

Southland

Winner: Mrs Clark's Café - Riverton.

Runner-up: The Batch Café - Invercargill.

West Coast

Winner: DP1 - Greymouth.

Clocktower Café - Hokitika.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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