walls, high ceilings and sun flooded front windows. Coming back from COVID Dry Dock Cafe’s clientele has always been about half locals, half tourists (as they are near the waterfront, the I-site, art gallery, library and the bus station). Until COVID that was. Not only have they lost tourist trade, the resulting increase in people working from home affected them as well. “We appreciated the wage subsidy which meant we could keep all our staff on, and the loyalty of our regulars who have returned with a vengeance, even those who are now partly or fulltime home based.” Sandra and Roger are delighted to see the work on transforming this block of Wharf Street is proceeding as planned and Dry Dock Cafe will soon be part of a pedestrian precinct focused on hospitality. During their seven weeks enforced holiday they had time to work on the business. They have put all 13 staff, including themselves, on a four day on, two off rotation so they all get good work life balance; and Roger has time to ride his Harley Davidson! Sandra acknowledges it’s been a full-on decade; one she wouldn’t have missed for the world. “It’s a privilege to be here, to have developed the relationships we have and to feel that we have created a community at Dry Dock Cafe.” Dry Dock Cafe 6 Wharf Street, Tauranga Open 7 days.
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Dry Dock Cafe's
RASPBERRY & WHITE CHOCOLATE SLICE
1½ cups sugar 315g butter 1 egg 1½ tsp vanilla 3 cups flour 3 tsp baking powder ¾ cup white chocolate buttons, chopped 3 cups frozen raspberries Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla and beat again.
Add flour and baking powder and mix well. Press two-thirds of the mixture into a lined or greased tin (37.5cm x 27cm). Sprinkle with raspberries and white chocolate and then remaining cake mixture. Bake at 180°C for 35–40 minutes until light golden brown
