Stockist Spotlight: The Country Providore

Stockist Spotlight: The Country Providore

From strawberry farm honesty box to a true Waikato family destination with 15 years of community, careful curation, and doing things properly.

We recently spent a warm morning at The Country Providore, just off the expressway in Tamahere. What began as a working strawberry farm with a simple honesty box and a little ice-cream shop has grown into something much more special: a place where locals linger, families relax, and thoughtfully chosen products sit alongside excellent coffee and fresh baking.

Sisters Emma and Kate welcomed us in. Their story is one of family, roots, and a deliberate choice to focus on getting better rather than just bigger. Here’s what they shared.

From Strawberry Farm to Proper Local Store

Emma and Kate’s parents bought the property as a strawberry farm that had already been running for about 20 years on an honesty-box system. As teenagers and university students, the sisters helped run a small strawberry ice-cream shop on site. Emma’s final university marketing project looked at what the local area actually needed and how they could build on the existing offering, with their dad’s simple encouragement “Why don’t you do it?” was all it took.

Fifteen years ago they opened as a proper local produce store selling milk, bread, meat, eggs and groceries in what was then a very different Tamahere with no village nearby, people relied on them for their daily essentials. They kept the rustic charm of the original farm while the shop doubled in size after the first busy summer and a café Punnet was later added. Haley their older sister joined full-time, with Kate stepping up significantly when Emma had her first child eight years ago. Today all three sisters are involved in the family business.

The original strawberry farm was foundational to everything. A few years ago their dad stepped back to enjoy retirement with his grandchildren. They now work with a local grower, Matty, so customers can still enjoy beautiful, local strawberries picked fresh. They also maintain long-standing 20-year relationships with local raspberry and blueberry growers. It keeps them connected to their roots while staying realistic about what they can manage well.

A Day (and Evening) in the Life

Weekdays are driven by local families and mums their “bread and butter.” Weekends bring celebrations for baby showers, birthdays and anniversaries along with travellers popping in off the expressway.

Evenings after the kids are in bed often mean catching up on emails and orders. In peak season, pallets arrive daily and the sisters with their beekeeper husbands when they’re around, unpack and reset the shop. Both husbands run around 1,500 hives and travel to sell honey, so the sisters carry most of the school runs, sick days and family logistics. They’re open about the biggest ongoing challenge: family life balance. That’s exactly why they’ve built and empowered a strong team they trust to open and run the shop.

What Makes This Part of Waikato Special

Easy access just off the expressway, generous parking, and a proper playground that lets parents actually relax with a coffee while the kids play. It has become a genuine destination and meeting place for families rather than just a quick stop.

The mix of rustic farm charm, thoughtfully curated quality products, and warm face-to-face service creates an experience people return for — and tell others about.

The People Who Walk Through the Doors

Loyal locals who have supported them since day one. Multi-generational families are the heart of it. As Emma put it: “We’ve watched the children literally be born, and now they’re taller than us… some of them now work for us.”

Weekdays bring local mums and families. Weekends see Waikato locals plus visitors from further afield for celebrations, along with expressway travellers who “just pop in.”

Choosing Quality with Care

Emma and Kate are passionate about curation over volume. They love supporting small, local makers who have real stories and make products that last. One example they gave was Nature Baby clothing that survives multiple children versus cheap fast-fashion that doesn’t. Quality and provenance matter more than price. Customers respond to the care and the story behind every item.

A 15-Year Partnership with Volare

Volare has been a day-one partner — stocked since the very beginning when the shop was more deli-style. The relationship started at the local farmers markets with Ryan. It perfectly matched their values: local, artisan, high-quality products with a story. Even as they refined their range over the years (dropping some fresh produce lines), Volare has remained a constant, trusted staple.

Hot cross buns are a standout at Easter. Christmas pre-orders for breads and especially croissants (almond croissants are particularly loved) create huge excitement — Christmas Eve is one of the busiest and most joyful days. They’re keen to explore more Volare lines that work with their pre-order / “finish at home” model for Christmas morning.

Highlights, Challenges & What Really Matters

Highlights include the deep community connection and multi-generational loyalty, building a true family destination with the playground, watching the business evolve while staying true to its roots, the resilience and unexpected positives that came from COVID, website, online reach, clearer focus, and strong supplier relationships.

Challenges centre on balancing young families with a demanding retail business, especially with beekeeper husbands traveling, managing short-shelf-life products, moving from “bigger” to “better”, and trusting the team while still staying hands-on with range, orders and emails often late at night.

What’s Next?

Continued focus on “getting better, not bigger”, refining the range and in-store experience, beautiful merchandising, and outstanding face-to-face service. They want the physical store and online shop to progress together while never losing the personal, destination feel. With young children of their own, they’re conscious of creating a place that works for families. They remain open to thoughtful collaborations that fit their values.

If you’re in the Waikato and looking for a proper local outing, The Country Providore is well worth the stop. Great coffee, excellent Volare bread and pastries, a playground the kids will love, and that rare feeling of being genuinely welcomed.

We’re proud to have been part of their shelves for 15 years and look forward to many more.