Free to Gather & Roam
Written by Carl Muir, Images by Tia Logan
“You don’t miss out on much, but you gain so much more.” That’s how this country’s most successful fine dining duo Simon Wright and Creghan Malloy-Wright describe their sea change from Auckland to Whangamata.
After meeting in their formative years in Auckland’s hospitality scene, Simon and Creghan went on to thoroughly perfect the art of fine dining at The French Cafe over a 20 year period, to the point they were touted the fourth best fine-dining restaurant in the world. In 2018 they decided to leave Auckland behind them, and put themselves and their family first, shifting to the beach.
If they look to be thoroughly grounded in their new found coastal lifestyle, it’s probably because it was more like coming home. Creghan has holidayed in Whangamata since she was a child.
That tie to the area led to them to a property purchase in Whiritoa, and for 17 years they would travel, back & forth from Auckland to their Whiritoa bach, each weekend, after Saturday night service at The French Cafe.
Now permanently living in Whangamata, they’re a year into their new Coromandel project Gather & Roam.
Balance is a large theme of their new lifestyle. There’s plenty of quality time to spend with their 13 and 7 year old children, surfing, mountain biking plus Simon’s favourite way to unwind - walking their dog Tui on the beach. Gather & Roam is open four day’s a week for breakfast and lunch, meaning more downtime to spend on family life.
That freedom is a feeling that you instantly get entering Gather & Roam. A large surfing mural adorns the back wall. There’s a pool table to chill around. Simon is cooking in his custom food truck out the back of a chic, stylised, industrial shed.
Simon’s food at Gather & Roam hits so many home runs for Tia and I, it has quickly become our go-to lunch date. The menu is reasonably priced, and what arrives on the plate is packed full of bangin’ flavours, together with the technique and perfection that comes from someone at ‘the top of their game for so long’.
On our last visit I just had to taste the “Whitebait Sandwhich”. One of Simon’s well known dishes at The French Cafe which featured in his second cookbook. Two super thin wafers of crispy potato like bread around a beautiful whitebait filling, and a super fresh cos lettuce side “If you just mix whitebait with eggs - it’s an omlette isn’t it? I wanted to create something that took me back to that first time I had a Kiwi classic.”
Simon’s Smashed Wagyu beef burger is another go to on our visits. “It’s the same with a burger. It sounds simple. And it is. You’ve got to start with good ingredients. A good burger comes from starting everything from scratch. The product has to stand out. We have three different cuts of meat, ground two different ways. You’ve got to have the balance right and the key to that in a burger is the fat content. And keep it simple. You don’t need lettuce on a burger, you certainly don’t need beetroot!” Matched with an in house baked bun, caramelised onion, pickles and mustard - the end result is quite possibly the best burger you will eat. We’ve taken three different sets of family to Gather & Roam and the consensus is in from all - the best burger ever!
I don’t normally do dessert with lunch, but when Simon Wright is your chef, how could you not?! My first ever dining experience at Gather & Roam was rounded off with a mind bending Granny Smith Sorbet with Feijoa White Chocolate and Cinnamon - , the price, wait for it ...$12, and in recent visits a similar tribute to the mighty mandarin, a Chocolate Pannacota matched with soaked mandarin, a mandarin sorbet, a chocolate crumble and shortbread. Once again.... $12!
After five lunch dates, we had to sneak back to try the breakfast menu, and we weren’t disappointed!
Folded Egg with Spanner Crab, and Miso Mushrooms on Sourdough - amazing flavours, not often on offer in our neck of the woods.
And the icing on the cake? Well it isn’t of an edible nature! It is the service at Gather & Roam.
Creghan has assembled a finely tuned team of smiling faces, that are always at your table at the right time to make sure you are well hydrated and looked after. Just like we all want from a good regular establishment, when we arrive we always feel like family.
So what has it been like getting Gather & Roam off the ground?
“What you see now was never our original concept. It has been an organic process, and we’ve just followed our heart and gone with the flow as it has evolved.” says Creghan.
There was definitely more roaming in the original plan, the plan formed in their ‘year of freedom’ between businesses was to take Simon’s fine dining skills around the Coromandel and further afield, catering from his custom built food truck. They have several weddings and work functions booked up for the coming season and work in closely to cater events at Hillbrook Lodge.
Their current permanent location in the industrial area of Whangamata was originally intended to be a ‘man shed’ of sorts, to park up and prep in. The eventual brand name came from a realisation that their base could also be a place for locals to gather and enjoy Simon’s food there as well.
Gather & Roam was born.
“Like anyone else here in town we’re here to make a living. Your ego and what you have accomplished before, has to go out the door. And to survive we’ve had to fit in to the market place and deliver value to the town. With food, the world is your oyster, and our concept has very much been malleable. Our quest has been finding a point where fine dining meets street food. We’re really testing the waters and learning as we go.” says Simon
The first year has not come without a few speed bumps, including the latest lockdown, restrictions on dining numbers and reduced numbers in town but they both remain optimistic “challenges make you stronger. Regardless of what the outside world throws at you, you’ve always got to sit back and reanalyse your business.”
Like all dynamic duo’s both Simon and Creghan work to each others strengths “I’m the sensible one” says Creghan, “and I’m very much the dreamer” says Simon. Together it is obvious they make an exceptional team.
But like all successful people we talk to at Coromandel Goodness, it’s undeniable these are two people who don’t shy away from hard work.
Simon sums it up perfectly “Once you go into business, you have to realise the buck stops with you, and you have to be willing to do whatever it takes. It’s not just about putting amazing food on a plate, you have to be willing to get your hands dirty and wash the dishes, sweep the floors, sit down and do the bookwork. Hospitality burns people out quickly. It is physical hard work. But at the end of the day the test is whether you are looking at the clock. I can be 12 hours into a service and loving every minute of it. If you do what you love, you will never be looking at the clock again. I still love every minute of this industry.”
One thing is for sure. Whangamata and The Coromandel is definitely a better place with Gather & Roam in it! We’ll be making the regular drive to Whanga to get our dose of their goodness, whenever we can!
