Ōtau Ridge: A village within a village

How Ōtau Ridge has been welcomed by the Clevedon community

Nestled on the outer eastern edge of Auckland, Clevedon is a quintessential New Zealand rural village community, with sheep and beef farms dotted across rolling countryside.

Renowned for its boutique village lifestyle and artisan shops, this quaint community has embraced a new entrant. Metlifecare’s Ōtau Ridge retirement village has slowly but surely risen out of the ground, to become a village, alongside the village.

We spoke to local business owners, Jenny Sinclair from Clevedon Gourmet bakery, and Gavin and Megan Gower from Thistle Park Beef, to hear their personal perspectives on how this new member of the Clevedon community has been embraced.

Remember the English nursery rhyme Rub-a-dub-dub? Well, shamelessly stealing a line from this historic ditty, let’s hear from the butcher, the baker, and in this case, the village caretaker.

The baker's perspective: Jenny from Clevedon Gourmet

Jenny, the owner of popular artisan café and food store Clevedon Gourmet, was inspired to establish her business in 2023, after regularly walking her dog up the infamous ‘Clevedon Stairs’ and in the local Hunua Ranges.

"Clevedon reminds me of a close-knit community from the 1980s and ‘90s, with long-standing families who have lived in Clevedon for generations. There’s a lot of history here, and everyone is so friendly and supportive of one another," Jenny shares.

With a diverse background in sales – from selling houses to fancy French cheeses – Jenny saw the potential in opening a gourmet café and bakery in Clevedon and hasn’t looked back. Since setting up shop, she has literally watched Clevedon’s first retirement village emerge out of the ground.

"Ōtau Ridge is just across the road. Seeing a crane rise above the Clevedon fog one winter's morning was the talk of the town!" Jenny recalls.

As Ōtau Ridge developed, Jenny and her team got to know the staff who work at the village, and who frequently visit her shop to buy products and ready-made gourmet meals for their new residents.

Clevedon Gourmet is known for its artisan bread, pastries, sausage rolls, and pies, which attract customers from far and wide. "People come from all over for our pies, which are all ethically sourced wild meat pies – we’ve got goat, pork, venison and even wallaby," Jenny explains.

Jenny chooses to support local, and New Zealand made brands which mostly started out at farmers' markets and are slowly growing, rather than mass market products found in supermarkets. "We have our sourdough bread delivered fresh before the store opens from Volare, an artisan bakery in Hamilton, and our pre-cooked meals are sourced from The Red Kitchen, also located in the Waikato," she adds.

While Ōtau Ridge is a significant sized accommodation development, it is not the only one on the rise in Clevedon – with two new residential subdivisions and a retail complex on the horizon.

“Some of the older generation from Clevedon are naturally a little sceptical about the developments and the impact it will have on the rural community, whilst others are welcoming the growth in the area.”

Jenny notes that a planned new roading development will ease traffic volumes through the village, which often becomes congested on weekends, as beachgoers and fishing enthusiasts funnel through to reach the nearby Pōhutukawa Coast.

"We’re hoping the growing Ōtau Ridge retirement community might be a prompt to Council to install an eagerly awaited pedestrian crossing that locals have wanted for a very long time!" Jenny laughs.

The butcher’s perspective: Gavin and Megan from Thistle Park Beef

Gavin, the owner of Thistle Park Beef, has been a farmer all his life, coming from three generations of local farmers. He and wife, Megan, have run Thistle Park Beef, a quaint little butchery business nestled beside the Hallertau Brewery in Clevedon, for around one year.

Gavin farms his beef locally and has witnessed significant changes in Clevedon over the past five years. “Clevedon is definitely expanding, which is not surprising since we’re right on Auckland’s outer edge,” Gavin observes.

During the development of Ōtau Ridge, Gavin and Megan attended several Metlifecare-hosted workshops, aimed at keeping local businesses informed about the village’s progress and what to expect during the various construction phases.

Since the retirement village opened, they’ve noticed a small, but increasing flow of residents visiting their shop. Additionally, a planned 1.8km public walking track, soon to be integrated into the village, will pass just across the road.

"We get village residents coming in for cuts of meat suitable for one or two people meals; the sausages are a hit, and so too are our prepared meal options. We do a delicious traditional cottage pie which is a definite favourite," Gavin shares.

Thistle Park Beef prides itself on ethically raised and free-range animals. "It’s important to us that we look after our animals from birth, and they receive the best possible care throughout their lifetime. Any meat we source outside of our own farm must match the same ethical standards we choose to apply," Gavin explains.

Gavin and Megan enjoy being part of the thriving Clevedon community, which is spoilt by the sheer number of farm gate producers who make and grow fabulous products. This is evident at the local Sunday morning farmers' market, which with over 60 seasonal and permanent stalls is regarded as one of the top farmers markets in the wider Auckland region, drawing discerning visitors from far and wide.

"We think Ōtau Ridge Village is a great addition to our community. Having it here means there’s now an option for those who want to retire locally. As country people ourselves, we can’t imagine retiring anywhere except in a rural setting," Gavin says.

The village caretakers' perspective: Village Manager Rebecca Mentor

The final word goes to the “village caretaker,” who in this case is the Village Manager Rebecca Mentor. “I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to create here. It’s plush but easy living with stunning expansive views out over the green hills. The people of Clevedon are ‘salt of the earth’, and by that, I mean good folk, grounded, and who contribute quietly but meaningfully to their local community. I love coming to work at the village, in fact it’s hard to leave!”