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This week we pull in at The Corner Stone Café — the spot you’ll miss if you’re flying through… but once you find it, you’ll plan your drives around it.

We sit down with Phillippa, the owner, for a proper yarn about how the café came to be, what makes a great customer (and what definitely doesn’t), and why hospitality is harder than most people realise — especially when you’re running off septic, dealing with staffing shortages, and somehow still keeping standards sky-high.

We get into:

What makes Cornerstone such a destination (garden walk, shop next door, kids’ park, heaps of seating)

The reality of running a café in a semi-rural spot

Takeaway cups, lids, recycling rules, and why “wash don’t squash” actually matters

How they handle food scraps (compost, pig scraps, worm farm) and manage waste behind the scenes

Why good service isn’t “extra” — it’s the whole point

And yes… the corn fritters (with or without maple syrup — we’ll let you decide)

If you’re heading to the Coromandel, Tauranga, Hamilton or anywhere through Ngatea — this one’s your next stop.

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