Piopio Berry Orchard

07/10/2026

We’ve been a little quiet over winter, so we thought it was time for an update from Piopio Berry Orchard!

Firstly, a reminder that our story will be featured on Country Calendar @ 7pm on Sunday 18 October. We’re so excited to share a little of our family, our orchard and what goes on behind the scenes with the rest of New Zealand.

And the other big news… we’ll be opening again very soon! We’re hoping to open in the next few weeks, around Labour Weekend, depending on when those first strawberries are ready. We’ll announce our exact opening date as soon as we know it, so make sure you’re following us!

Winter is always quieter here, but there has been plenty happening behind the scenes.

Mike, Angela and their hard-working team have been busy getting the orchard ready, including putting up new tunnel houses. These will allow us to grow even more amazing quality berries, while helping us continue our commitment to sustainable growing and looking after the land for the future.

Mike and Angela have also had quite an adventure this winter. They spent time in London visiting their daughter Maggie, son-in-law Rhys and granddaughter Tilly, before their son Jack flew over from New York to join them. Mike and Angela then headed to Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago, a famous pilgrimage route right across northern Spain, walking almost 800km over several weeks. They then spent a week in Valencia with the family before heading home to New Zealand - a little more tired than when they left!

Back home, their daughter Jessie has been holding down the fort, busy with her four boys and their winter sports, dairy farming with her husband and rearing calves. She’s now looking forward to swapping the farm for the shop and welcoming customers back!

Mike and Angela are now back at the orchard, the team is busy getting everything ready, the plants are growing well and we’re now seeing those first strawberries ripening. And when we open, the much-loved fresh asparagus will be back too!

Remember to tune in:
Hyundai Country Calendar
Sunday 18 October | 7pm | TVNZ 1

See you very soon!
Mike, Angela, Jessie, Maggie and the team

24/04/2026

LEST WE FORGET

Today we honour the courage, sacrifice, and service of those who gave so much for our freedom.

Our family will be attending the ANZAC Memorial Service in Piopio this morning, alongside our son, Thomas, who is serving in the New Zealand Army (service starts at 10:45am on Weka Street). We warmly encourage anyone in the area to come along and pay their respects.

We usually open in the afternoon on ANZAC Day but just a reminder that due to the road closure, we are now closed for the winter.

23/04/2026

TOMORROW IS OUR FINAL DAY! 🍓 (Friday 24th April)

Due to the news today that road closures between Piopio and Mōkau (SH3 through to Taranaki) will remain until at least the 2nd May, we’ve made the call to close earlier than planned - so tomorrow will be your last chance to visit us for the season.

We’ll be open 10am – 4pm, so there’s still time to come out, enjoy some fresh berries and real fruit ice cream, and stock up before winter!

A heartfelt thank you to all our wonderful customers and our dedicated team - we truly appreciate your support. It’s what makes each season so special.

Frozen berries will still be available by prior arrangement throughout the off-season. For more information, please visit:
www.piopioberries.co.nz/contact

And just a reminder - you’ll be able to catch us on TVNZ's Hyundai Country Calendar on 18th October, so be sure to tune in!

We’ll continue sharing updates over winter, so follow along on Facebook and Instagram to see what’s happening behind the scenes.

We wish you all a great winter and look forward to seeing you again in October!

From Mike, Angela, Jessie, Maggie and the rest of the Piopio Berry Orchard team ❤

22/04/2026

🍓 WE ARE OPEN! 🍓

Despite the road closure between Piopio and Mōkau (SH3 through to New Plymouth) due to slips, Piopio Berry Orchard is OPEN!

📅 Open hours:
• Today 22nd April: we will be closing at 3pm
• Thursday 23rd April: 10am – 3pm
• Friday 24th April: 10am – 3pm

If you’re travelling via the Forgotten Highway (SH43) toward Taranaki, we’re just a quick 2 minute drive from the Eight Mile Junction turn off to Taumarunui - perfect for a berry stop and caffeine fix along the way 🍓☕

Road conditions can be checked here: https://www.waitomo.govt.nz/our-services/roading/network_status/

Come by, enjoy the fresh air, grab some delicious berries and stock up on your frozens for the winter before we close for the season - we’d love to see you!

ROAD NETWORK UPDATES - 2026     27 March 2026 Road repairs to start on three rural roads Work will start next week to restore three roads in the Waitomo District. The upgrades and repairs to sections...

13/04/2026

We’re proud to share that we are in the Anchor Signature Drink Challenge this year with our much-loved summer favourite, Smoo.

A playful twist on “smoothie” (and a nod to “moo”), Smoo is our most popular summer drink - a thick, creamy blend of Anchor blue milk, frozen yoghurt, a drizzle of honey, and our own Piopio berries.

Naturally vibrant and full of flavour, it strikes that perfect balance between indulgent and wholesome. Our berries bring freshness and depth, the yoghurt and milk create a velvety richness, and honey gently rounds it all out into something truly satisfying.

If you’d like to support us, voting is now open:
https://www.signaturedrinkchallenge.co.nz/ -section
You can vote once per day until 24 May.

There are also prizes up for grabs for those that enter!

And if you’re enjoying a Smoo (or any of the amazing entries), you can also snap, tag and share your experience on Instagram or Facebook - tag (Anchor NZ) and use . Every post is another chance to win!

Thank you for supporting us and being part of what we do here in Piopio 🍓

T&Cs at the link.

04/04/2026

Our Easter Bunny has been spotted hopping through the strawberry rows - definitely the only rabbit allowed in our patch! 😄

🍓🐰 Happy Easter from Piopio Berry Orchard!

We hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful Easter with family and friends.

Just a reminder that we are OPEN today, so feel free to pop in and see us!

With the end of daylight savings, our hours will change from this Tuesday to 9am-5pm. We’ll be operating these hours every day until we close for the winter at the end of April - so be sure to come and visit us before the season wraps up!

Don’t forget to stock up on your frozen berries before we close for winter! For more information, visit: www.piopioberries.co.nz/contact

🍓🐰