If you're adventurous with your scones, don't pass through the beachside town of Urenui without visiting The Old Town Hall Cafe.
Jo Watson runs the tea room from her historic home and so far has created no less than 130 different unique scone flavours. She's working to create 150 flavours by December and scoop a Guinness World Record.
Scones at The Old Town Hall Café & Tea Room, Urenui. Photo: Old Town Hall Café & Tea Room, Urenui.
Jo grew up in the south of England where Devonshire teas were really popular, and three years ago she opened The Old Town Hall Cafe with a plan to specialise in those.
But although she thought real clotted clean would be her cafe's point of difference, the generous range of scone flavours turned out to be Jo's best drawcard.
Now the Old Town Hall Cafe sells a number of varieties each day, including their signature - Double Ginger and Pear with lemon curd and homemade coffee cream.
On the menu the day before Jo spoke to Jesse Mulligan, the scones on offer were: Apricot & Cream Cheese, Cheese & Slow-roasted Garlic, Date & Crystallised Ginger and Date & Cinnamon ('cause Kiwis love date scones).
Jo Watson of The Old Town Hall Cafe in Urenui Photo: The Old Town Hall Cafe / Facebook
It wasn't until Jo realised that she'd already created 80 unique scone varieties that she started wondering if there was a world record for it.
She discovered that an English couple named Jackie and Colin Nevin were registered with the World Record Academy for producing 99 different varieties of scones, but there is no such Guinness World Record.
To help Jo reach her record-setting goal of 150 scone unique varieties by December, her stepson and "righthand man" Matthew is coming up with new flavours, too.
He recently devised eight scone flavours that represent the earth's elements, including Fire (Jalapeno & Cayenne pepper) and Earth (Kawakawa & Hazelnut).
Even though the number of scone varieties Jo has created is now "bonkers", she says, each new flavour combination must be appealing.
"[Our scone flavours] have to make sense. They must be delicious. They must be tasty."
