Published: 2 October 2026
Te Kākano Community Café is bringing people together in Moerā, offering an affordable place to share kai, connect and feel at home.
Based at Te Kākano o Te Aroha Marae on Randwick Road, the café opens every Wednesday from 9.30am to 1.30pm.
The idea is simple: provide good, affordable kai while creating a relaxed place where people can meet friends, make new connections and enjoy a kōrero.
The café has already become a regular stop for people living nearby, including seniors who can enjoy lunch without spending too much.
Fresh food is made on the day, with the menu typically including two types of scones, homemade soup and cake. The café also offers toasted sandwiches and hot drinks, with prices kept low so more people can take part.
Café Manager Sheree Freeman says she wanted to create a welcoming place where members of the community could meet, connect and network.
“We welcome everyone—from local residents and kaumātua to people working nearby in the Hutt, Seaview and Petone who might stop in for a quick lunch, catch up with others or hold a hui of their own.”
Marae Manager and kuia Hine Crown adds that the community focus extends beyond the café.
“Any leftover scones or other suitable food goes into the pātaka at the marae, where kai is available for free for people who need it.”
The café’s menu is informed by ingredients available through organisations such as food rescue charity Kaibosh. A supply of pumpkins, for example, might become that week’s fresh pumpkin soup.
Lower Hutt Mayor Ken Laban recently popped in for a visit and was impressed with what he found.
“What stood out to me was the warm welcome and the strong sense of community. Te Kākano Community Café is a simple idea that brings people together over affordable kai and good conversation.”
The café is already looking at ways to build on its friendly atmosphere. One idea is to hold cooking lessons after visitors began asking how the café’s popular scones are made. Budget-friendly cooking classes could also help people learn how to make tasty meals using ingredients they already have.
Summer could bring another change, with the possibility of setting up tables, chairs and umbrellas outside the marae.
Whatever comes next, the aim remains the same: good kai, good company and a welcoming place where the Moerā community can come together.
Photo caption: Lower Hutt Mayor Ken Laban, Hine Crown and Sheree Freeman at Te Kākano Community Café.