Our Story
Former UK lawyer, interior designer and restaurateur Lloyd Rooney and his partner Kiwi farmer Mike Fraser have a knack for creating successful ventures wherever they go. After meeting in London Mike and Lloyd moved to New Zealand to set up a 2200 hectare beef and lamb farm in Wairamarama, south of Auckland, which they worked for nine years.
However Lloyd's background in hospitality was calling him and when a small coastal cafe in Northland was up for sale in 2014 they took over and transformed it into The Cove Cafe. Initially they were able to serve beef and lamb straight from their farm, which gave the cafe a 'gate to plate' authenticity.
With the Cove Cafe proving to be such a success Lloyd and Mike began spending increasingly more time in the North and fell in love with Northland. They decided to sell the farm and relocate permanently, building a house at Waipu Cove. They also purchased a farm in Maungakaramea and for several years Mike grew all the produce for the restaurants at 'The Vege Shack'. He and his team of 8 gardeners grew spray-free, organic vegetables and herbs in the rich volcanic soil. As the business grew the boys decided to focus on the restaurants themselves so sold the Vege Shack. They embraced building stronger relationships with local suppliers to ensure customers still get the 'gate to plate' experience.
Keeping it local is important to Lloyd, Mike and the team so wherever possible their ingredients including produce, seafood, meat & eggs are sourced directly from the best suppliers in the region. They wholeheartedly support local breweries and vineyards by supplying each restaurant with local beer and wine. Even offering locally produced spirits, Black Collar is based just up the road in Kerikeri.
After moving North Mike and Lloyd enjoyed exploring the area including regular visits to Whangarei where they could see the potential for more. So as the opportunities to take over more restaurants presented themselves the boys could not resist. They now have three other restaurants locally, The Quay, No8 and Loco in the Whangarei Town Basin.
The boy's continued vision for their restaurants is to bring a level of excellence in all areas, to enhance the already beautiful areas they have chosen to open. This has always started from choosing amazing locations and celebrating all aspects of the area by sourcing and supporting local wherever possible.
Watch this space for what's next!”
Our Story
The Great Highgate Trading Company Ltd was formed to manage the restaurant and farming ventures of Lloyd Rooney and Mike Fraser. The group has grown from a single restaurant, The Cove in Waipu Cove, and their beef and sheep farm, Highgate Hill in the Waikato to now include The Quay in Whangarei and The Dune in Mangawhai. Our farming ventures have also grown in recent months to include a market garden, The Vege Shack, in Maungakaramea near Whangarei in Northland.