Travel bites: This New Zealand luxury lodge's biscuits are loved by rockstars and royalty

When staying at five-star accommodation, certain amenities are a given – a plush robe, posh toiletries, a well-stocked minibar.

I recently spent a night at one of New Zealand’s top lodges, Wharekauhau on the southern Wairarapa coast. It had all the luxuries you would expect of the place .

But it also had a secret weapon. Every room comes with a jar of homemade shortbread biscuits – and it’s this humble treat the rich and famous guests go crazy for.

Wharekauhau general manager Richard Rooney told me international media writing about the lodge after the royals’ visit homed in on the detail of the cookie jar that may have tempted them.

“I’d sent them some nice pictures of the lodge,” he recalled of one tabloid’s coverage. “Instead they did this big feature on the shortbread.”

Curious to see what the fuss was about, when I stepped inside my cottage suite, I made a beeline for the biscuits. A note attached to the jar shared the history of the “famous Wharekauhau shortbread cookies”.

Wharekauhau is set on one of New Zealand’s oldest working sheep stations. The Eglington family built the original homestead on the site of the current lodge in 1851.

Back in the day, Mrs Eglington used to make shortbread for the shepherds and farmhands as a treat for their afternoon smoko, rewarding them for a long day helping her husband work the land.

Carrying on this rural tradition, shortbread has been served to guests ever since the lodge opened in 1998.

In place of the usual fork pricks, Wharekauhau’s shortbread bears a distinctive stamp. The U-shaped symbol represents a rowlock found on a boat, in another nod to its farming history.

In the 19th century, the farm would export its wool bales by loading them onto longboats and rowing them out to a waiting ship. When a law was passed requiring all wool to carry a brand, a quick-thinking Wharekauhau farmworker grabbed a rowlock and dipped it in paint, creating a crude stamp.

But that’s enough biscuit background – what do they taste like?

They’re beautifully buttery and oh-so-soft, with a sprinkle of sugar providing just the right amount of sweetness. They melt in your mouth. In fact, a whole jar’s worth of biscuits melted in my mouth. But no matter – it’s replenished daily.

The good news is you can enjoy them at home, too. After having the recipe requested by “rockstars and royalty,” over the years, Wharekauhau has kindly shared it with the world.

Here’s an insider tip – executive chef Norka Mella Munoz says the secret to perfect shortbread is to not overwork the dough, and always chill it thoroughly before baking.

250g cold unsalted butter

125g caster sugar

100g cornflour

1 tsp vanilla essence

250g plain flour

Cream butter and sugar, add vanilla, sift in flour and cornflour. Bring together by hand to a smooth dough.

Wrap in cling-film and let rest in refrigerator for a minimum of one hour or overnight.

Roll out to 1cm thick and cut to desired shape.

Bake 150C for 20-25 minutes (best when not browned or only slightly coloured).

Dust with caster sugar while hot.

Wharekauhau is a 90-minute drive from Wellington or a 10-minute helicopter ride. The lodge can arrange transfers.

Lodge and cottage suite pricing starts from $1650 per solo guest or $2295 per couple in winter. Rates include breakfast, nightly multi-course dinners and pre-dinner drinks and canapes. For more information, visit

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