Ten years of Tomboy comes to an end

Ten years of Tomboy comes to an end

Much loved local café Tomboy has changed hands after a decade. Jane O’Loughlin paid a visit.

After 10 years operating Tomboy café in Mt Victoria, Kate Bresolin has seen a lot of local life taking place.

“In 10 years I've watchd kids be born and grow up. I've watched people on first dates evolve into marriage and a baby. I've had conversations with people through so many different parts of their lives.”

But now it’s time to move on.  A health scare for Kate involving two lots of heart surgery made her think she needed to re-think her lifestyle.

The café has been sold and is under new ownership: 23 August was the last day under the Tomboy name.

The last weeks were busy as the word got out and fans headed in to say their goodbyes.

But Tomboy’s baking has often had people lining up out the door on the weekends for a treat.  Asked for the most popular item, the list is long - responses from Kate and the staff include cheese scones, the donuts, the ginger loaf, and the bacon and egg pie (“People don’t realise how much butter is in it.”)

The bacon and egg pie was a recipe from Kate’s mother Lynsey.  Until a couple of years ago she was an integral part of the business, helping with “accounts and the dishes and backrubs and wiping away tears when I was overwhelmed.” Now, sadly, Kate’s “tower of strength” has Alzheimer’s and is looked after in a home.

Tomboy has always been a family business, with Kate’s father, Zukov, a very familiar and friendly ‘front of house’ face for Mt Vic patrons.  He made a point of getting to know names, ensured people could find a seat and were given a glass of water, and would happily strike up a conversation – making everyone feel at home.

That conviviality and desire to bring people together was always part of the approach for Tomboy, Kate says.

When they started, they deliberately had a big table, so people could sit around it and get to know each other.  When the layout later changed, patrons would still get placed at shared tables; something of a necessity as well as a virtue in the small cafe.

Food is a big part of Kate’s life, given she is also married to Leonardo Bresolin, owner of Scopa and 1154, and it will continue to be, as Kate is taking the Tomboy brand with her.

She has plans for it – an online store where she will continue to sell some of the products she sources from around the country like olive oil and honey. She is also thinking about a cookbook – that includes stories from customers.

“I want to be able to share the recipes and the stories of Tomboy from the last decade. I get asked a lot for recipes from people who used to live in Wellington who live overseas, and they miss it. They just want a taste of home.”

Locals shouldn’t fret: the café will continue to operate under new ownership, with the set up expected to remain the same in the short term at least, and most of the staff staying on.  But there will be the noticeable absence of Kate and Zuke, who had become an important part of many people’s daily lives, and who locals will undoubtedly miss.