Owners Matt & Kirsty Schmutsch moved to Wanaka in 2012 after a year in Melbourne following the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes. They looked for a way to start their own business which utilised the best of their combined skills and expertise.
Matt has almost 20 years cooking experience as a Pastry Chef and Head Chef in New Zealand and abroad. He has a passion for baking and creating flavoursome and interesting dishes. Kirsty has also worked for many years in restaurants, bars, cafés and hotels and upon returning to Christchurch from our OE in 2007, Kirsty worked as a cheesemaker, studied French and completed a Master’s Degree in European Studies at Canterbury University.
They both a have a great passion for food, having spent time travelling throughout France and Europe, and working in a variety of hotels and restaurants throughout the UK, Australia and New Zealand. They are very much inspired and influenced by traditional French baking and patisserie, but when combined with such a beautiful setting as Lake Wanaka, and having such an abundance of quality summer produce available in Central Otago, they couldn’t help but be inspired to create something new, modern and delicious here in Wanaka. Thus Pembroke Pâtisserie was born.
Matt & Kirsty and their Wanaka-based team love sharing their love of food with the people they meet and they hope to make you smile with the food they create.