Our Story
It’s important to talk about why we exist and not just what we do. So, here’s our story in a nutshell…
Zephyr Café and Bar founders, Sarah, Nigel and Anthony, have been the back bone of one of Wellington’s largest catering companies for over 26 years. But as they say, all good things must come to an end.
As we looked to the future and what our next adventure would be, one thing was crystal clear: we love to host people.
We’re extremely passionate about continuing to form and nurture authentic and long-lasting relationships with our team and guests, all the while creating meaningful experiences in the hospitality sector, exceeding people’s expectations each and every time.
When an opportunity arose to create a café space in Tākina - Wellington’s new home for world-class exhibitions and conferences, we jumped at the opportunity.
For the love of food
As self-professed foodies ourselves, we’re no stranger to a brunch outing. The number of times we’ve sat around a table and mused about what our café would be like and how we would do things is countless.
Our vision is a simple one – to be a vibrant and fresh café that focuses on producing food and beverage that are high quality, fresh, homemade, healthy, nutritious, and great value. All set within a welcoming space in which diverse people are brought together and given a comfortable and inspiring place to refuel, recharge, meet with friends or just to enjoy some quiet time.
Our name was born from us viewing the floor plans for the Tākina building. Something that immediately stood out was the wind lobby; designed to keep out the wild Wellington wind. We thought this attention to detail would always ensure that once you’re inside the building and at the café, all you would ever experience would be nothing more than a gentle breeze – and just like that our café name was born; ZEPHYR. Which literally means, a soft gentle breeze.
To us, Zephyr Café is a love letter to all the brunches and lunches we’ve attended over the years and said , “let’s do this one day!”
And there you have it, the values of loyalty, care and trust all mixing to make one beautiful dream come true.
We truly hope that you enjoy your experience with us, and we can’t wait to see you at Zephyr Café.
Meet the team
Anthony John - Owner
Sarah Searancke - Owner
Nigel Searancke - Owner
Tim Dawson - Head Chef
Tania Lewis - FOH Manager
Our vision is a simple one – to be a vibrant and fresh café that focuses on producing food and beverage that are high quality, fresh, homemade, healthy, nutritious, and great value.
We love to host!
“A recipe has no soul. You, as the cook, must bring soul to the recipe.”
Sarah Searancke
Culinary Director