Waikato wedding venue up for sale

A boutique Waikato function venue specialising in weddings - complete with its own café, restaurant and brewery - has been placed on the market for sale.

Woodside Estate, located 10 minutes from Hamilton and 15 minutes from Cambridge comprises a popular café and restaurant, which are also utilised as function venue business, and the building housing Shunters Yard brewery, on nearly six hectares of picturesque grounds.

Specialising in the flourishing wedding market, Woodside Estate has built an established reputation within a growing industry for providing a high level of facilities and service to guests.

The freehold property and business located at 132 Woodside Road in Tamahere, have been placed on the market as a going concern for sale through Bayleys. It is being marketed by Bayleys Hamilton salespeople Mike Swanson and Andrew Shaw via a tender process closing on March 27.

"Woodside Estate combines the best of both worlds - a tranquil setting featuring lakes, manicured gardens and paths that lead around the estate, yet it is easily accessible to Hamilton, Cambridge and the wider Waikato region", said Mr Swanson.

The property became known for its spring water in the 1880s, when Hamilton and Cambridge were connected by railway. A track was built from the side of the railway line down to the springs on the property so trains could fill up with water from a well.

Recognising the excellent quality of the spring water, the Shunters Yard brewery was started on-site in 2007 and continues to brew a range a craft beers using the spring water and natural ingredients. The building housing the brewery is included in the property sale. A range of Shunters Yard craft beers are available on tap in Woodside Estate’s café.

The licensed café and restaurant are housed in one building and feature a commercial kitchen, bar, dining room, manager’s office, storage rooms and toilet facilities. During the week the café is a popular destination for locals and visitors. It opens until 4.30pm from Wednesday to Sunday for brunch, lunch and on Thursday for dinner, but has a licence to open seven days from 8am-11.30pm. Outside of these hours the café and restaurant are utilised as a function venue, large enough to cater to small to medium-sized events. The centre employs five full-time staff, including a manager and a head chef, and part-time staff on a casual basis.

The private, tranquil surroundings featuring a lake and established gardens make it the perfect setting for intimate gatherings and special occasions, said Mr Swanson.

Woodside estate has built a strong reputation as a boutique function centre, specialising catering to small to medium-sized weddings and special occasions. Full wedding and reception facilities include venue hire, catering, and staff, with the restaurant able to seat up to 120 diners. Outside there is extensive car parking for guests.

"This is a stand-out business in terms of the level of quality, facilities, service and picturesque location Woodside Estate offers. It provides a stunning location, tailored event options and staff who are experienced at helping to create the dream day for guests," said Mr Swanson.

In addition to weddings, Woodside Estate has been used for wedding anniversaries, birthdays, reunions, family gatherings and corporate events.

The wedding market continues to flourish, with couples increasingly looking for beautiful and romantic locations for the bride to be and entourage to make preparations for the wedding moment. Close to 20,000 weddings take place in New Zealand each year, according to Statistics New Zealand.

Wedding tourism makes up an increasing amount of that with more than 2000 couples travelling to New Zealand each year to marry here. The natural beauty and personalised wedding options on offer are significant attractions for couples who travel here.

"This property will appeal to an investor or owner/operator wanting to continue Woodside Estate as a function business. It also presents an opportunity to take the business to the next level. Potentially this could include extending the café’s opening hours to seven days per week, or wedding packages offered could be expanded to include additional services such as pre-wedding facilities for the bridal party and a wedding planner - to cater to the growing market," Mr Swanson said.

"Further, the venue’s location in close proximity to Hamilton Cemetery has made it an increasingly popular venue for funeral receptions so a new owner could look at growing this side of the business."

There are advanced bookings for the function centre, and the current owner would assist a new owner with an extensive handover to make the transition as smooth as possible, Mr Swanson said.

The property has a rating valuation of $800,000 but it is expected to sell well in excess of this figure, said Mr Swanson.

Caption: Woodside Estate - a boutique wedding and function venue located in the Waikato most has been placed on the market for sale.