meet the bay of plenty’s best dairy of 2026 winners

The votes are in. Four Square Edmund Road in Rotorua and Four Square The Lakes in Tauranga have been crowned winners of the Best Dairy of 2026, in the search run by Maketū Pies and The Hits.

When Maketū Pies launched the competition, the aim was simple: to say thanks to the local dairies that quietly anchor our neighbourhoods. Voting closed on Friday 10 April 2026, and locals turned out in force to back their favourites.

When the search launched, General Manager Craig Williams said the competition was about shining a spotlight on “these unsung heroes who have been a quiet, but unwavering, anchor in our neighbourhoods.”

Rotorua winner: Four Square Edmund Road

Four Square Edmund Road, owned by Calum Sutherland and his team, took out the Rotorua title in a competition run with The Hits Rotorua 97.5FM. The store won by hundreds of votes, finishing with 498 and ahead of three other finalists: Fordlands Four Square, Springfield Superette and Kawaha Point Superette.

The Hits Rotorua host Paul Hickey dropped in to present Calum and his team with a certificate.

The win comes with bragging rights as Best Dairy of 2026, a promotional pack celebrating the title, and $1000 worth of Maketū Pies products, which came to about 500 pies. Calum decided to pass them on to the community as a thank you, giving customers a free pie with any purchase while they lasted.

Tauranga winner: Four Square The Lakes

In Tauranga, Four Square The Lakes was voted the winning store in the search run with The Hits Bay of Plenty. Locals praised the team for friendly staff, excellent customer service and real fruit ice cream. To celebrate, the store gave away free Maketū Pies to the local community.

Thank you, Bay of Plenty

Thank you to everyone who voted, to every dairy that was nominated, and to The Hits for helping us shine a light on the corner stores that keep our communities going. Congratulations to both winners, and keep backing your local dairy.