Maketū Pies now on tap at Rotorua redwoods
Maketū Pies general manager, Craig Williams, and Rotorua NZ’s head of visitor experience and service, Graham Brownrigg, check out the new hot pie vending machine.
Thousands of holiday visitors to Rotorua’s Redwoods Whakarewarewa Forest can now enjoy another Bay of Plenty icon, with the unveiling of the city’s first PieBot, stocked with Maketū Pies, at the Redwoods i-SITE on 16 December 2025.
The Maketū Pies PieBot is the first hot pie vending machine to be installed in Rotorua, and it offers the classic Maketū Pies flavours, from the humble Mince & Cheese to the iconic Smoked Fish, much-loved Butter Chicken and the Whopper Sausage Roll.
Where to find the PieBot
Carrying the slogan ‘No kai like a Maketū Pie’ and new designs, the unmissable “big red box” sits immediately outside the i-SITE and beside the Redwoods Treewalk, in the middle of a forest that welcomes more than 600,000 manuhiri (visitors) every year.
How the PieBot works
Created by WM Robotics, the PieBot has been dubbed “the future of hot food vending”. It’s equipped with a large pie warmer, a touch screen and an EFTPOS machine, and delivers hot pies at the tap of a card:
Tap your payment card to unlock the doors
Select your Maketū Pie
Walk away – your card is charged automatically for what you take
“The PieBot is an ingenious design that has everything Kiwis love – convenience, speed, and of course, hot pies,” says Maketū Pies General Manager Craig Williams.
“You simply tap your payment card to unlock the doors, select from the Maketū Pie products on offer, and your card is automatically charged for the selected products. It’s absolute genius.”
A special relationship with Rotorua
“It was a no-brainer to bring the PieBot to Rotorua, as Maketū Pies has a special relationship with the city and the wider Bay of Plenty. Our relationship with Te Arawa is special, and we’re committed to supporting the city wherever we can,” says Craig.
The PieBot arrives as Maketū Pies continues its revival under Montana Group, which bought the business in late 2024.
“We’ve spent months breathing new life back into Maketū Pies and bringing back the high-quality pies Kiwis have always known and loved. And now, we’re really excited to be able to share them with thousands of international and local visitors as well.”