Meet Wooden Spoon, Hamiltons Friendly, Gluten-Free, Celiac Safe Cafe
Welcome to Wooden Spoon Café, a bright and friendly café in the heart of Hamilton. We’re proud to be 100% gluten free, celiac-safe, and passionate about creating food that everyone can enjoy. From fresh coffee roasted locally to daily bakes and hearty meals, Wooden Spoon is all about good food, good people, and good vibes.
Hannah’s Story
From Hamilton Chef to Café Owner
Owner and chef Hannah Alley grew up surrounded by food and hospitality.
Diagnosed with celiac disease at just seven years old, Hannah had no choice but to learn how to cook meals she could enjoy. School holidays were often spent helping her grandparents in their catering business in Paeroa – making club sandwiches, washing dishes, and watching the joy they created in their community through food.
Seeing her grandparents laugh, cook, and share meals with friends and locals left a lasting impression: food isn’t just fuel, it’s connection. That spark never left Hannah, and it grew into a passion to one day open her own café.
After completing her Culinary Arts Certificate at Wintec in 2015, she worked in kitchens across Hamilton, gaining experience and shaping her vision. In 2023, with strong support from her parents, she finally took the leap of faith to open Wooden Spoon Café – her own kitchen, built with love and designed for everyone.
Meet the Team at Wooden Spoon Café
At Wooden Spoon Café, it’s not just the food that makes people smile – it’s the people behind it. Our Hamilton café team is small but mighty, bringing warmth, laughter, and a genuine love for hospitality into everything we do. From the kitchen to the front counter, we’re here to make every visit feel like home.
Owner & Chef
Hannah “The Big Boss”
As owner and head chef, Hannah is the creative force behind every plate at Wooden Spoon Café.
She’s hands-on, always experimenting with flavours, and has a knack for turning simple ingredients into something special.
Her leadership is full of laughter, warmth, and the occasional dance in the kitchen. She believes food should feel like comfort - honest, generous, and made with love.
Favourite lunch
Scrambled eggs with green sauce & hashbrown sticks
Favourite drink:
A Mocha please! Sweet, just like me!
FOH / Cafe Manager
Megan “The Sanity Keeper”
Megan is the welcoming heartbeat of Wooden Spoon Café, and Hannah’s self-proclaimed sanity keeper. With almost a decade of café experience, she’s the first friendly face you’ll see and the one who somehow remembers your order better then you!
Calm, organised, and endlessly kind, Megan keeps the front of house humming and makes sure every customer feels right at home. Her passion for people and community helps make Wooden Spoon the warm, familiar space customers love.
Favourite lunch
Date Scone or Kumara Fries
Favourite drink:
Iced Coffee or Coke No Sugar
Cafe All Rounder
Jasmine “Cafe All Rounder”
Jasmine is our café all-rounder and resident dishes queen, an absolute machine behind the scenes and a friendly face out front. She moves effortlessly between making coffees, clearing tables, and lending a hand in the kitchen.
She’s our extra pair of hands on the busiest days, the quiet achiever who keeps everything flowing smoothly. Always ready to help wherever she's needed, once she learns how to 3 plate, we will all be out of a job.
Favourite lunch
Chicken & Cheese Toastie
Favourite drink:
OG Smoothie with Milk
Proudly Local
At Wooden Spoon Café, we’re proud to be part of the Hamilton community. From our locally roasted Grey Roasting Co. coffee to the friendly faces who fill the café each day, everything we do is grounded in supporting and celebrating local.
We believe cafés are the heart of any neighbourhood, where stories are shared, friendships are made, and small moments turn into big memories. Whether you’re grabbing your morning coffee or joining us for lunch, you’re part of the community we’re so proud to serve.
Since opening in November 2023, the response from our community has been incredible. We were highly commended at the 2024 Hamilton Central Business Awards for Best New Business, and it’s been amazing to see the love shared in places like Neat Places and the Waikato Times.
These recognitions mean a lot, not just because they celebrate our food and coffee, but because they reflect the people behind them: our team, our customers, and the Hamilton locals who’ve made Wooden Spoon what it is.
The story behind our name
Why “Wooden Spoon?”
The name Wooden Spoon is a nod to Hannah’s family roots.
The name comes from a special memory shared with Hannah’s Nan. They once bonded over finding the “perfect wooden spoon” – so much so that Nan bought six of them to share. That simple moment of excitement over a cooking utensil reflected their shared love of food.
When Hannah opened the café, her Grandpa made oversized wooden spoons from a fallen kauri tree on the family farm. Those spoons sit at the heart of Wooden Spoon Café today, symbolising family connection, tradition, and a love for the kitchen.
“Fabulous 100% gluten-free cafe that we visited twice over 3 days. Only reason we didn't go every day was it was closed on Sunday.
Sooo amazing to be able to choose anything I liked, we ate in once and took away the other day.
Highlights were the pastrami, feta, spinach and sun-dried tomato sandwich on focacia bread. So big we shared it! The cinnamon bun was delicious, as was the date scone (so much flavour), and the pumpkin and pesto scroll.
Coffee was also superb.
Next time we're in Hamilton we're definitely going to go again and try the menu!”
- Sarah Ede, Google Review, 2025