POPPA D

BRINGING GOURMET FLAVOURS TO YOUR HOME

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Darrel Gregory (now known as Poppa D) is a born and bred Gizzy boy.

He started a pastry apprenticeship in the early 1980s at Gillgrens Bakery during the day and washed dishes at the Arnhem Restaurant at night.

He left on his big OE 1988 and headed for London where he worked in many London restaurants and travelled around Europe gaining knowledge of different culinary skills along the way.

He returned to Gisborne in 1993 where he purchased Pinehurst Manor (now known as cedar house) along with business partner Tony Kirk.

Pinehurst Manor was then sold and Darrel headed over to Pete’s on the Beach which was at that time the place to go in Gisborne with great food and views of the ocean.

Whilst working there he assisted with the opening of a café in town called Fat Cats which is now the well known Sugar nightclub.

In 1999 Darrel purchased The Marina Restaurant which he owned for 8 years serving up delicious a la carte food along with his wife Andrea as the maître d’.

During the later 4 years running the Marina Restaurant they were offered the Tatapouri Restaurant and for a short time Lindauer Cellars Café in the subdivision.

Darrel and Andrea decided to sell The Marina Restaurant in 2007 to concentrate on the Tatapouri Restaurant where Darrel’s late father Sefton Gregory was secretary when the club first started at the original site at Tatapouri by the Sea.

In August 2021 they sold the Tatapouri Restaurant after 18 years.

Poppa D is now starting a new venture and would still like to offer the people of Gisborne some great locally made food delivered to your door.