Velskov New Zealand Tea Gardens & Food Forest
Rewild your microbiome. Restore our native forests.
Forest Farming
The Art of Velskov
Step into Auckland’s Waitākere Ranges for an eco-luxury journey where culinary arts, human health, and conservation intertwine.
We explore the philosophy of GastroGeography and GastroEcology—the connection between consuming wild, native forest foods and restoring your inner microbiome.
Through guided foraging, native tea tastings, and open-fire dining, we invite you to taste Aotearoa New Zealand and leave a living legacy by planting your own native tea garden.
Visit Velskov
Nourishing Nature | Shared Tour
Join an intimate group of like-minded guests.Forage for native botanicals, plant your own tea garden, and experience the science of GastroEcology before sharing stories over a co-cooked, open-fire lunch in our beautiful glasshouse. Every Wednesday.
Nourishing Nature | Private Tour
An bespoke forest-to-table journey.A bespoke wellness and culinary day for your group, family, or corporate team. Our Private Tour offers you and your guests exclusive access to our Waitākere Ranges forest farm for a deep dive into nature.
Beyond the Forest
Set in 10 acres of private native forest just 45 minutes from the Auckland CBD, Velskov provides an environment for executive strategy, brainstorming, and team alignment.
Velskov Bush Boardroom
Access our dedicated portal for travel agents and designers crafting eco-luxury New Zealand itineraries. Request industry rate cards and famils.
Travel Trade Partners
Velskov is always open to partnerships with like-minded companies, organisations and community groups. If you have a collaboration idea, we would love to hear it.
Partnerships
News
During a visit to Velskov, renowned filmmaker Farah Khan brought plenty of laughter to our food forest by pranking her popular cook, Dilip.
When the MICHELIN Guide made its historic arrival in New Zealand this June, the focus turned to the country’s world-class restaurants.
Yet, culinary excellence extends beyond the city restaurant; it begins in the landscape itself.
Velskov hosted international visitors and invited them to forage, cook, and eat inside one of our most stunning landscapes, our unique rainforest.
Welcome to the first entry in our foraging series, where we take a deep dive into the extraordinary edible and medicinal wild flora of Aotearoa New Zealand. Today, we’re venturing into the damp, shadowy understory of the native bush to explore Cyathea medullaris, the magnificent Mamaku black tree fern.
The Morning Show co-host Kylie Gillies has traded city life for the forest, experiencing a one-of-a-kind bush dining adventure just outside of Auckland.
Vacations & Travel named Velskov #4 in their list of the 16 best things to do in Auckland — alongside Sky Tower, Waiheke Island, and Hobbiton. Writer Lara Cameron-Smith described the forest foraging experience as a way to "get a true taste of place," highlighting the open fire cooking, native plant dining, and tree planting ritual.
We are proud to share that Velskov Forest Farm and The Hotel Britomart have been recognised as finalists in the Sustainable Business Network’s Next List 2025, for our joint creation — Nourishing Nature.
For those on the hunt for a unique experience, The Hotel Britomart x Velskov’s Nourishing Nature offering is a curated adventure at its most delicious.
This guided half-day excursion in the Waitākere Ranges blends the wholesome joy of wild feasting with a hands-on dose of forest restoration.
One perfect day of restoration, where Velskov’s wild beauty meets The Hotel Britomart’s urban elegance.
Open for bookings now.
We love the latest TravelLife Magazine edition for what travellers are looking for: depth, connection, and a sense of purpose.
At Velskov, we’ve spent years crafting experiences that do more than look good — they restore both the land and the people who walk through it.
The Nourishing Nature experience caters to the growing number of eco-luxury travellers mindful of tourism’s environmental and social impacts.
“Forget sustainable tourism. In forward-looking destinations like New Zealand, it's all about regenerative tourism.” — Forbes
In a groundbreaking move to redefine travel paradigms, The Hotel Britomart in Auckland and Velskov Native Forest Farm unveil an unprecedented partnership in regenerative travel.
A little further south, New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, is the country’s main cruise hub. From here you can take a ferry to the volcanic island of Rangitoto, wander the elegant halls of Auckland Art Gallery, sky jump from Sky Tower or join The Hotel Britomart’s Nourishing Nature tour to learn about regeneration and biodiversity at Velskov, a native forest farm.
Velskov’s founder, Mamakan, says, “There’s a profound sense of renewal that comes with immersing yourself in the land. One of the most meaningful ways to do this is through planting a native tree: a ritual that leaves you with a lasting bond to the New Zealand landscape.”
“In order to provide chefs with this fresh native produce, we needed a place where we could host them and our other visitors. The goal was somewhere that felt totally immersed in nature, while being protected from the sun, rain and wind.”
I am thrilled to announce that we have partnered with Overtone.dk. It has been an amazing experience collaborating with them on this project.
Overtone, based in Aarhus, Denmark, has collaborated with clients from various industries to create strong visual brands, bespoke typefaces, and digital experiences with a deep understanding of design.
What's a forest farmer? In New Zealand, there is an intense competition for land use. The four major contenders are pastoral farming, pine plantations, urban development, and native forests. Native forests tend to lose out for economic reasons and mainstream social belief systems. My dream is to see more native forests, not less!