Employees at a Te Kūiti liquor store experienced a different kind of ram raid on Saturday when they became shepherds to a flock of 14 lost sheep which invaded the store’s lunch room for close to an hour.

The incident happened as over 700 sheep and thousands of spectators gathered in Te Kūiti for the annual Running of the Sheep event.

Last year’s Running of the Sheep was cancelled due to health and safety concerns but the Waitomo District Council green-lighted the popular event’s return for last weekend.

Te Kūiti Liquorland employee Philippe Pioch said he was in the back of the shop when he heard his co-worker scream his name.

Pioch came to the front of the store to find “a bunch of critters” in the shop, with more sheep trying to enter through the front door.

“My compadre, Shar Ngare, was trying to block the door but they went around the back and ended up in the staff room,” Pioch told the Waikato Herald.

Pioch said the sheep were in the building for about 40 minutes.

Te Kūiti resident Robyn Fawcett said watching the sheep jump the barrier on the side of the road and charge towards the liquor store was “the funniest thing” she’d ever seen.

“It was the nearest shop that was open and they just ran to it. We joked that they must have been after a beer,” Fawcett said.

“It’s so Kiwi. I just laughed. There were many giggles.”

Fawcett said she and some other bystanders helped to redirect the sheep from the shop and cleaned up the little messes they left behind.

Waitomo District Mayor John Robertson said the sheep ran into the liquor store just as they were about to be loaded up for their ride home.

"They were probably going for a beer, as you would after having a big day."

The Running of the Sheep is a popular part of the annual Great New Zealand Muster held at Te Kūiti in the lead-up to the New Zealand Shearing Championships on Saturday night.

The weekend saw the streets of Te Kūiti filled with musicians, market stalls and many opportunities for family friendly fun.

Liquorland Te Kūiti's staff room was invaded by about 14 sheep during the town's annual Running of the Sheep event. Photo / Supplied

Robertson said this year’s Great New Zealand Muster and the Running of the Sheep were “hugely successful”.

“It was a sunny, beautiful day and we had the biggest crowds I’ve ever seen.”

The 700-odd sheep who ran the streets of Te Kūiti and thousands of spectators were not the only ones enjoying the community event.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was also in town to attend the New Zealand Shearing Championships and see the muster for himself.

Robertson said the purpose of Luxon’s visit was to check in with the people of Te Kūiti and King Country.

“It was a great day for it. He walked the streets and the crowds were amazing.”

A post on Luxon’s Facebook page said it was “fantastic” to be at the Great New Zealand Muster.

“Te Kūiti [is] a great rural town.”

Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based multimedia reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.

This story was originally published on the Herald, here