When I went to this Fruit and Vegetable store I was just expecting the same old produce you see…read moreusually. But as soon as I walked in saw that they also sell a whole lot of great health foods and Asian products. There was gluten free flour, nuts, dried fruit as well as tofu, rice noodles and sauces. It's a great one stop shop for your dinner that night. If you need something when you're on the run, this is the place to go as you can get everything, and you know it'll be really healthy too. If you live in this area it's great on the way home from work as you just pop off the motorway and you're almost there. The produce itself looked really fresh and lovely. There's nothing worse than seeing bruised and old produce and having to fish through it all for the good pieces. I liked also that they have fresh herbs there for you to buy, brilliant.

The highlight of my day...no scrap that, the highlight of my week was discovering a cheesemonger…read morehad opened in my hood. I was heading to my local butcher when I noticed the bike, basket full of fresh flowers, parked out front and the glorious name, 'The Cheese Room.' Inside was even more delightful. Shelve upon shelve of delectable looking chutneys, artisan crackers and fresh herbs. Down the back there's a temperature controlled cheese room with big wheels of NZ made cheese. Hand-written descriptions of each cheese including the region and the creamery help you to choose from the exciting selection. There's also a separate fridge containing goodies such as Neudorf yoghurt and Clevedon buffalo mozerella... my idea of heaven. I had a quick chat with the owner on my way out the door and it turns out they'd opened for business that very day! Unfortunately I didn't catch his name but he told me that him and his son have been selling cheese at markets for years and decided it was time to open a store. Well, I for one am thankful they did and judging by how busy they were on their first day, so is the Milford community!

Gorgeous shop, located on Kitchener Road in the heart of Milford. They stock many local and…read moreboutique crackers, relishes, chutneys and other food items which compliment the vast array of artisan cheeses they sell. The owner sold me on a beautiful Nettle Gouda (I forget where it's from but DELISH) and also a Smoked Parmesan (from Tauranga which I haven't sampled yet but it smells devine). Like Alex stated, the store is beautifully styled which also boasts a climate controlled cheese room at the back of the shop complete with automated door. While writing this review I realised I should have looked to see if they sold cheese slicers, I saw a selection of good quality knives for sale so I am sure they would. Will definitely have to inquire on my next visit. If you love cheese this place is a MUST visit!! Street parking or park at Milford Mall & make the short stroll across the road.

This is a Indian spice heaven tucked away from the main drag in Pukekohe. I noticed they have a…read moregood range of Gluten free goods as well. Need to try some of their must have ingredients.

I have just recenty started shopping here regularly. Their blackboard specials are SO MUCH CHEAPER…read morethan the supermarkets!! They had beef steak mince on special the other day for $6.99/kg & have had pork spare ribs for $9.99/kg for the last three weeks!!! They sell french cheeses, biltong and frozen game meats too. Awesome!!!

It is no secret that I'm a lover of biltong, the South African delicacy made from drying spiced…read moremeat, I love it so much, but it is soooo expensive. I normally buy my quota of biltong at Fred's Fine Foods, but their crazy high prices have driven me away, so much so that I'm now looking for alternative butchers. I recently purchased some biltong from the Browns Bay Butcher, and I was impressed with the quality of biltong they sold. It was nice and dry, with ample fat on the side, the perfect mix for the perfect snack. I don't think it is as good as the biltong you get at Fred's, but at almost half the price, it does feel lighter on the wallet.

As a local it's the best,until Dave arrived it was super market for meat but with this opening it…read morewas the best for getting just the amount you required so no waste,so if you want 2 sausage you can and not have to buy a pack of 6 plus there house made.

Every time I come to the Torbay Butcher I can't help but get a massive smile on my face. They guys…read morewho work there are always so cherry, it really is like being in a sitcom where everyone knows everyone. I've only just moved to Torbay but already I feel like I can call this butcher 'my local' as they have that vibe going on. They aren't just nice people but they also stock amazing cuts of meat. There's corn fed chicken, beautiful lamb roasts, steak, great saussies and loads more. I usually go in after work and it's packed with people buying their dinner. I love that it's right next to the fruit and vege shop so I can really have the whole fresh and local thing going on with my food. These kinds of places make me want to support local businesses because they are so good at what they do. And for me, a smile and some good banter wins me over every time.

My new local for fresh fruit and vege! Great range (although I wish they stocked more herbs) and…read morereasonable prices. My weekly shop for two here usually comes to under $50 and includes a tonne of fresh fruit and vege as well as eggs and depending on the week, nuts. They do also have bread, milk and cheese but it's more expensive that the supermarket and they've got a really limited range - wouldn't recommend unless desperate.

If you're after gourmet bangers for the barbie - look no further! Greek lamb & feta, wild boar,…read moreToulouse pork....the list goes on! I'm already a loyal customer of another, equally as good Milford butcher but even I've got to admit when it comes to snarlers these guys pretty hard to beat. Of course, they also have all the other cuts and specialize in free range. They even stock Bostocks Organic Chicken - BIG tick!

As I'm away from home this year, being the organizer of Easter celebrations has fallen to me. My…read moremother is always so on top of it, as kids we would wake up to the ends of our beds being laden with chocolate goodness. Unfortunately for my flatmate and partner, I can't afford THAT much chocolate, but I'm doing one better. I'm buying my goodies from Chocolate Obsession. Give me quality over quantity any day of the week! This really is specialty product, the little glass cabinet at the till is filled to overflowing with loose chocolates, from hazelnut cones (my fave) through to Rocky Road, these little morsels are so tempting, and while at $2 a pop they're not cheap, they are definately worth it. They also do imported packaged chocolate blocks that you won't find anywhere else, fudge, the cutest little Easter bunnies I've ever seen, and even real fruit Icecreams to cleanse the palate if you gorge yourself on too much chocolate. The lovely ladies instore now offer a instore courier service citywide as well, so if you see something instore that a special someone may like you can have it delivered right to their door. What's not to love!

After reading an NZ Herald article about the ethnic grocery stores of Auckland I figured it was…read moretime to really see what Glenfield had to offer in the way of Korean supermarkets. Hanyang is super easy to get to just off the motorway, directly on Wairau road, and has an easy parking lot. It not only has a supermarket, but also a hair salon, eyeware stand, clothing store and 2 food stalls (which weren't open on Sunday). The supermarket also included a stand with prepared Korean side dishes, a Korean veggie stand, as well as a Korean butcher. It is helpful to know that these stands act in silo of the supermarket so you need to pay at each individual counter (this is standard practice in most Korean supermarkets in Auckland). The offering of imported Korean products had all the usual suspects plus a few more that I hadn't seen else where. Price was very reasonable compared to other Korean shops and the staff were super friendly. I was greeted in English just fine and when they realized I could speak Korean switched with comfort and ease. I decided to do a tour of 3 other Korean supermarkets in Glenfield to compare and Hanyang definitely wins on location, quality of veggies, and friendliness of staff. Will definitely be going back!

New addition to Brown Bay in a new strip of shops beside Countdown. You'll recognise the owner from…read morehis previous job, managing the butchery at Nosh. This shop is really cute inside and full of the best cuts, a big range of gourmet sausages, boerewors and biltong (made to an old family recipe). Nice to see shops of this quality in Browns Bay, I'll be heading to The Meat Room from now on.