Just managed to find this little gem! Came back from a day out at Murawai and was starving and…read morelooking for something satisfying! and OMG I came across the food vault! I went for the chicken and chorizo pie with a side thai inspired salad. The food was cooked and presented beautifully! friendly staff and awesome hot and strong coffee! Even took home a loaf of sourdough to try which again was impressive! Will be back again! Especially for that sourdough!

For those with young babies, The Green Grocer has a wide range of products for baby care, including…read morea range of frozen organic baby and toddler food from the Green Monkey Company. 100% hand-made, no additives, no preservatives, no added sugar, no fillers and no gluten, dairy or egg. Great convenient, nutritious food for your baby without the worry of any added nasties. This Kumeu health food store also caters to people with food intolerances and allergies with plenty of produce on the shelves for you. Home made baking, salads, savouries means you should plan your visit at lunch time. They also do a mean take-out coffee. Some tables in-store if you have time to linger.

If I was ever in of need motivation to start that new healthy lifestyle, this would most definitely…read morebe my first port of call. Row upon row of fresh vege, plump apricots the size of cricket balls, purple carrots AND purple broccolini... they even have potted wheatgrass! As well as produce these guys boast an impressive range of artisan products. Everything from elderflower cordial to Moroccan-spiced couscous. Plus they have a small but well-crafted wine section. However perhaps, the best thing about this place, is that everything seems to cheaper than what you would pay at a Food Market like this in AK. Don't get me wrong, you could still spend plenty of $$ up in here but I bet if you did the same shop in AK it would be substantially more expensive.

I have found my new happy place. Farro & Nosh - you won't be seeing me for a while now I have this…read morebad boy just down the road. The fruit & vege selection is understandably great, considering all the market gardens in the area. It's awesome to see signs letting you know this is NZ- and locally-grown, even the garlic! And the prices are dirt-cheap for all the seasonal produce. They even have a small range of seedlings, herbs & vegetable plants. My kitchen counter is proudly displaying a big bowl of micro-green radish sprouts & I feel healthier every time I look at them! But Boric also has: a fresh fish counter, butchery, deli, icecream by the scoop, coffee, homemade cakes, dinners & salads, a kids' playground AND a boutique selection of homewares & the finest artisan products. And friendly staff. And a great wine, beer & cider selection. And I've probably missed something out. This is the kind of place that you could easily wander around for ages, progressively filling up that trolley more & more. I can see that will quickly become my new hobby!

The day started with a planned hike in the Riverhead Forest, only to discover a total clearcut…read more Plan B worked out quite nicely at the West Brook Winery. On a quiet midweek day we were welcomed on arrival and options discussed. We ordered 2 flights of wine, 3 whites and 3 reds, a very nice cheese board and cracker assortment, and sat on the patio enjoying the pastoral view of vineyards, a lake complete with a few ducks, and farmland in the distance. .

Beautiful setting and grounds. I've visited close to 100 wineries all over the world and this was…read moreone of the prettiest. The wines were nice as well. I'm not a fan of reisling but I would happily drink theirs. There was a nice Chardonnay and a few others we enjoyed. Definitely worth the trip!

Travelling back from Kumeu River winery, Blossoms was a pleasant coffee and cake stop before…read moreheading back to Auckland. There is an all day breakfast, if you don't have a sweet tooth. Blossoms specialises in home-made food, local wines (Kumeu river pinot gris is a goodie) and handmade chutneys and jams. Drinks were served promptly and the coffee art was a nice surprise. My cappuccino was frothy and strong- a great pick me up. The cakes on display activated my tastebuds and soon I was drooling - especially the raspberry meringue cake and macademia toffee cake. Very decadent for 9:30 in the morning, but there was no way it wasn't getting in my belly. The cafe is in the same complex as Boric wholefoods and they share very free range hens and even baby chicks that wonder around. Also, there is a big playground for the littlies. Overall, great cakes and good service.

This place was recommended to us to check out on our way back from Muriwai beach, heading towards…read moreAuckland. It obviously has a following as soon after we had sat down there were no tables free whatsoever, very busy sat lunch - this was last weekend just been, so early Autumn. I paid close to $50 for the two of us to enjoy a breakfast lunch - both having eggs bene with salmon, one hot drink and one cold - no trimmings, no sides and lots of salmon (cold) and not much else - the garnish itself wasn't even edible:( I have included a pic but double what you see as I only remembered to take the photo half way through eating!;) Ok place, beautiful views and outdoorsy atmosphere but the food just didn't win me over especially with the price tag attached. Would be willingly to give it a second go however.

Desperate for a sweet treat after our lunch at Hallertau we were stoked to discover that Phil Greig…read morewas just around the corner and open all year round. Sure you can't pick strawberries in winter (duh!) but you can still get a real fruit ice cream as big as your head. There's a couple of flavours to choose from (strawberry, blueberry, boysenberry) as well as the option of ice cream or yoghurt. Prices, given the size, are really reasonable and the young ladies manning the till, friendly!

It was that time of the year when Strawberry's needed to be picked and our family of little kids…read moreand big kids were all excited about heading to Phil Greig Strawberry Gardens. We arrived to quite a busy carpark and after securing the car, and lining up the kids, and putting the baby in the backpack, we were on our way to the little tent to pay up and grab a few buckets. Five dollars per person, for anyone over the age of 10, and you could pick as much as you wanted and eat as you picked as well. The admission you pay would later be deducted from your weight of fruit. I loved the fact that we could all do this as a family, and get our hands and feet dirty, whilst having a really memorable experience. Phil Greig Strawberry Gardens takes up quite a large space- a couple of acres of strawberry's, and there are masses of them everywhere. You wont know when to stop eating, and picking, but thanks to our over eagerness to pick, we later ended up with a pot full of strawberry jam boiling away on the stove- nothing beats homemade strawberry jam on piklets- delicious. I can say that this weekend activity gave us much laughter, and happy full strawberry tummy's.

A very informal, rustic setting.. Delicious menu that gives a feel of wholesome farm…read morefood with city influences ie Paleo Breakfast.. Coffee is full bodied with a hint of almond. Owner is on hand to have that friendly good to see you again conversation. Great place!

People driving through Riverhead normally do just that, they drive through, and give little thought…read moreto all the wonderful things this village offers. Riverhead is actually a lot bigger than you would think, and it is home to schools, sports clubs and is a great boating destination. Plus it is also home to The Riverhead, an iconic watering hole. One place that normally gets forgotten is the Kauri Gum Store, yet it should be on top of your list, and no visit to Riverhead will be complete without stopping here for an ice tea or coffee. You can sit inside or out, enjoy a good meal and simply while away the afternoon, watching the shadows grow. Then on your way out, you can take home some of their home made products, all at a very reasonable price.

Delightful low-key place. Fabulous baked goods and sandwich bread. Interesting and absolutely fresh…read moreentrees. Attractive beer and wine list. They really care about their ingredients: every piece of my fruit salad with yogurt was perfectly ripe, not 'over' or 'under.' Speedy and attentive service despite a very busy kitchen. Locals know this place;you should too.