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.

Fantastic small French cafe and deli featuring a beautiful selection of cheese. Many customers were…read moredashing in for at home supplies. There is a large cheese room with glass viewing area in the main dining area which adds to the ambience. There is plenty of seating to enjoy the limited menu - everything we tasted was delicious. The place was almost full when we arrived and totally full by the time we were served. We had pretty decent coffees with palmiers which were super crispy and perfectly sweet. We actually went back for more. The cheese and ham croissant was flakey, warm with gooey Camembert and a generous amount of ham. I had the braised ox tail on custard which is served with a few slices of fresh baguette. The braised ox was gelatinous and salty, the custard smooth and creamy set into the serving bowl, on top were pickled mushrooms adding a much welcome tangy refreshing way to cut through all the other richness. I'm not usually a fan of micro greens, but these were pretty tasty fresh and added texture. DELICIOUS! I only wish the serve was larger. Will definitely return because I saw many tasty looking soups being served and want to try more.

This is my favourite place to have a good French style cafe meal, Everything we ordered was…read moreamazing. This cafe is also a cheese retailer, so if your looking for some of the worlds best cheese this is the place to find it.

Wheel upon wheel of New Zealand cheese, Kapiti icecream by the scoop, rotisserie chooks and chewy…read morecookies that upon request can be made into ridiculously huuge (and unbelievably good) ice cream sandwiches....seriously, what's not to like! Okay, so I will admit that the cheese is little pricey but you get what you pay for, which is beautifully made NZ cheese. Mention must also be made of the service at this joint. I came here recently with a friend for a post pizza ice cream juuuust as they were closing and not only did the friendly bloke behind the counter give us a mini cheese tasting (not that we needed it) but he also offered us complimentary nerds with our ice cream. Not sure if this is standard procedure but we were absolutely chuffed - I hadn't had nerds in years! He even offered to unstack some of the chairs so we could sit and enjoy our ice creams inside, out of the wet and windy weather outside. Bless his little cotton socks.

I really enjoy coming to The Dairy! This cafe brings back so many childhood memories, from candy…read morefloss to sodas to freshly baked cookies straight out of the jar! It really is a one of a kind. First time coming here, I almost felt like a giggly schoolchild again, forever trying to decide on how many cookies I wanted and which delicious Kapiti ice cream flavour I wanted to sandwich between them. I love that the cookies are HUGE and they come with generous amount of ice cream, which honestly makes them a bit tricky to eat as they can get very messy, but I suppose that is all part of the fun and remembering what is was like to be a kid? Personally, I think The Dairy is great for any ages. I took my Mum once and even though she didn't try anything, she got a lot of joy out of watching my older sister and I trying to eat their giant ice cream sandwich cookies! Highly recommend this place!

Wonderful array of cheeses and specialty items for the gourmet. The range if liquorice is…read moreparticularly outstanding.

Our stop here was by chance. We were quite hungry and looking for a quick lunch on our drive from…read moreAuckland to Rotorua. We pulled into an unassuming building and were greeted by some wonderful smells inside. We tried a sampling cheese plate and a selection of other goodies. The inside was a bit spartan, but had everything we required. Service was a little on the slower side, but it was off-season. To be honest, it gave us just the break from driving we needed. Everything was delicious, service was friendly, and we bought a little cheese for the road.

Few food options for sale (it was fall there so maybe they put out more in the busier summer…read moremonths) but they do have foodservice options, great coffee and pastries...and oh so important - free wifi for which they give you a code on a slip of paper and once entered the code us good for an hour. Nice stop between Coromandel and Taupo.

Seemingly in the middle of nowhere, this is a hidden gem. You can taste a wide variety of Puhio…read moreValley's natural cheeses, and learn about the creation process. The cheese lady (sorry I forgot her name) was great about ensuring we ate certain cheeses in order for our palate, which was delightful advice. We ended up eating there, and I'm so happy we did. In our two week NZ tour, the sandwich from here (salami, brie, chicken, and veggies) was by far the best thing I ate. The cheese melted wonderfully and the combination of flavors with sauces was drool worthy. I wish we didn't get stuffed quickly, because I've heard their ice cream is amazing (one trip regret). Also, I have to say the price was so reasonable. You'd expect fr a fancy cheese place to have high priced meals, but my sandwich was massive for a small price, and the pizza my husband got was juicy not greasy, and also a super shocking low price for as large as it was.

There is something magical about a factory shop. Especially if it's a factory that makes cheese,…read moreyogurt and ice cream. Puhoi valley cheese was fully packed today at 1pm. So I just ordered some award winning ice creams and some coffee. The ice cream is fantastic, so creamy and yummy. Same thing can't be said about the coffee, it was almost as weak as water. I m not a big cheese person, but I can't resist a bargain. So I bought the single cream Camembert that is on special. If it wasn't pouring down outside, I would take a stroll around the grounds and maybe even had a play on the swings to work off those guilty ice cream calories.

A Francophile's dream, Maison Vauron is stocked full of the very best French food and wine. There's…read morebeautiful French cheeses, cured meats, delicate pastries and shelf upon shelf of imported French accoutrements. What I love most about Maison Vauron is it's authenticity - walk in and you are greeted with a cheery Bonjour! Not sure about a product? Ask the staff, they are incredibly knowledgable and more than happy to help. Maison Vauron are also passionate about education and host regular tastings with French producers. Keep an eye out on their website or sign up to their newsletter to keep up to date with the latest events

I had the pleasure of joining a large group for a cooking with cheese evening hosted by Maison…read moreVauron as a special event. Omg the food was first class. Beef cheeks cooked for 16 hours, cheese foam with beans and sausage, tuna Tartar, and a delish cheese board to complete the meal. All courses where served with matching wines, and the service impeccable. With staff that was knowledgable about the wine and food. I will be trying to keep my ear to the ground to hear about the next event, at $75 per person they are amazing value.

The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. That was us with the smiles…read moreon our face as we took home our 300+ gm handmade cheese made by my very own hand. Il Casaro Cheesemaking class was my highlight for my week after being stuck at home sick. Massimiliano was great value and a master cheesemaker that I would recommend you go and visit next time you want some good quality handmade cheese at a great price. His class (the cheese template) was a great class and will be quickly followed up with the Mozarella class in a few weeks by my group. He's very informative - giving you history of where he's from and the family business back at home in Puglia, Italy to where the milk comes from here in Tauranga, NZ. At the end you get to try 6 cheeses - smoked Mozarella, grape infused cheese, Provolone, Burata, Stracchino and finally Mascarpone. Email Marzia if you want to take one of their great classes. This would also be great for a Company team building event.

There's nothing cheesy about this place. Masimilliano brings his family's best secrets from Puglia…read moreto New Zealand. From his humble kitchen, he produces an impressive variety including provolone, ricotta, burrito, mascarpone, smoked mozzarella blue cheese. He even experiments with wine infused cheese! If you fancy a great afternoon, attend one of his cheese making classes where you can learn to make a basic cheese, mozzarella or mascarpone. Email him at marzia@ilcasaro.co.nz. Otherwise look for his products at Farro supermarkets.

We have not been back here for a while because my daughters do not like the smell inside and refuse…read moreto let me shop there. It is like the smell of slightly over-ripe fruit and veggies. To give them credit, they now display a B food hygiene rating so things may have picked up in the interim. DH Supermarket sell a big range of fruit and veggies so if you are in the area and can't get to another fruit and veggie store it will do the trick. They also have lots of grocery items including an extensive Asian range of products. Another plus for DH Supermarket is that their prices are low. Parking is right outside the big yellow store.