One of the best new places to hit the North Shore in recent years! Farro changed my life. :P It is big, a small supermarket! They have lots of specialist ingredients, amazing cheeses and loads of different flavours of macroons, which are my favourite thing in the world. They do amazing bung in the oven mini quiches and croissants and things too, which are really, really good!

I think the prices at Nosh are surprisingly reasonable for everyday things, given how good the quality is and that a lot of the fresh produce is organic too. If you want to buy a nice cheese, or olive oil or wine, it’s actually pretty sweet to go here and get the other groceries you want too and get the lot in one place! So many delicious treats in here!

Sabato is a long-standing institution for Auckland foodies! And with good reason! They have a great selection of specialist pastas, cheeses and cooking ingredients, like saffron and squid ink and truffle. Always have tasters on offer to sweeten your visit and the staff are really friendly!

Super convenient spot to get really good quality fresh produce in the middle of Ponsonby. Plus they have lots of semi-gourmet goodies too! Great cheeses, wines, bread, pesto, tapenade, etc. They also sell a beautiful range of fresh flowers.

This place is ideal if you want to prepare something special or festive or moreishly delicious that’s gluten free! Great if you want to treat someone that can’t have gluten. They will feel positively spoilt! They also sell a great range of ingredients for making your own gluten free treats!

Best sausages on the market.. Gotta love the pork and fennel and bushman sausages

great organic and clean foods...

cheap yet so fresh veges..great value

amazing selection of premium cut meats.

wow this pace had some amazing stuff.. loved the avocados and the asparagus.. yum

One of my favourite things to do with guests from out of town is take them to the Avondale Sunday Markets. They happen every Sunday from five am til midday and are a great way to show multicultural Auckland at its best. Amazing foodie buys to taste and take home too!

The Grey Lynn branch of Farro Fresh is one of my favourite places to buy wine. They have an insanely good selection from all over the globe and the specials are always enticing - drop in and take the chance on something you’ve never tried before!

Ceres Market at Ponsonby Central is one of my favourite places to shop for fresh produce, especially as there is always something unique to take home and add to your pantry and their fresh squeezed juices are amongst the best in town. They also always have the likes of kale and kefir available to keep all the green foodies happy.

Anyone who lives or works in Ponsonby - or ever has lived or worked in Ponsonby - knows the legendary Bhana Brothers store. It has been a fixture since 1940, and is still family run with Arvind and Pravin Bhana at the helm. I love popping by to pick a selection of fresh flowers for home, and their amazing array of herbs and spices is mind boggling and delicious in turn. Check our the return of their recently restored stained glass sign next time you’re in the area - it has never looked better!

When fish is on the menu in our house there is only one place to go: the Auckland Fish Market. As well as an incredible array of fresh seafood they have a great food market packed with all sorts of treats and inspiring cooking ingredients, and if you can’t wait to get home they even sell perfectly prepared hot fish and chips to eat in or takeaway. And it’s close to Wynyard Quarter - a bonus for coffee lovers and little ones alike.

If you can’t find inspiration in Farro Fresh then you might as well give up. First up are the fantastic fruit and vegetables with a notably great herb selection and some fine cherry tomatoes - I picked up an Italian selection which had a dark red, orange and classic red cherry. The fish is fresh and the friendly fishmonger is eager to help you with your choice. There are cheeses to satisfy the most fussy tastes, shelves full of chocolate, a great dairy section, fresh cuts of meat as well as cured, spreads, dips, olives, pickles, biscuits and crackers, wine and even cooking utensils, equipment and cookbooks. If you were desperately lacking inspiration you could make a beeline for the cookbooks then work your way back around Farro and you would have a successful meal in a jiffy.

The Kapiti Store in Shortland Street is a dairy lovers paradise with a large selection of delicious Kapiti cheeses packed into the front counter, including my favorite Kikorangi blue, and the shelves on the wall have complimentary items such as gourmet pastes and the wickedly tasty 360 crackers. For the sweet tooth there is Kapiti's gourmet ice-cream in flavors such as fig and honey, black forest or mint chocolate.  Also the toasted sandwich is finger licking good! A must have on a cold winter day.

Little Bread and Butter in Ponsonby are dishing out the finest organic breads in the neighbourhood. They use all natural unbleached flours, nuts and seeds and do a wide range of loaves including more-ish Walnut Loaf, Pumpkin Rye, wheat free Swiss Loaf and some unique breads such as a Fitness Bread containing wholemeal flour, carrots and seeds and a gluten free buckwheat loaf which is good news to the coeliacs and gluten intolerant bread lovers out there. Traditional white bread lovers are well catered for with the crunchy Tuscan Country, Parisian and Batard loaves. For the sweet tooth there are buttery pastries, cinnamon rolls and madeleines and Five Elements coffee to wash it down.

Pomegranate is a Middle Eastern deli behind the BP in Newmarket and has a plethora of Middle Eastern spices, pickles, dried fruit, nuts, canned goods and a brand of rose water that I use in recipes but does double duty as a spritz on my face as a toner. They also have a selection of food in the counter to takeaway .

Bhana Brothers are a Ponsonby Road institution for fresh cut flowers, breads from Wild Wheat Bakery, a huge array of fresh fruit and vegetables and grocery items including artisan Italian dried pastas, organic cereals, Matakana chocolates and so much more. The frozen goods fridges reveal organic frozen berries, Kapiti and Kohu Road icecreams and there is a great selection of dairy products.

Farro’s is a one stop shop for all your household food needs. The bakery, fish counter and butchery are all second to none and the prices competitive. For the record the crab legs are currently on special.

I was assisting on a location shoot (photography) in Glen Innes when the stomachs started rumbling. Something had to to done about it so we didn’t a quick stop off at Nosh. As I flew through the food market I was impressed. The produce, meat and seafood all looked fresh and inviting but I was in the market for the pictured pretzel. It was just what I was after and the hunger demons were put to rest. If I was doing a bigger shop, I would have made some more purchases. Ah well, next time.

All I knew about the Little Grocer was that they made home made ice blocks (notable signs mention this) and that according to my friend "it's a little bit like Ripe". I made the trip to check it out and liked what I saw. The little store offered offered a small selection of organic fruit and veg, some quirky gift ware, a nice selection of deli style food and a host of dips. I got a coffee (Volcano) which was fine, a custard brioche, a jar of hearty, natural peanut butter and  a tub of fresh feta dip which was pretty dam delicious. You can also purchase from a range of gourmet frozen meals which I'm guessing is perfect for young couples and busy parents. I recommend checking it out if you're in the neighborhood.

Recently I started getting all my fruit and vegetable delivered by Ooooby, an organic delivery service that drops my fruit and vegetable off at my front door. The only problem with Ooooby is that you don't control what is delivered, which is great on some fronts but also a little frustrating on others as sometimes there are necessary items missing. Thank goodness Fruit World is just down the road from me. It wass my one stop shop for fruit and veges, and now it's a support player in my relationship with Ooooby! The store has all you need, and the quality and price are generally right up there! Plus they have a great selection of beverages and dried bits and pieces. My only question is, who the heck buys the pre-peeled madarins? That's straight up cray.

Harvest Wholefoods is a great little store in the heart of Grey Lynn that specialises in natural, organic and gluten free foods. My girlfriend suffers from a number of food allergies so we often pop in here to pick up supplies, The Little Bird gluten free treats being a specific weakness of hers. The store stocks a whole range of other products including gluten free pastries, a large bulk bin section, eco-friendly cleaning products and organic fruit and vegetables. The staff are all extremely helpful and full of good advice on what products contain.

Specialty bulk food with a focus on organic.

All the basics with an emphasis on Indian, you can't get cheaper than here.

Tucked away off New North Rd, this fabulous bulk food shop is a serious visit for those needing Indian spices.

The local go-to for Indian spices.

What made Avondale famous (beside the spiders). Grab your week's seasonal produce, a kebab and testify with some preachers.

This place full of goodies. Lovely fresh vegetables and fruit, special pastas, pastes and sauces, flowers and much more. If you are looking for some interesting ingredients check it out.

I love the yummy vege & vegan pies at Harvest Wholefoods.  So many different fillings to choose from too!

Organic produce here. Great range of yummy pies, with lots of vege options too. Slices, quiche, pizza and freshly made bagels and rolls for sale in packs. Nice clean little place and good coffee too.

Always fresh fruit and veges! Huge range and better than anything you'll get from a supermarket. Reasonably priced too.

Just a huge array of goodness. Cheese galore for cheese lovers, wine, coffee, preserves, baking - everything a good market should have and more.

.

.

.

.

.

If you want to start making your own home brew, this is a good place to start. They're tucked away in Albany and can be a little hard to find, but they have a good selection of brew pots, fermentation barrels, full grain crushed malts and a decent selection of cone hops. There's pretty much everything you need to get your brew on. They also sell stills should you want to start making spirits (which is perfectly legal in NZ - awesome!).

Tucked away in a back street in Penrose, Brewers Coop is one of the best places to get all your home brewing supplies. A large range of malts and hops, plus brewing equipment and all the little bits and pieces that you need. They're really helpful too, and if they don't have what you want, they'll tell you where you can get it.

Auckland has needed this for ages. Bring your own growler, or buy one on site. A great selection of unusual craft beers from all across NZ  and also abroad. They have a party keg hire service too. Fill your own on a Friday for perfect after work drinks that don't suck.

Ok, why would I come to a fire safety services business for home brew supplies? The answer is that this is pretty much the only place I've found that fills up CO2 cylinders for home brewing. Good value too.

A wide range of grains for beer making, plus a bunch of other stuff too. They have a small amount of equipment - plastic pails and fermenting barrels etc. But the main reason you come here is for the big bulk bins full of cereals, flours and grains - much cheaper than buying elsewhere.

Start off at Ellerslie Organic Meats. The lads there will sort you out with the right hunk of meat to get you going. They can even tell you the best way to cook it. They also have a selection of marinades, pastas, sauces, herbs and spices to get you going.

Then stop off at Ceres Organics Ponsonby or Ellerslie. Organic veges, recipe books if you're stuck for ideas. Get one of the team to whizz you up an organic juice to enjoy while you shop.

Something from France? A baguette or pastries for the breakfast in bed? Tarte Citron or two.

The penultimate gesture is something from Icing on the Cake, Herne Bay. Something rich, sticky, gooey and delicious. Confectionary, cafe, cupcakes and cakes galore. Take your pick.

Finally.... A bouquet of flowers from Wild Poppies Florist, Great North Road. The girls there will talk you through it and help you come up with something befitting your special night. If you don't get some after that then you must be in a coma!

Where else can you buy a bamboo toothbrush, organic grains, kombucha and vegan wine. I mean, does everyone not live like this? No. They don't because Commonsense is pretty expensive actually. But also, It's a great place to buy staples, and they do have almost everything under one roof.

Organic Boxes is a delivery service that brings fresh, wholesome, high quality organic produce right to your door. The boxes range in size, and each contain a selection of fruit and vegetables. You order which size box you would like, as well as any additional dairy products, eggs, or coffee, pay for it online, and it appears magically to your doorstep! What a dream.

Though you wouldn’t necessarily expect it, Yan’s is a treasure trove of cheap, organic finds, from exotic rices and grains to teas and medicinal mushrooms (most mushrooms are inherently organic due to their sensitivity to pesticides). Yan’s is always a treat to visit, regardless of your reason for being there; you’ll always find something interesting and delicious.

People’s coffee offers a wholesome, feel good coffee experience, right down to the friendly, knowledgable staff. Specialising in fair trade organic coffee, made with Zany Zeus organic milk to boot, People’s is just a great business. The flagship store is tucked up on Constable street in Newtown, but you can find the delicious coffee at numerous cafes around the Wellington region, such as Milkcrate, and Vicbooks cafe.

Little Bird Organics is coming to Wellington! Ok, don't get too excited, it's just for on weekend, for the merrymaking that is Wellington on a Plate. Disappointingly short though their stay is, you can get in on the deliciousness via ticketek, for one of the multicourse, undoubtedly amazing showcases at Prefab Hall on the 15th-16th of August.

Whether it’s a date night with my hubby or a family outing on a Sunday afternoon to listen to a live set from Hopetoun Brown (one of my favourite live bands), the atmosphere and food are fantastic!

We spend a lot of time here with our little ones, walking the trails, (there are also tons of little secret trails all throughout Greenhithe, tucked away) visiting the horses, playing on the swings and in the water feature or riding the old tractor at the playground.

This is our regular Saturday morning run to the village shops for their black cherry Danish (my constant craving when I was pregnant!), custard squares and my 2.5 year old’s big treat, a “Pink!” (lamington).

Our little guys love this place - from the wooden games out front to a walk along the pier with a bag of warm Mexican churros and a fresh squeezed juice from Spruce Juice. We always stock up on bagels and Heavenly Pies (the Beef & Blue Cheese is to DIE for!) and freeze them for meals throughout the week.

We practically live at this place in the summer! The BEST real fruit strawberry ice creams made to order and we always come home with a huge box of strawberries that rarely last us the whole week until we can get out there again.