The cheeses! The fresh vegetable and fruit selection! The pastas! The dips! The seafood! The meats! The chocolate! The Bakery! There are a lot of things at Moore Wilsons that make me want to yell "The insert specific word here!" at the top of my lungs.

Best sugar free chocolate bars ever! No seriously, the best sugar free chocolate bars ever. And if the sugar free chocolate is that good, just think about how good the sugary chocolate is?! You can put together a pretty incredible chocolate hamper here.

So there is this alternative supermarket called Commonsense Organics, and they have Hemp Milk, and Almond Milk, and Oat Milk!!! So if you’re looking for a non dairy milk substitute that isn’t soy, you just died and went to heaven! Then you get to the cereal and museli section, and it’s all so good you get kinda emotionally overwhelmed - and then you come past the meat alternatives, and if you’re vegetarian it’s like, damn, I have no money to pay my rent now.

The first time I headed past City Market on a Sunday I nearly died and went to heaven, actually, maybe I did. Anyway, I spent around $40 on breakfast, which is really too much to spend on Breakfast, but I just didn’t care - so much deliciousness, so little time.

Upsettingly good dairy products lurk here. I want to draw an old medieval map, and as opposed to "Here be Dragons", I want to put "Here be Zany Zeus Feta". I’d have to include Cafe Polo and NIkau on the map as well. Local cafes really need to jump onto this Wondrous product range. Sublime.

A must-discover for every Wellingtonian - grab a bargain on fresh (and some unusual) produce, from fruit and veg to meat, cheese and bread, explore the bulk food section and home solutions, or stock up on wine, beer and liquor from the massive selection on offer

Urban Harvest stocks heaps of locally grown and produced fruit and veges, meat, artisan cheese, dairy, spreads and deli products, breads and sweet treats, along with pantry staples. You can also shop online and either get fresh, tasty ingredients, meals and treats delivered to your door or someone else's (ideal birthday/Christmas present!). They also offer recipes and host chefs to teach you how to cook with their latest additions. Their artisan cheese section is outstanding and gives suggestions for how you should best accompany your cheesy feast.

This deli of all things desirable is worth a trip to Petone. Choose from a massive selection of imported and local products, sample the meats and cheeses behind the counter and stock up on favourites, well-known names or quirky items (ostrich sausage, anyone?) you haven’t tried before.

While the waterfront market on Sundays is always full of low-cost veges and gourmet delights, the City Market in the Chaffers Dock Building offers freshly-made or cooked treats from the likes of La Boca Loca, Martin Bosley, Yellow Brick Road and House of Dumplings, plus a different local restaurant/cafe/brewery/winery or cooking class each week!

Hoon over to Newtown for a visit to this massive space packed full of imported Mediterranean treats - including pasta, cans and jars of all things tasty, oils, sweet treats and packages of herbs and spices. Pick up some fresh food from the deli and complete your visit with a stop in at the pizzeria and cafe for pizza, salad, dessert and more!

Just as everyone has their preferred choice of alcoholic beverage, every hangover sufferer has their own remedy. A remedy for that pounding headache and nausea filled, twisted knot of a stomach. I myself have fallen victim to the next-day-wrath of a night drinking many times. My current remedy is for those mornings where eating food 'aint gonna happen'. For these tragic days I walk, crawl or send someone else down to Moore Wilson's fresh food section, and grab a bottle of fresh icy orange juice. Moore Wilson's OJ is not just your average orange juice. Made 100% just from oranges it's pulpy , tangy and full of Vitamin C. On a hungover day, to me, a glass of this thirst-quenching goodness is liquid gold. 

Nothing tops off a good night better than a glass of your choice of poison. Whether it be a lazy Sunday night eating takeaway and watching movies, with a glass of wine to compliment the occasion. Or perhaps a Friday night where you decide to treat yourself to a few glasses of well deserved gin and tonic. Glengarry stores have a great range in whatever tickles those tastebuds fancy.

If it has been one of those weeks where you feel like fresh fruit and veg has not been apparent in your diet, then why not get up bright and early Saturday and head down to Newtown. Open from the early morning hours till the early afternoon, this is the best place to go to get more ‘bang for your buck’. Each stall competing with each other for the lowest price, results in produce much cheaper than that of the supermarket.

As meat seems to be going up in price, it is harder to get that protein into the diet. That’s where Preston’s come in, with cheap meat deals they are a sure-fire way to ensure that you keep on top of that iron intake and keep yourself in good health!

Nood offers a range of furniture and neat little gadgets for the home. With a quirky spin on every home item in the store, you can spend hours getting lost among these beautiful forms of artwork. The slogan for this furniture chain is “Objects of desire” and they couldn't be more right. When spending time in this store I find myself wishing I could work here, just so that I could surround myself with such beauty for a third of the price. The workmanship of each perfectly crafted item is seen in the price tag, though the quality is above and beyond that of most other furniture stores. Nood is definitely no IKEA. 

For the best artisan products and freshest fish this is the place to go if you really know good food.

If you really care about what is going into your body this is the best place to shop for great fresh produce and fully organic products.

The freshest lettuces and the freshest loaves of bread, everything is fresh at Moore Wilsons

The place to get all your fresh vegetables straight from the source.

You don’t have to wait until every Sunday to get great fresh produce at Cuba Fruit Mart.

(Nearly) every Sunday, my significant other and I venture out of our cozy weekend bed to the Harbourside Market. While I'll admit location was a bit of a factor in making this 'our' vege market (bonus for being catty-corner to New World, making Sunday my official grocery day), Harbourside Market has much more to offer than its central location. More than 10 farms bring their produce to the table(s) each week, and super competitive pricing means the answer to the 'what can we get with our last $20 (or $10, or $5 or $2-- it's been done, folks)' question is always 'heaps'. On sunny days, make time to buy lunch from one of the many carts sprawling down to the waterfront. I haven't seen it there in a while, but the elusive Burrito Magic is tops-- if you catch it, don't let it go without a bean burrito and a colorful Jarritos.

Centrally located near Wellington Harbour (and thus only a 5 minute walk from my home), New World's supermarket in the heart of the city is perfect for my shopping needs. Well stocked and boasting ample 'super saver' discounts, I try to time my weekly trip to match up with the Harbourside Market each Sunday morning. But with late night hours (open 'til midnight every night), you might just find yourself surreptitiously buying a bar of chocolate and a bottle of Coopers sparkling ale on your way home, too.

Come in early each Sunday for an ever-changing showcase of food and drinks from local producers. From wine tastings to cooking classes, demos from the professionals to teens selling lollies, City Market has a lot to offer. Come for the incredible House of Dumplings. Yum!

Where to go when you have to make the perfect guacamole for nacho night in the dead of winter. Other places are selling avocados at five dollars a pop, but at Cuba Fruit you can find perfectly ripened (seriously!) avos at 2 for $3.

The name really says it all. Organic foods (including tasty fruits and veges) and products at reasonable prices. With hot lunches catering to all your dietary needs– gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options abound, friendly and knowledgeable staff, and tasty treats (they sell Nice Blocks! Yum!!)

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.

You will be greeted with a hot cup of coffee at this specialist food store. Know by some as the South African Store, they proudly display the SA flag and I’m told they stock the best biltong around. They also stock heaps of meats, cheeses and other goodies from all over the world - Mexican hot chocolate, Israeli couscous and local dairy products, it’s definitely worth a visit! If you drop by on a Saturday you might be lucky enough to sample a range of their products too.  Yet another Petone gem!

There’s so much good stuff here, I don’t know where to start! Their fresh produce is beautiful and you can find things here that you might struggle to get your hands on at the supermarket. They’ve got a lot of great organic and free range meat which is always good news and they sell delicious cakes and pastries from places like Aro Bake. Careful not to go when you’re too hungry or you might end up emptying your wallet!

There’s so much to love about this family run restaurant. The service is excellent with great food to match. They also have an amazing deli where you can buy an array of cured meats and cheeses to recreate their tasty antipastos as home. They also do catering, classes and have a shop full of imported Italian foodstuffs. There’s so much to eat, drink and see, I could spend all day here!

Located in the Woolstore Building in Thorndon, this cute little shop stocks the best range of French cheeses in Wellington! They also stock all the good stuff like preserves, mustard and chocolate. The shop is conveniently across the hall from the Le Marche Francais cafe so you can pop in for a coffee and French treat on your way in or out!

I love the huge range of Indian spices they have here! The staff are also really helpful which is nice because their range can be a bit overwhelming. Don’t forget to try their samosas, massively delicious!

Whether it's the freshest of fresh veges, dips, sauces, cheeses, breads - it's all waiting for you at Moore Wilsons on Tory. Convenient inner-city location and a foodie haven. My favourite Moore Wilsons snack is a pottle of taramasalata, some unctuous fresh cheese and some fresh crunchy bread.

Commonsense Organics really is your one-stop shop for all things gluten-free. In their online store there's a handy filter so you can search only for gluten-free items. You can order online and they deliver Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Currently there are 1022 gluten-free items listed in the online shop - if you're a gluten-free foodie, it really can't be beaten for choice and quality.

Pak N Save is our local and it's never let us down. Excellent range of fresh produce and they've always got specials so you can pick up a real bargain. This week it was kiwifruit and I nabbed about ten for only 60 cents! You just have to keep an eye out for what's on offer throughout the store. Always great bargains to be had and your groceries won't break the bank.

Cheap eats and great produce bargains - the perfect place to pick up fresh fruit and veg and I also love to pick up fresh flowers here which are always on special. Check out their new 'Feed 4 for $15' menu ideas instore.

These guys are in Lower Hutt and it's worth the trip - or perhaps you live close - for the freshest fruit and veg and amazing prices. Highly recommended. And they go the extra mile in customer service!

Everything from legumes to lego, and the only source of freshly squeezed orange juice in the lower North Island.

For gourmet cream donuts, and pies.

Awesome butchery outlet for a special meal. Also has a great deli counter.

The only place in town for fresh fish.

Smell, taste and admire the beauty of the produce at this foodie nirvana. Freshly squeezed oranges and roasting coffee beans perfume the room, with a host of free samples to tempt you into an impulse buy or three. Be sure to check out the bakery and fishmonger sections!

Waterfront, Te Papa, Harbourside. How you moniker it is probably dependent on your age, length of time spent in Wellington and what your mates call it. What I think we can all agree on is how amazing this place is on a sunday morning. Economical veggies, amazingly filling rotis and the freshest fish in town. Great place to ease into what, chances are, will be a painful sunday morning.

Who knew fish and chips could be so complex? Choose your fish (obviously), your chips (less obvious) and your batter (freakin’ awesome). The agria chips are sensational, whilst I’d recommend getting whichever fish you go for tempura-style. Definitely worth the extra dollar or two. No longer will we accept greasy fish and oily chips; like every other food genre, the humble old chippy has had to evolve to fit our needs and fads. Expect to see then, therefore, an ever-changing, seasonal menu reflective on what’s been caught that day. Even have your Akaroa salmon fillet grilled; how gourmet is that.

Chic surroundings at this mysterious beauty on the wrong side of Courtenay. Heated seats and fabulous cocktails make this elegant bar perfect for post work drinks on those long winter evenings. The East Asian/Chinese menu is a must! Try the  twice cooked chicken.

So often I find myself paying up for an okay but slightly unrewarding meal and ask whether the staff have derived any enjoyment doing their job and working their shift. More often than not, the answer is a resounding no, but Ortega Fish Shack does fun and fantastic food like no place else I’ve been to in Wellington. A mouth-watering menu, carefully matched wines and a vibrant restaurant make this place my other half’s and mine’s special treat. A little on the expensive side for my humble budget, but worth every cent.

Commonsense Organics is a must-visit for any wannabe foodie. Beautiful, locally sourced veg sits alongside gourmet, NZ made pestos and cheeses. Stocking their shelves in keeping with the seasons, this little hangout is in keeping with the 21st century philosophies of environmental sustainability, fair trade and supporting local business. All of this results in some of the freshest looking produce you're likely to see. Take advantage of the online shopping option and share the green-tinted love with friends or family. 

It is filled with food, when I say filled I mean isle dodging. They ask you if you would like a coffee on the way in and you collect a free cup by the cheese. The cheese is cut to your liking and can be tasted. The place is just marvelous.

I love buying fresh spices by the scoop, smelling that smell of India and the samosa are well worth taking home.

Everything a supermarket should be with the best staff. Often have a good soundtrack on too.

Actually in Petone. Not just Asian supplies but Italian/European and Mexican too. Love to buy the big bags of rice and a strange looking random treat.

PRAWNS PRAWNS PRAWNS… yummy prawn dishes

The amazing strawberries

The service

I love the food.