Feast Monthly July 2018 by Farro Fresh

FREE COPY: JULY 2018

PASTRAMI & RYE

JULY EATING WITH FARRO WHAT’S HAPPENING IN JULY

AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY 4 July Break out the flag, fire up the grill and celebrate Independence Day in true American style – one big feast!

Burgers, brisket and bagels … are some of our all-American fast food and comfort eats. In America, they do fast food well, whether it’s a quick mid-week burger night, a breakfast bagel or a fast pastrami-and-rye Reuben sandwich picked up from a New York deli. They also do ‘slow’ really well too. Whether it’s the slow cure for pastrami, which chef Dave Donoghue creates, North American-style, from his café in Ellerslie, or a US-style BBQ. We Kiwis often think of BBQs as just cooking hot and fast on the grill – but, actually, for BBQs around the world, the opposite is true. Southern American BBQ cuisine is food cooked long and slow in a pit whatever the weather. A rich, oven-slow cook, this is comfort food at its best. We’ve shared our take on slow American-style ribs and brisket with you this month, they really are finger licking

Pastrami & Rye is nothing less than a keeper of the Jewish-New York-styled culinary flame and has Ellerslie locals lining up for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dave Donoghue is the man behind it all. With a background in butchering and having worked in New York delicatessens for five years, Dave knows the ins and outs of what it takes to make a good sandwich. So, that was his next big calling – to bring the old-school NYC-Jewishstyle classics to the locals of Ellerslie. “Basically, it was really hard to find good sandwich in Auckland,” Dave says. “So I opened up a sandwich shop and I knew how to make the products from scratch.” From house-cured smoked brisket, bacon and salmon, homemade pickles to signature sandwich classics such as the pastrami on rye ‘Reuben’, Cuban, Crunchy chicken and Lobster roll, to name a few. Dave makes everything on site and has been keeping the neighbourhood humming with genuinely flavoursome food for over a year.

BASTILLE DAY 14 July You don’t have to be a French national to cook like one. Find our favourite French recipes on our website or pick up some Little French Pastry treats from our deli.

The Prize: •

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Two nights stay at boutique accommodation, enjoying delicious catered organic meals.

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Cacao farm visit and tour with Jeff Allen at Pacific Provender.

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Three night stay at Turtle Bay Lodge, enjoy a trip to Port Olry where there are the blue holes for swimming. Kayaks, SUP’s and extra activities.

BYO Bags Remember to bring your reusable bag and receive a 5c credit.

LOYA L T Y C A R D

LOYA LT Y C A R D

FRIENDS OF FARRO

This month we’re banning plastic bags and will be moving to compostable bags at all checkouts.

Harvest cacao at the Malile plantation with Wellington Chocolate Factory. Follow us for everyday food-lover inspiration:

The Wellington Chocolate Factory team are passionate about bean-to-bar chocolate and they want to share that experience with you! Buy any block of Wellington Chocolate Factory chocolate in July, scan your Friends of Farro card and you could win a trip to Vanuatu to experience a cacao harvest first hand.

Flights for 2 to Vanuatu organised by One Nine Five Travel.

* Terms and conditions The trip to Vanuatu would ideally take place in September/October, during the cacao harvesting season. Airfares for 2 included (any additional fares to be paid for by winners), airport transfers/ pick ups included. Boat trip to visit islands that grow cacao and boat transfers included.

We’re absolutely delighted that you’ll now spot his pastrami and Canadian-style bacon at Farro too!

“The pastrami recipe is my recipe, but it’s taken from the delis I worked in, which is why it’s made from brisket,” Dave says. “The brisket is cured for three days in our own herbs and spices, then seasoned and smoked for a day and steamed for a day.” The five-day process is well worth the wait for what turns out to be thick slabs of tender pastrami, and with everyone wanting a taste, it’s no wonder Dave produces more than 100 kilograms a week. “And that’s just the pastrami… it’s about double that for bacon,” he says. The bacon is cured for 48 hours and smoked for six, from a recipe that’s no secret: “It’s just fresh ingredients – lemon, thyme, sage, bay leaves, garlic, a little bit of salt, a little bit of sugar and away you go!” The simple packaging even goes back to old-school basics, wrappers using a 100 percent biodegradable material and New Zealand cheese cloth. “It’s what Grandma and Grandad used to store their meat in, back in the day, and we should be doing the same instead of plastic.” Thank you Dave, for truly rekindling our love affair for one of life’s simplest pleasures, the sandwich. Pop in store to make your own today!

HOUSE OF DUMPLINGS

Growing up in Hong Kong, Vicky Ha and her sister would sit around the living room helping their mum make dumplings. Vicky recalls being able to easily eat more than 30 dumplings at a time! While working in Wellington, years later, as a chef at Caffe L’affare, she invited some chef friends over to dinner. She made some dumplings and dipping sauce, using her mum’s recipes. “They told me there was nothing like that out there and encouraged me to seriously consider selling my dumplings,” she recalls. Soon after that, she took a job working the tiger prawn season as a chef on a boat in the Gulf of Carpentaria in Australia. “It was the toughest thing I have experienced in my life and I got really sea sick. But, on the plus side, I did come home with $20,000 in my pocket.” That cash injection was the money and the impetus she needed to kick start House of Dumplings. “We want to make the kind of dumplings that a grandma would feed to their grandchild,” Vicky says. She wanted to completely buck the trend of hideous, commercially made dumplings that are loaded with all sorts of unknown ingredients and full of MSG. She wanted to make the

Olivia Galletly

The Hungry Cook I’m definitely a summer person at heart, but I do love the foods that come with the colder weather. Any gloomy night is cheered up with a big bowl of brothy noodle soup – sometimes involving wontons, poached meat, seafood or tofu, but always with fresh noodles. A simple combination of Urban Hippie miso paste, ginger, shiitake or oyster mushrooms, broccolini and udon noodles has made an appearance on the menu multiple times already this winter. Creating a rich and flavourful broth is key to a good noodle soup. I like to start with a quality stock, such as a Harris’s vegetable or chicken, and add aromatics like ginger, star anise and cinnamon to give the soup more depth.

homemade dumplings she grew up with and really give people a taste of real dumplings, bursting with herbs and beautiful natural ingredients. They make everything from scratch, with no cutting corners, using nothing but the best NZ produce. Every single dumpling is carefully handmade by the team. You will NOT find any MSG, artificial colouring, flavouring or preservatives in any of the products. “We love getting our ingredients from local producers and farmers. It’s very important to us that the animals we eat have led a decent life, as nature intended,” she says. You’ll find the House of Dumplings range in our freezers with their Mum’s Sauce and Chilli Oil in our grocery department for dipping deliciousness! Cheerful chicken – Loaded with fresh herbs, shiitake mushrooms and free-range corn-fed chicken thigh. Prancing pork – A traditional Chinese dumpling , free-range Wairapa Longbush pork shoulder. Vegan Treats pack – A frozen dumplings pack for vegans. Spinach, Tofu and Bok Choy and Japanese Six-Mushroom varieties. Full House – a pick of the best in one package.

Jerusalem artichokes are another favourite of mine during winter. They’re not the most beautiful vegetable, but what they lack in appearance they make up for with their sweet, nutty, earthy taste. I love roasting them until they’re super crunchy, with olive oil, garlic and rosemary, and serving them as part of a Sunday roast. On a side note, no trip to Farro is complete without buying a packet of Ceylon Hot and Spicy Cashew Bhuja Mix – I am totally obsessed! The crispy curry leaves and slices of fried garlic are fantastic.

thehungrycook.co.nz @thehungrycooknz

HOSTING A MID-WINTER CHRISTMAS?

Kyle has many years’ experience in turkey farm management and now, with his own farm, he is truly in his element farming the Crozier’s way. Monique, a hairdresser and beauty therapist by trade, has now taken on the role of office manager. Isla and Ruby love being on the farm and helping Mum and Dad. The girls enjoy collecting the turkey eggs and seeing the baby poults on hatch days. They both like to come down to the farmer’s market on Saturdays to help Mum on the stall. Crozier’s Turkey’s is the smallest turkey farm in NZ and also the only truly free-range turkey farm. The Smiths breed, grow and process all their own stock by hand through spring, summer and autumn. They even make their own antibiotic-free feed onsite at the farm. Crozier’s birds are non-intensively farmed and each flock has a 1.2-hectare paddock to roam 100 percent of the time, right from when they leave the brooding sheds at just four to six weeks of age. Otherwise, for animal welfare reasons, the birds would end up spending most of their life locked in a shed because of cold and wet weather conditions over the winter months. Crozier’s Turkey’s only use organic methods for the processing of their birds, no chlorine wash, no nasty chemicals. Crozier’s birds are just 100% turkey! No additives! Crozier’s Turkeys are available in Farro freezers for your mid-winter Christmas feast!

Crozier’s Talking Turkey In 1959, Mr Crozier – a 12-year-old boy – was told there might be some money in turkeys… and away he went with his lifetime obsession with breeding truly free-range turkeys. A new chapter for Crozier’s Turkeys started in 2015, when the small family-run business was taken over by the Smith family: Kyle and Monique along with their young daughters, Isla and Ruby (PICTURED).

Mulled Apple Crumble Cider Serves: 8

Summer is a popular time for cider consumption, but this winter, Hawke’s Bay-based Zeffer Cider Co decided to get creative with their cider over the chillier months. Head cidermaker Jody Scott was curious to find out how their famous Apple Crumble Cider would fare warmed up as a mulled cider offering; the result? Very delicious. “Our Apple Crumble Cider is made from freshly crushed apples and we use cinnamon, vanilla and blackberry leaves to craft this cider, which makes it a very easy (and tasty) base for a mulled winter cider,” he says. Scott’s fail-proof recipe, using a slow cooker, is a sure-fire winner for winter entertaining. Jody Scott’s Mulled Apple Crumble Cider

Ingredients ▢ 2 litres Zeffer Apple Crumble Cider ▢ 10 grams brown sugar (optional) ▢ 1 orange, sliced into rounds ▢ 2 star anise ▢ 2 cinnamon sticks Method Fill a slow cooker or pot with Zeffer’s Apple Crumble Cider, add sugar (optional), sliced orange, cinnamon and star anise. Cover the pot or slow cooker and heat until the flavours meld. If using the slow cooker, leave for 2-3 hours on low or warm. Serve in a glass or mug and garnish with additional orange slices and cinnamon stick. Zeffer Cider Co is based in the sunny fruit bowl of Hawke’s Bay and makes premium craft cider with an Antipodean twist. Their all-natural real cider has won more than 60 awards including Champion Cider at the International Cider Awards in London last year. Started by Hannah Bower and Sam Whitmore in Matakana in late 2008, the small team strives to craft world-class and imaginative ciders to open people’s minds to how great New Zealand cider can be.

ON THE MID-WINTER CHRISTMAS LIST Brew some mulled cider, make mince tarts and enjoy a mid-winter Christmas Feast ▢ Mummy’s Yummys Mince tarts Mummys Yummys mince tarts are made using a secret recipe from days gone by. These handmade mince tarts are just exquisite and exclusive to Farro this month especially for Mid-winter Christmas. ▢ Cranberry jelly/compote/sauce Perfect with turkey, chicken, pork , cheese and more. ▢ Harriet’s ham glaze Not only delicious but so easy to use as well. ▢ Artisan Cakes Christmas pudding Handcrafted in Christchurch with the best ingredients, this is an extraspecial pudding, delicious by itself or with custard. ▢ Darlington’s fruit mincemeat Mix of fruits, spices and brandy left to mature for a deep, rich flavour. Great to pair with Lincoln Bakery’s Sweet pastry cases.

IN SEASON

PICK YOUR OWN MUSHROOMS You can now pick and mix your own mushrooms at all of our stores. Enjoy a feast of varieties! Phoenix Tail mushroom (oyster) The Phoenix Tail is a very attractive, fan-shaped mushroom with a delicate subtle seafood flavour. It looks beautiful. Use in soups, stir-fries and salads. Gently rip them when adding to a recipe. They can be served raw or very lightly cooked. Shiitake mushroom Renowned for its subtle, fresh, earthy flavour, this is the most popular of the exotics. It has a traditional mushroom shape with brown cap and white gills and develops a rich, woodsy flavour with a meaty texture when cooked. The shiitake does not discolour with its juices during cooking, so lends itself to almost any style of cooking. The stems tend to be tough, even after cooking, so trim them off. This is ideal as a meat texture substitute and is also known as ‘the healing mushroom’, historically eaten for its medicinal benefits. Wood Ear mushroom This unusual mushroom has the most wonderful texture but adds little in flavour. It is widely used in Asian-style cuisine, thinly sliced in stir-fries and soups. Wood Ear is best served cooked, where it will retain its colour and al dente texture. Add at the last minute to soups, stir-fries and Chinese-style pickled salads. Honeycomb (Tremella) mushroom Also of Asian origin, the Honeycomb mushroom is highly prized as a culinary delicacy and for its medicinal properties. Roughly chopped off its central core, this mushroom adds three-dimensional textures to any stir-fry, mushroom medley or soup. It is also popular in desserts. Enoki mushroom (Golden/Snow needles) Widely used by the Japanese, this delicate mushroom has a subtle but distinctive flavour and is characterised by long slender stems and tiny caps. Trim off the spongy base and separate if the bunches are large. These make a great addition to a salad and are best very lightly cooked. Pink Oyster mushroom These grow in layered clusters like their grey and yellow relatives. Their colour is intensely pink when raw and changes to an orange-brown colour when cooked. Darker pink mushrooms result from a darker growing environment. The meaty texture of the Pink Flamingo Oyster mushrooms makes for a delicious edible mushroom. They can be sautéed with other vegetables or added to pasta dishes or soups. Pink Flamingo Oyster mushrooms complement white sauces and risotto dishes. Due to their meaty texture, they require thorough cooking (around 20 minutes) to develop their flavour and an edible consistency.

SERVES 6-8 | PREP TIME 10 MINS | 1HR REFRIGERATION TIME COOKING TIME 4½ HOURS | +30 MINS RESTING TIME

Brisket is an underrated cut that is perfect for long, slow cooking to achieve tenderness. It’s brilliant sliced with mashed potatoes or shred the meat and put into buns. Beer lends a wonderfully tangy flavour and we achieved a delicate smokiness by using liquid smoke. INGREDIENTS

▢ 1 teaspoon celery salt ▢ 1 teaspoon brown sugar ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin ▢ ½ teaspoon hot smoked paprika ▢ 1 teaspoon mustard powder ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder ▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder ▢ 1-1½ kilograms beef brisket ▢ 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

▢ 6 onions, peeled, halved and sliced ▢ 1 bay leaf ▢ 300mls beer (American-style pale ale) ▢ 2 tablespoons cider vinegar ▢ 2 teaspoons Worcester sauce ▢ 6-8 sprays liquid smoke (optional) ▢ ½ cup favorite BBQ sauce

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Combine celery salt, brown sugar, cumin, paprika, mustard, garlic and onion powders. Pat dry the brisket then rub with spice mix. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour or overnight. Bring to room temperature.

Heat oil in an ovenproof pan, brown beef on both sides, remove from the pan and add onions. Cook briefly for a few minutes then add meat back to the pan along with bay leaf, beer, cider vinegar and Worcester sauce. Spray with liquid smoke, if using. Cover and put into the oven to cook for 4 hours. Smear beef with BBQ sauce and return to the oven, uncovered, for another 30 mins. Rest meat for 30 mins before slicing or pulling into shreds. Serve with mashed potatoes, pickles, slaw and your favorite sauces.

Oven-baked pork ribs SERVES 4-6 | PREP TIME 5 MINS | COOKING TIME 2½ HOURS

Bagel Love bagel range

$6.49/4pk ON SPECIAL *Special prices valid 2-29 July

Shirley from Bagel Love is a special producer in our Farro family. We see her every day at each of our stores, delivering her freshly baked Bagel Love bagels, so this month we picked a few of our favourite toppings to celebrate our love of bagels and the 4th of July. 1. Clevedon Buffalo Chilli and lime marinated cheese with rocket leaves and caper berries. 2. Pastrami & Rye pastrami, Emmental (or other nutty cheese), pickles. 3. Taramasalata and pink pickled peppercorns. 4. Crispy Matakana bacon, scrambled egg and sriracha.

Other favourites: Forty Thieves macadamia nut butter. Bagel Love ginger and walnut cream cheese. The classic Smoked Salmon, cream cheese and capers with a squeeze of lemon.

The wild fennel co rub used here makes for fast prep work. It is a little on the spicy side, so if you find it too hot, be more sparing with the rub. INGREDIENTS ▢ 2 pork ribs racks ▢ ¼ cup Dijon mustard ▢ 1 packet Wild Fennel Co pork seasoning mix ▢ 250mls apple juice ▢ 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar ▢ 2 tablespoons maple syrup METHOD Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cut the ribs in half and rub all over with Dijon mustard. Sprinkle over seasoning mix. Place in a lipped baking tray. Combine apple juice, cider vinegar and maple syrup and pour into the base of the tray (if you need to put the ribs into two trays, do so, and divide apple juice mix between the two trays). Cover with foil and bake for 2 hours. The meat should be very tender. This can be cooked a day or so ahead and kept refrigerated. Drain liquid into a small saucepan and reduce the glaze until syrupy – around 10 mins. Turn oven to grill and baste ribs with glaze and cook until starting to brown, re-glazing halfway through. Watch to ensure they don’t burn. Cut ribs into pieces and serve with a hot potato salad and slaw.

Freedom Farms Pork Spare Ribs

$18.99/kg SAVE $2.00 *Special prices valid 2-29 July

Lamb burgers with tzatziki SERVES 4-6 | PREP TIME 10 MINS | COOKING TIME 15 MINS

Lamb makes delicious, juicy patties and, with the sharp spike of preserved lemon, these are delectable. INGREDIENTS ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil ▢ 1 onion chopped ▢ 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped ▢ 1 red chilli, finely chopped ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin ▢ ½ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika ▢ 500g lamb mince ▢ 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano ▢ ½ preserved lemon, rind only, finely chopped ▢ ½ teaspoon salt

METHOD Heat oil and fry onion until soft. Add garlic, chilli, cumin and sweet paprika and cook for another minute. Set aside in a bowl. When cool, add in and combine lamb, oregano, preserved lemon and salt. Shape into patties. Fry for 4 mins on each side or until done. Serve in a burger with tzatziki, lettuce and tomato.

Cannellini and kumara patties SERVES 4-6 | PREP TIME 15 MINS | COOKING TIME 15 MINS

These simple vegetarian patties are quick to prepare and always popular. Substitute pumpkin, carrot or celeriac for the kumara if you wish. To keep these vegan, omit the egg, but you may need to add a little flour to help bind the mix. ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil ▢ 1 onion chopped ▢ 1 cup peeled and grated orange kumara ▢ ½ teaspoon salt ▢ 2 cloves garlic, chopped ▢ pinch chilli flakes ▢ 2 x 400g tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed ▢ 1 cup herbs such as parsley, coriander, etc. ▢ 1 egg, beaten ▢ ½ cup dried breadcrumbs or panko crumbs

METHOD Heat oil and fry onion and kumara with salt until soft. Add garlic and chilli flakes and cook for 1 min. Put into a food processor with beans and herbs and blitz to a coarse crumb. Combine with egg and breadcrumbs or panko. Shape into patties and ideally refrigerate for at least 30 mins to set up. Fry gently for 3-4 mins each side (alternatively, brush with oil and bake for 30 mins in a 180°C oven). The shaped mix can be frozen for use at another date. Serve in burgers with lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayo or toppings of choice.

Lemongrass chicken patties for burger buns SERVES 4-6 | PREP TIME 15 MINS | COOKING TIME 10-15 MINS

These lightly spiced chicken patties will be a hit with the entire family. They are also delicious tossed through a rice noodle salad. INGREDIENTS ▢ 500g chicken mince ▢ 1 tablespoon sunflower oil ▢ 2 lemongrass stems, finely chopped ▢ 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped ▢ 1 red chilli, finely chopped ▢ 1 shallot, finely chopped ▢ 1 tablespoon fish sauce ▢ ½ teaspoon ground turmeric ▢ 2 kaffir lime leaves, central stem removed, thinly sliced ▢ ½ teaspoon salt ▢ 2 tablespoons lime juice ▢ ½ cup dried breadcrumbs or panko crumbs METHOD Heat oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat, add lemongrass, garlic, chilli and shallot and cook for 3-4 mins or until soft. Remove from heat and set aside. When cooled slightly, put mix into a medium-sized bowl and combine with all remaining ingredients then shape into patties. Pan fry or grill for 4 mins on each side or until cooked through. Serve in buns or baguette with a slaw dressed with nuoc cham sauce and plenty of coriander, tomato and sriracha.

WINE PRODUCER OF THE MONTH FARRO FOOD HERO OF THE MONTH

“These beans are usually roasted darker to flatten out the flavour, then vanilla and other additives are mixed in to make the chocolate more palatable. There are also some ongoing bad labour practices occurring in these regions,” Gabe says. “I like to think about where the beans came from while tasting great chocolate: the long process from growing the tree, picking the ripe cacao pods, scooping out the beans and pulp and the fermenting and drying the beans before they are shipped to us in 60-kilogram sacks.” Even the WCF packaging is thoughtfully considered. These bars are beautifully wrapped and that’s to the creative credit of Inject Design, an agency in Wellington, that works with a selection of unique NZ artists. WCF calls on them when they dream up a new chocolate concept. Some of the artwork on the packaging hints at which flavours may be hiding inside the wrapper, through colour, a subtle element or illustration.

Gabe Davidson remembers the very first bean-to-bar chocolate he ever tried. It was made by San Franciscobased chocolatiers, Dandelion Chocolate. “I could not believe their single-origin Madagascar bar had only two ingredients (just cacao beans and a little sugar) – it tasted like they had snuck some raspberry flavouring in there!” From that moment, he was completely hooked. The Dandelion experience inspired Gabe to explore cacao plantations in Peru and craft chocolate factories in the US before returning home to NZ after 13 years running coffee and chocolate businesses in Melbourne. He teamed up with Rochelle Harrison, a top Wellington pastry chef who was experimenting with this new concept of making chocolate from scratch on a small scale. Together they formed Wellington Chocolate Factory. They now have a team of 25, including chocolatiers, chocolate makers, tour guides and people you may see handing out samples of chocolate and sharing the Wellington Chocolate Factory story in retailers like Farro, around NZ. Their vision: “To introduce craft bean-to-bar chocolate to New Zealanders and share with people how, like wine and coffee, chocolate can be more than just one flavour, depending on which type of tree it’s picked from and where it’s grown,” Gabe says. “We wanted to do this while ensuring every step of the chain is a force for good. Our vision is to make the best-tasting chocolate possible, without compromise, while adhering to strict ethical values.” The Factory is in the old Hannah’s shoe factory in the heart of Wellington. It’s open seven days, and people are welcome to come in any

time to grab a hot chocolate and see the whole chocolate making process take shape. WCF share a little laneway with Fix & Fogg peanut butter, a craft beer brewery, a bakery and a couple of other hidden foodie gems. Many chocolate makers in New Zealand will buy chocolate from Belgium that is already made then melt it down to make bars. At WCF they love the transparency of having their whole process open to the public and the challenge of focusing on making great tasting chocolate with only two ingredients, cocoa beans and a little sugar. There’s not a slab of imported bulk coverture chocolate in sight. The team at WCF are passionate about making a difference to the lives of cacao farmers and making better-tasting chocolate without any nasty additives. Better for the growers, better for us, better for the planet. They work with Trade Aid and also have some direct trade with farmers in the Pacific and Melanesia. They currently source from a mix of larger cooperatives and smallholder farmers. They have sourced from Peru, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Madagascar, Samoa, Bougainville and Vanuatu. The more recent partnerships in the Pacific have been very exciting, Gabe says, and include the Malile plantation on Malekula Island and Santo in Vanuatu (see our exciting competition this month to win a trip there). WCF are also proud to be the first and only bean-to-bar chocolate Factory in New Zealand to be Biogro-certified organic. They also either buy directly from farmers or use Fairtrade-certified beans. This keeps more of the money in-country and helps smallholder farmers and their families. “Most cacao beans are sourced from West Africa by a handful of multinationals. They are commonly the cheaper Forastero variety. These beans are then typically processed in Europe then sold as couverture to factories to be processed into confectionery chocolate.

WITH WELLINGTON CHOCOLATE FACTORY - FIND OUR MORE ON PAGE 1

The team at Wellington Chocolate Factory want to be a force for good. “What we love about what we do is that we have an opportunity to create an organisation without any weak links, from paying a fair price to the cacao farmers, to looking after our passionate staff, educating people about what we do and creating a product which is better for your health and the health of the planet. Plus, chocolate simply makes people happy. “We like the idea of creating a better-tasting world through making great chocolate.”

WHAT MAKES AMAZING CRAFT CHOCOLATE? “If we find great beans, we can make great chocolate. Craft chocolate makers tend to look for Trinitario or Criollo bean varietals, rarer than the Forestero beans. Great-quality beans are often sourced from Central and South America, but more recently we are looking closer to home among our Pacific neighbours and have had some great finds. “We prefer a lighter roast. This preserves more of the natural acidity, which adds to the fruitiness and keeps the subtle, interesting flavour characteristics intact. We then age the chocolate for one month before tempering and moulding into bars. “We hand-sort every sack of beans before roasting, a painstaking process, that ensures only the best beans make the cut!”

Tauranga may be better known for its kiwifruit than its wine, but one local landmark has a very special place in the Bay. Mills Reef Winery is a local icon that has been the home of the Preston family since 1979. While they may source their grapes from Hawke’s Bay and other vineyards around the country, Tauranga is most definitely home for this winemaking family. Paddy Preston started the family’s winemaking journey. He had a love of experimenting and making fruit wines, stemming right back to his early married days living in Wellington. Tim Preston recalls many days and nights as a kid watching his father making wine at home. “Dad’s passion for winemaking – and life – passed over to me,” Tim says. The Prestons moved to the Bay of Plenty in 1979. Mills Reef Winery’s inaugural vintage started years later 1989, created by Paddy in humble facilities located, in the foothills of the Kaimai Ranges on the outskirts of Tauranga, made with Hawke’s Bay grapes. Despite these modest beginnings, the family’s determination and hard work soon saw Mills Reef receive significant critical acclaim. Several years on, and with a rapidly growing following of loyal wine lovers, there was a need to expand the winemaking facilities and establish a fitting home for the brand. The perfect site was found in Bethlehem and it remains the location of the landmark winery today. Paddy retired from daily involvement in the winery in 2010 and Tim assumed the chief winemaker role, with long-standing team member Paul Dawick stepping into the support role as senior winemaker. Today, Mills Reef is known for its Chardonnay, Syrah and a selection of the Bordeaux varietal reds. However, Tim explains how nothing came easily. “It was certainly a humbling beginning, even the development of early fruit wines was a story in experimentation and trial and error,” he says. “But it was the grape we really had our eye on – and all the good things that come from growing the right varieties. “We always knew New Zealand had the potential to produce wines on par with any of the famous wine regions of the world.” Why did you settle on Tauranga as the site of the winery? It was an interesting decision, but one that has turned out well. Tauranga is where we began our operation and there is that family and historical connection. But, in practical terms, it has also turned out to be the ideal ‘front of house’ operation for us, with our winery, tasting room, restaurant and function facility, set on beautifully landscaped grounds. It’s a stunning site in Bethlehem – one that is ideal for through traffic and tourism. It is working well for us.

How did you work together to set up the winery? It was a typical father-and-son effort. While we each had our respective focus in running the winery operation, there was also regular overlap with sharing of ideas, experimentation and feedback. Being family, you are more direct and get to a solution quicker, but we certainly had our moments! The Bay of Plenty is known more for kiwifruit than grape growing. Do you grow any grapes in the Bay? Where do you source most of your grapes? The Bay of Plenty didn’t have the ideal soils and climate for creating the big bold Bordeaux varietal reds we had our eye on. We choose Hawke’s Bay as our preferred region due to the style of grapes that can be grown there and its further potential. The Gimblett Gravels vineyard now provides grapes for our top-tier Elspeth wines of Chardonnay, Syrah and a selection of the Bordeaux varietal reds, while the balance of up to 300 tonnes of fruit processed per year is supplied from winery-controlled lease vineyards and selected contract growers within Hawke’s Bay. What do the unique characteristics of the region bring to the winery and wine you produce? The great thing about Hawke’s Bay is its diversity of sub-regions, each with their own strengths when matched to the right grape varieties. For the full-bodied reds, the warmer, inland Gimblett Gravels is our chosen place. Chardonnay performs well across a range of soils and climates, whereas for the white varietals of Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc, we favour the cooler, higher diurnal climate of the inland foothills on alluvial soils. This allows us to produce a wide array of varietal wines, which yield great fruit expression, purity, complexity and, importantly, balance. What makes Mills Reef wines so unique? Commitment and dedication to excellence, a focus on the Hawke’s Bay region and targeted site selection (soil-wise and climatically) within each sub-region to match the most ideally suited grape varieties for best possible quality and wine expression. This careful approach has seen Mills Reef establish itself as one of New Zealand’s best-known family wine brands with an excellent reputation, and Farro is proud to bring to you.

Discover the Mills Reef range in store. RESERVE PINOT GRIS 2017 $23.99 ELSPETH CABERNET MERLOT 2016 $49.99 RESERVE CHARDONNAY 2016 $23.99 ELSPETH CHARDONNAY $34.99 RESERVE SYRAH 2016 $23.99

ON OUR SHOPPING LIST July Charmaine Solomon Range $14.99/250g Save $5.00 *Valid 2- 29 July

Little Bird Macaroon Range $9.99/100g Save $2.51 *Valid 2- 29 July

Bagel Love Shirley’s daily delivery doesn’t just include fresh bagels, it also includes a selection of flavoured cream cheeses - the perfect accompaniment for Sunday morning brunch or a mid-week lunch. The flavours include ginger and walnut, sun-dried tomato, garlic and herb – and are all made with New Zealand-produced cream cheese. Look for Shirley’s Bagel Love cream cheese spreads in the deli antipasta fridge today.

Bagels $6.49/4pk Save 50c *Valid 2- 29 July

House of Dumplings 10pk $14.99/10pk Save $2.00 *Valid 25 June - 29 July

Coffee Supreme Boxer Blend $12.95/250g Save $1.30 *Valid 2- 29 July

Cream cheese range $7.30 Save 70c *Valid 2- 29 July

First Light Beef Mince $11.99/400g Save $1.00 *Valid 25 June - 29 July

*New to Store Farro Kitchen Ready Meals Fresh $15.99 Frozen $14.49

Freedom Farms Whole Chicken $9.99/kg Save $3.00 *Valid 25 June - 29 July