Vic's Picks

Tame Your Mind

Sometimes we are our own worst enemies. Someone who knows this well is Debbie Eaton from Tame Your Mind, who helps clients discover what’s really holding them back, be it anything from anxiety to over eating, depression or IBS.

Debbie uses techniques like guided meditation which can be done in person or online to quieten the thinking mind and allow the unconscious mind to speak. This gives you the power to make real change and find happiness and peace of mind. tameyourmind.co.nz nourishmagazine.co.nz/sicily-tour

This is quite honestly going to be an amazing tour! I have assembled a dream team with an old friend of mine and Sicilian local, Rosario as our tour guide. Plus, Papamoa local and expert tour leader Phil Borman and myself as your hosts. Sicily’s complex history has left its mark in the island's architecture, its culture and its customs, but nowhere is it more evident than in its cuisine. To truly get a taste of Sicily we will visit markets, wineries and farms, salt marshes and more. We will get hands on with cooking classes and enjoy many delicious meals in stunning locations.

Our first tour sold out so quickly we decided we had to put on another. If you have been thinking about joining us for this amazing tour discovering the real Sicily don’t delay, as this is genuinely a small group tour and once these spaces go that will be it.

Fresh Balance

Searching for a caterer with a difference? Fresh Balance Catering is delivered by the team at the Bikery Cafe, Cambridge and offers both fresh healthy options as well as decadent treats. Whether it’s fuelling Maadi cup rowers or board room executives, give the team at Fresh Balance a call.

freshbalance.co.nz

GIVE MUM A GREAT STORY TO TELL THIS MOTHER’S DAY storytellerbar.co.nz

Spoil her with delicious cuisine and tasty cocktails at Storyteller Eatery in Te Awamutu.

Lifted Pilates

Lifted Pilates' third studio opened in Hamilton East in late January. Their three studios (Raglan, Rototuna and now Hamilton East) offer beginner and open level reformer Pilates, Barre and mat Pilates, along with private Pilates lessons. Owner, Eden Pollock, who has been practising Pilates since she was 18 and teaching for the past nine years, says the beauty of Pilates is it’s super adaptable and suitable to everyone from athletes, to those recovering from injuries, pregnant women to those just wanting to move more.

lifted.co.nz

Nourish Cookbook

We listened! For several years people have been asking when we were going to do another cookbook. This June Nourish The Cookbook, Vol 2 will be released. This is a cookbook we hope won’t sit on a shelf, but will remain in your kitchen at arm’s reach. This is the book you will get filthy as you use the recipes again and again. We have filled it with our absolute go to recipes, foundation recipes that you can build on and ones we know will become family favourites.

Pre order your copy before 1 May for just $50 and receive FREE postage (RRP $59).

nourishmagazine.co.nz

Elevate Your Great Nz Food Show Experience

Take a deep dive into cuisine experiences with a selection of exclusive masterclasses at the Great New Zealand Food Show this May. Share your love affair for food and learn something new at the show by adding a masterclass to your day, from wine and cheese matching to cake decorating and mastering authentic dumpling dough; get ready to roll up your sleeves and learn from the local experts.

If you really want to indulge, upgrade your tickets to VIP and enjoy access to the lounge, an exclusive goodie bag and a range of other benefits. Only a limited number of VIP tickets are available, and they always sell out, so get in quick!

greatnzfoodshow.co.nz

Claudelands Events Centre, 6 & 7 May 2023

The Coromandel had a battering this summer. And this is after some pretty tough years with no overseas tourists! We were lucky to sneak a few days on the peninsula when the sun shone, and we were reminded why this is a favourite spot for so many Kiwis to recharge.

While there we met up with some of the artisan producers who call the peninsula home and are adding real flavour to this region. Check out our map for more great foodie stops.

OMAHU

Valley Citrus

British couple Caroline and Simon Marriott arrived in New Zealand just over 20 years ago with their young family. They bought 30 acres in Omahu Valley just south of Thames.

After some consultation the couple planted a portion of the property in citrus, a variety of Yen Ben lemons, Bearss limes, Seville oranges and grapefruit.

Fast forward a few years, when the trees began to bear fruit, Caroline enthusiastically took these to the Thames market only to be underwhelmed by the sales and left with the question of what they were to do with the growing number of fruit their orchard would produce.

Someone suggested making marmalade, something Caroline had no experience with, but she didn’t let that stop her! In fact, after some trial, and the family will say much error, Caroline began producing award winning marmalade – winning both medals in the World’s Original Marmalade Competition along with many local awards.

The self-confessed “enthusiastic gardener” and once novice marmalade maker recently sold the business which makes over 20 products with stockists across the country. Caroline and Simon are both excited for their next adventure and to see how the new owners will grow Omahu Citrus.

Blackbeards Smokehouse

Jess Jones grew up in Coromandel town and happily admits she loves mussels. Buying Blackbeards Smokehouse, a much loved brand of smoked mussels, was a great decision. The business was based in Whitianga, which saw Jess commuting over the hill before she could build a purpose built factory and shop in Kopu, Thames where she lives.

This handy spot means both streams of traffic, those heading over to the east coast via the Kopu Hikuai Road (when open!) and those heading up the Thames Coast Road can stop in for freshly smoked Coromandel mussels.

While mussels are the core product and these all come from local mussel farms, Blackbeards also produces smoked fish, dips made from the mussels and fish, pies and chowder.

Look out for the smoked mussels in selected supermarkets and food stores.

Cathedral Cove Macadamias

Situated on a picturesque peninsula between Cooks Beach and Hahei, Cathedral Cove Macadamias is home to 1,000 40-year-old organically grown macadamia trees. Jillian and Doug Johnston bought the property a few years ago and currently control the whole process from growing to processing and sell their macadamias. This is no mean feat as these nuts are hard ones to crack!

Demand for macadamias continues to grow, as these tasty nuts, be them raw, roasted or covered in chocolate also make a delicious nut butter and sought after oil. For this reason the Jillian and Doug prioritise stocking local eateries like the Pour House in Hahei, Hot Water Beach Café and, as we discovered, Little Lato Gelato.

The remainder is sold directly through their website or via their orchard shop which is open seven days a week in the summer months. Here you will also find their orchard honey as well as unexpected treasures like the spent shells which apparently make great kindling, and I suspect would be perfect in a smoker.

Uncle Dunkle

Kyle Dunkle is a Californian who found his way to the Coromandel originally on a working holiday, cheffing at Luke’s Kitchen before returning in 2016 on a permanent basis.

As a chef at Luke’s, he fell in love with the woodfired oven and its potential to do more than cook pizzas. This culminated in a woodfired chilli sauce range which marries Kyle’s fascination with the wood fired oven and his love of BBQ sauce.

These sauces were originally made at Luke’s Kitchen before he outgrew the space available in this already busy kitchen. The range has two main sauces – BBQ and chilli, and each of these comes in varying heat levels. Kyle says his goal is to make a sauce people will use and “finding that balance between flavours and heat is key”.

Opito Bay Salt

As you drive into one of Coromandel’s true hidden gems, Opito Bay, you might notice a series of greenhouses on your left. This is not a local market garden but HQ of award winning Opito Bay Salt.

Inside these greenhouses the power of the sun is used to turn the crystal clear water from Opito Bay into pure, natural sea salt that is quite literally a taste of the Coromandel.

FOODIE SHOPS/STOPS

1 Providence Pantry

22 Belmont Road, Paeroa

2 The Cheese Barn

4 Wainui Road, Thames

3 Coromandel Distilling Co.

715 Pollen Street & 110 Kirkwood Street, Thames

4 Coromandel Oyster Co

1611 Manaia Road, Coromandel

5 Blackbeard Smokehouse

1 Kopu Road, Kopu

6 Cathedral Cove Macadamias

355 Lees Road, Hahei

7 Hot Water Brewing

1043 Tairua Whitianga Road, Whitianga

8 Little Lato Gelato

46 Hahei Beach Road, Hahei

9 Salt District Brewing

101B Winifred Ave, Whangamatā

10 Rudi’s

621 Beach Road, Whangamatā MarinaPop up caravan open until ANZAC Day making handcrafted sourdough breads and pastries.

11 La Grignette Artisanal Bakery 1/15 Rosemont Road, Waihi

Eateries

12 Waiomu Café

622 Thames Coast Road, Waiomu

13 The Refinery

5 Willoughby Street, Paeroa

14 Peppertree Restaurant

31 Kapanga Road, Coromandel

15 Luke’s Kitchen

20 Black Jack Road, Kuaotunu - This super busy spot is also a great place to discover some local brews like Blue Fridge.

16 The Pour House

7 Grange Road, Hahei - Also home to the Coromandel Brewing Co.

17 The Hive 450 Purangi Road, Cooks Beach

18 Mercury Bay Estate

761 Purangi Road, Cooks Beach - Best pizza on the peninsula, plus outstanding wines all with a phenomenal view.

19 Colenso Café

895 SH25, Whenuakite

20 Tairua Beach Club

128 Paku Drive, Tairua

21 Port Road Project

719 Port Road, Whangamatā

22 Falls Retreat

25 Waitawheta Road, Waikino, Waihi - A must stop whenever you are in the area, or perhaps plan your trip around a stay in one of their cabins.

COROMANDEL