Break the piggy bank before you come here. They stock all things natural, organic and local with a…read morefew imported items. I came looking for a natural tooth paste. They had a small selection from $6.30 to $22.80. I may be all about organic and natural, but I'm no fool - you can keep that $22.80 all to ya self! The staff is well versed in the products they stock, which meant the cashier was helpful when I asked her to recommend a product. Turns out she was familiar with Toms of Main. I wanted something comparable, so she helped me make an informed decision. I was also pleased to see they carry Dr. Bronners soap. If you don't know about Dr. B's magic soap, get some and have your world rocked! Aside from toiletries, they also stock locally grown produce and dairy. Dry goods such as lentils, rice, pasta, teas and coffee are also readily available. Overall a friendly store. Most of the natural or local organic items you may be seeking can be found here.

Lovely health food store in a nice neighborhood of Auckland. I enjoyed chatting with the friendly,…read morehelpful staff. Thank you!

If I was ever in of need motivation to start that new healthy lifestyle, this would most definitely…read morebe my first port of call. Row upon row of fresh vege, plump apricots the size of cricket balls, purple carrots AND purple broccolini... they even have potted wheatgrass! As well as produce these guys boast an impressive range of artisan products. Everything from elderflower cordial to Moroccan-spiced couscous. Plus they have a small but well-crafted wine section. However perhaps, the best thing about this place, is that everything seems to cheaper than what you would pay at a Food Market like this in AK. Don't get me wrong, you could still spend plenty of $$ up in here but I bet if you did the same shop in AK it would be substantially more expensive.

I have found my new happy place. Farro & Nosh - you won't be seeing me for a while now I have this…read morebad boy just down the road. The fruit & vege selection is understandably great, considering all the market gardens in the area. It's awesome to see signs letting you know this is NZ- and locally-grown, even the garlic! And the prices are dirt-cheap for all the seasonal produce. They even have a small range of seedlings, herbs & vegetable plants. My kitchen counter is proudly displaying a big bowl of micro-green radish sprouts & I feel healthier every time I look at them! But Boric also has: a fresh fish counter, butchery, deli, icecream by the scoop, coffee, homemade cakes, dinners & salads, a kids' playground AND a boutique selection of homewares & the finest artisan products. And friendly staff. And a great wine, beer & cider selection. And I've probably missed something out. This is the kind of place that you could easily wander around for ages, progressively filling up that trolley more & more. I can see that will quickly become my new hobby!

Several years as regular, devoted customer. They have almost everything I need for a healthy life…read more Beautiful in-season produce, some tinned or preserved goods, bulk foods, cane-based paper products, baking & kitchen aids, eggs, meat, dairy, gifts. Personal & baby products. Excellent, willing, knowledgeable staff. Naturopath on site most hours & days, naturopathic products. The bonus that they're walking distance from my place. And the delightful embracing smell of unchemicalised goods. My only problem is I so wish this quiet shop was bigger.

My partner and I love this store! It has a great selection of fresh and beautiful organic produce,…read moreplus any other products we needed, and more! The store layout was organized and aesthetically pleasing. But what really stood out was the customer service--everyone we interacted with was so friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. It really made our shopping experience feel special. We will return here if we ever visit Auckland again, and we highly recommend!

Desperate for a sweet treat after our lunch at Hallertau we were stoked to discover that Phil Greig…read morewas just around the corner and open all year round. Sure you can't pick strawberries in winter (duh!) but you can still get a real fruit ice cream as big as your head. There's a couple of flavours to choose from (strawberry, blueberry, boysenberry) as well as the option of ice cream or yoghurt. Prices, given the size, are really reasonable and the young ladies manning the till, friendly!

It was that time of the year when Strawberry's needed to be picked and our family of little kids…read moreand big kids were all excited about heading to Phil Greig Strawberry Gardens. We arrived to quite a busy carpark and after securing the car, and lining up the kids, and putting the baby in the backpack, we were on our way to the little tent to pay up and grab a few buckets. Five dollars per person, for anyone over the age of 10, and you could pick as much as you wanted and eat as you picked as well. The admission you pay would later be deducted from your weight of fruit. I loved the fact that we could all do this as a family, and get our hands and feet dirty, whilst having a really memorable experience. Phil Greig Strawberry Gardens takes up quite a large space- a couple of acres of strawberry's, and there are masses of them everywhere. You wont know when to stop eating, and picking, but thanks to our over eagerness to pick, we later ended up with a pot full of strawberry jam boiling away on the stove- nothing beats homemade strawberry jam on piklets- delicious. I can say that this weekend activity gave us much laughter, and happy full strawberry tummy's.

This is a destination health shop . I frequently walk past here and always pop just to look at all…read morethe products . It is a bit expensive but you can guarantee the products are at the top end . Staff are helpful and don't mind you just looking . There is a bargain table with items that have a dent or just on special. They also sell holistic books and CHOCOLATE ! .

I've been a Ceres faithful for a number of years - when I lived out in Howick it was the go-to shop…read morefor vegetarian goods, and now that I'm out in Western Springs, I'll still make sure I head out there from time to time, just to support Ceres and what they're doing. They've expanded over the years (and were recently lucky enough to be picked for Ponsonby Central) but the Ladies Mile store is still going strong, serving the sandal-wearing hippies and conscious hipsters alike. My main picks at Ceres are part of the Ceres Organics brand. I really like their beans and regularly use Ceres Adzuki and Borlotti beans. I'm also a recent convert to cooking with black beans, and Ceres' canned black beans are a great staple to have in the cupboard. While I do enjoy eating pre-prepared vegetarian meals a lot, I do like having Ceres products at home because they make me want to be a better cook; they make me want to make real whole foods in my kitchen and be conscious of what I eat. So a thanks for years of helping me eat better is definitely in order!

Yes, Farro is expensive but their array of artisanal products is second to none (ok, so perhaps…read moretheir on par with Sabato). I particularly love their charcuterie and cheese sections complete with tastings and fabulous staff to help you nudge you in the right direction. They also have a wonderful range of cookbooks - our latest purchase was Ottolenghi's vegetable cookbook, 'Plenty' - as well as cooking and baking utensils. Don't miss their fabulous chocolate selection (new Wellington producer, The Wellington Company's salted caramel chocolate is out of this world) and of course the, Harney & Sons teas.

Before you shop here, take 5 minutes to go online and register for their "Friends of Farro" loyalty…read moreprogram. You'll need to register an email address and also the bank card you use regularly (or will use to shop here - unfortunately you can't collect points on cash transactions). If you spend $400 in one calendar month (which is easy enough to do if this is youre regular grocery stop) you will receive a $10 voucher to use. They also give you 50pts for signing up, and 100 bonus pts if you fill in your profile details (name, contact phone number etc.). Any way - enough about the freebies - more about the store. This is one of 3 Farro's I regularly visit. Farro is fantastic for fresh, organic and usually local produce - they have a wide range of fish and meat - with many free range options, and also a huge selection of specialty products that can be hard to find in regular supermarkets. The seasonal produce is usually well priced and can be on par with market place rates. People with food intolerance's will love the ease you can find products - the staff are all very knowledgeable and helpful, and will quickly find anything you can't see on the shelves. They had alot of imported products, but will usually have a local alternative offered as well for the food mile conscious. Farro is a beautiful place that any foodie or kitchen lover will enjoy - I regularly visit just to peruse the shelves of interesting new items to add to my pantry. My latest picks have been some local vanilla bean paste (a stronger flavour than the usual vanilla essence or pods), some kelp noodles (seaweed/raw vege noodles) and spelt flour (I had to buy a rather oversized bag for $14, so will be looking for more recipes to use it up as the dish I bought it for only used 1 tablespoon #facepalm).

I popped into visit this organic farm while I was out for a run one day in the area and wanted to…read morecheck it out. I spoke to someone working out the front who directed me to the manager who was more than happy to talk to me about the farm and what they grow there. You can buy vegetables on-site or they also sell their produce at a farmers' market. He was preparing for a meeting at the time but offered to show me around the farm if I was able to come another time. As well as a range of organic vegetables they also have free range eggs and lamb. I have also since found out that Hamlin Farm provides work opportunities for people who have experienced mental illness and assisting their transition into the workforce. Awesome.

This is a very small street market, as in 1 block long…read more There are two fresh produce stands, a number of stalls selling prepared foods for immediate consumption (or take home), and the requisite coffee/bread/pastry vendor. Quality of the produce was fine, and prices were very good (about 15-20% less than at Matakana).

Over the last couple of years these markets have drastically improved due to the larger number of…read morevendors and therefore range of food and produce available. The ethnic diversity of food here is also great, everything from pancakes to octopus balls. There is an Argentinian man who sells fantastic food, his pita bread are out of this world. He gets up at 5am in the morning to make them. Maybe it is the love he puts into making the bread or the wood fire oven, but they taste fantastic. All his food is vegetarian and most is also vegan. You feel good about buying food from here because it is fresh, preservative free and to varying degrees good for you. Pukeko bakery has freshly baked artisan breads and Philippes brings the pastries. The bagels are good too, plus you can get two bags for $6 which is cheap. There are fresh fruits and vegetables too and the stall that makes fresh juice is pretty good, you can smell the wheatgrass from a mile away. Kokako also have a coffee cart so you can get a decent coffee at the market to go with your breakfast and then sit and enjoy it on the lawn or on the benches within The Pavilions. My only complaint would be the live entertainment, give it a miss I say.

When I walked into the Gluten Free Food and Allergy Show I was seriously stoked. Everywhere I…read morelooked was delicious food that I could actually eat. I walked in hungry and came out stuffed with free samples. My absolute favourite was the gluten free dumplings. Man, oh, man they were so good. There was also bread, pasta, pastries, celebrity chefs and gluten free lollies. And the best thing is that everything is really cheap and they do lots of deals where you can buy in bulk. This is really great considering how much gluten free products can cost. They also had seminars on allergies and it was so awesome to hear the latest research from the top specialists in the country. If you're gluten free or have any allergies at all I'd be there this year. It's so nice to have somewhere you can feel right at home.