From a single oven to a major regional milestone, Real Town Pies is celebrating 15 years of pastry perfection and feeding the Northland community with love.

There's something special about a good old pub. Without losing what made it one, this Matakana institution is entering a new chapter.

Mama Loko didn't begin with a business plan. It began in Ali's kitchen, as a mum experimented with a few thoughtful tweaks to a family favourite.

From a humble food trailer to a bright pink storefront on State Highway 1, Tasty Temptations is bringing a genuine slice of South Africa to the heart of Te Hana.

Every Wednesday morning, a table at Crimson Coast Cafe in Snells Beach sits reserved for something simple but quietly powerful – company, for anyone who wants it.

After a difficult stretch and a well-earned break, Nectar Café is ready to welcome the community back through its doors.

Wool socks and cold beer make for a winning combination this winter.

As the Leigh Sawmill Cafe awaits its next chapter, the team behind it are determined that the music and the sense of community keep right on going.

In an era when people are becoming more conscious of where the food on their plate comes from, Mangawhai-based fermenter Willow Banbury has founded The Sour Maiden.

Alex Aitken has cooked in some of the world's most demanding kitchens. Now he's brought that experience somewhere more personal.

GrillBillies BBQ, a locally owned family venture, is bringing the aromas of American-style barbecue to private functions and events across the region.

LITTLE LIMES, BIG AMBITIONS

Tucked along Omaha Flats Road, Matakana Finger Limes is quietly doing something no one else in New Zealand is doing at scale – and the results are finally ready to taste.

PASSION IN EVERY POUR - Omaha Gin

When a winemaker with 25 years of experience turns his hand to gin, the result is anything but accidental.

Slow Down, Sip Up

In the heart of Mangawhai Village, caifewhai has quietly found its place – one carefully roasted cup at a time. Caifewhai Mangawhai

A bold fusion of spice and sweetness is heating up the local food scene.

Tended by Marisia, Fable to Table is a small regenerative market garden grown from her home in Makarau – a place where magic happens in the soil each season.

We asked Tim Baker of Crop QT to share his advice on starting a home garden. As a regenerative grower specialising in no-dig, soil-first systems, Tim helps gardeners build productive spaces that work in harmony with the seasons.

At the edge of the Kaipara Harbour in Tapora, rows of avocado trees stretch across rich, sandy black soil, producing the fruit that inspired The Avo Keeper, a single-estate cold-pressed virgin avocado oil.

At Caretaker Farm in Whangateau, the land reflects nearly four decades of careful stewardship, where herbs, fruits and native ecosystems thrive side by side.

The Mangawhai Lions Food & Wine Festival is back for 2026, promising a day of delicious food, local wine, and community spirit.