Learning more about exactly where something comes from makes us appreciate it that much more, and the sentiment couldn’t be truer for honey. When you think about the fact that worker bees only produce about 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in their lifetime, or that, on one flight from the hive to collect honey, a honey bee will have to visit between 50 to 100 flowers, it’s pretty mind-blowing that this delicious, sweet nectar is so readily available to us.
Fostering this sense of connection and appreciation is a key part of Comvita’s newly opened Wellness Lab, a state-of-the-art, experiential retail space in Auckland’s CBD. As the global market leader in UMF Mānuka honey, Comvita is aiming to take guests on a unique, multi-sensory journey to give new depth to their understanding of honey, Mānuka and bees.
Visit the store, and not only will you be able to purchase Comvita’s exquisite honey, but you’ll be able to book a 30-minute tasting tour within the lab’s 180-degree theatre.
Hosted by beekeeper and bee-breeder Noelani Waters, the tour combines custom-designed audio-visual elements that have been designed according to neuroscience research to enhance the flavour experience and the perception of taste for the audience.
You’ll also be able to learn about Comvita’s new, limited-edition Special Reserve UMF™ 25+ (MGO 1200+) Mānuka Honey — an incredibly precious product that has been created from some of the world’s rarest honey.
Leading gastrophysicist and sensory science expert, Professor Charles Spence, was closely collaborated with for the project — previously, he has worked with Heston Blumenthal of The Fat Duck fame, and many other leading chefs, mixologists and perfumers.
In order to make sure every detail of the Wellness Lab experience is as enjoyable and customised as possible, collaborations with local New Zealand artisans and craftspeople were an integral part of the process; from the theatre chairs, to the tasting spoons.
With a goal for the Lab to become a destination and educational hub for customers, schools and more, Comvita is helping to broaden our understanding and reverence for Mānuka honey — a golden and precious substance that is so much more than a delicious spread.
Bali Nights' tropicana-inspired interior makes for a fun, casual meal.
Clockwise from bottom left: Indonesian style chicken and vegetable Risoles; Nasi Campur Bali; Iga Bakar grilled beef ribs; Bebek Tengil fried duck; Sate Ayam; Ikan Bakar Jimbaran whole snapper.
Bebek Tengil — Half fried duck, Sayur Plecing, Sayur Urap, fried tofu with Sambal Matah and rice.
“It’s cool being able to serve people the food we grew up with, that our parents cooked for us,” says Adriana Ferdian, one of the founders of new eatery Bali Nights. Having opened the doors to its vibrant space on Williamson Ave only three weeks ago, Bali Nights specialises in the punchy yet fresh flavours of Balinese street food — a delicious branch of Asian cuisine that is far from mainstream in New Zealand.
The team behind Bali Nights also operate popular Indonesian eatery It’s Java, located nearby in Vinegar Lane. A group of six (three couples), they all bring their different strengths to the business. Adriana takes care of the marketing, while her husband Bobby is a design whiz. Executive Chefs Wawan and Dana Darmawan both have 20 years of hospitality experience, and Zemmy and Yanti Wahyudi look after operations.
Iga Bakar — grilled beef ribs with Sambal Mangga.
Bali Nights’ tropicana-inspired interior is eye-catching, cheerful and casual, with hot pink, low stools and busily patterned table coverings designed by Bobby to evoke traditional Balinese Batik fabric. Bali itself has been struggling severely over the past year due to Covid, and so Adriana says they sourced much of the furniture and interior accoutrements directly from the island in order to help support the economy.
The menu is extensive and contains some dishes and spices that you will be familiar with from exposure to other Asian cuisines like Malaysian and Thai, plus a host of others that might be wholly new. The team likes it that way, explains Adriana. “We haven’t adapted any of our food to this market, we want this market to know how it is back home — or as close as we can make it.”
While they don’t serve alcohol at Bali Nights, the restaurant is BYO (sure to be a popular factor) and offers the option to take away as well as dine in — the space seats up to 45 people.
Spiciness is the main theme of Indonesian food, although many of the dishes aren’t necessarily that spicy in isolation. It’s the addictive sambal chilli sauce, an essential addition to any Indonesian meal, that imparts a hefty lick of heat. Rice is also incredibly important, as evidenced by one of the company’s key mantras: “for some, ‘Nasi’ means rice, but for us ‘Nasi’ means life.”
Many of the dishes have several delicious elements on the plate that, when eaten together, make for varied and flavourful mouthfuls. Bebek Tengil, or half fried duck, is a must-order, as are the Iga Bakar grilled beef ribs. Sate Ayam, or grilled chicken skewers, are a familiar favourite served with addictive peanut sauce (there’s also a vegan version made with tofu and tempeh). The overall menu is around 40 percent vegan just as is, says Adriana, and rather than using faux meat substitutes, they focus on natural alternatives like jackfruit, tofu, tempeh and nuts.
Nasi Campur Vegan is a tasty plate for plant-based eaters, comprising jackfruit rendang, sayur urap (a refreshing salad with coconut), orek tempe (savoury fried tempeh), bakwan (a fried vegetable fritter), peanut cracker, and spicy fresh sambal bawang sauce on rice. A whole grilled snapper is an impressive centrepiece to any meal, fragrant with both a sweeter, soy sauce-based sambal to pour over and hot mango sambal for even more layered heat.
The team at Bali Nights is on a mission to make Indonesian food more mainstream, including that with a Balinese street food twist. Having tried a sizeable portion of the menu ourselves, we have to agree that it deserves to be much more of a go-to for New Zealanders. So, next time you feel like something with bold, fresh flavours and plenty of spice, we suggest you make a beeline for Bali Nights.
With the recent release of their highly-anticipated third album, Californian Soil, British band London Grammar are well and truly back on the scene with their hypnotic electronic-pop sound — and it’s already blasted to number one in the Official Albums Chart. Comprising lead vocalist and songwriter Hannah Reid, multi-instrumentalist and producer Dot Major and guitarist Dan Rothman, London Grammar’s unique sound is largely thanks to Reid’s distinctive contralto voice, and it shines on Californian Soil.
In this album, Reid has stepped more fully into her power, channeling her experiences as a woman in the music industry — many of them challenging — into honest lyrics and soaring vocals. Catching up with Reid on the eve of the album’s release, she shares her musings on the journey her songwriting has taken over the last decade.
“When you make your debut album, you never think anyone’s going to listen to it, so it was really easy to absolutely put my heart and soul on a plate,” she says. After the success of If You Wait, an overwhelming tour schedule and continuous press, Reid has been open about a loss of confidence she experienced, which was reflected in more guarded lyrics on their second album Truth Is a Beautiful Thing. “There are parts of it that I absolutely love, but it’s a little more like I’m hiding things behind a lyrical wall.”
On Californian Soil, she has been much more direct. “It did take a bit of a turning point for me, when I was like ‘I don’t have anything to lose’”, she says. “You’re never going to make anything that’s worth anything if you’re not putting yourself at risk a little bit and exposing parts of yourself. I found a way to find that vulnerability again.”
Starting out in the music industry, Reid says she was shocked to be constantly surrounded by only men. It was an uncomfortable dynamic, and one that has led to negative experiences in her career. “I felt like it was much more of a battle for me than it was for my bandmates,” she says. “Those little experiences every day added up to quite a profound experience, I think, and I did lose a lot of confidence.”
This challenging period also had a direct impact one of her most precious assets — her voice. “I’ve learned that there is such a mysterious connection with the voice and what you’re going through subconsciously or emotionally,” says Reid. Making London Grammar’s second album, she experienced pain and problems with her vocals, but Californian Soil was different. “Throughout this album, throughout writing those songs and then talking about the experience, I feel like… it sounds so cheesy, but I literally got my voice back and it sounds different now. I feel like now it’s got the strength that it had when I was 21, again.”
The trio have honed the way they make songs together throughout the years, and in creating this third album, Reid says they’ve finessed how they work best together. “We tend to work best in pairs when it comes to the writing,” she muses, “[and] we work best as a three when it comes to the production. Also, we don’t do well, necessarily, being in all the big fancy studios.” A lot of Californian Soil was made in a home studio, which led to some beautifully intimate moments.
Clockwise from left: Hannah Reid, Dan Rothman, Dot Major
All My Love, for instance, is one of the album’s most stripped-back songs, and one Reid says she thinks has the best vocals — but this isn’t down to expensive, state-of-the-art equipment. “We wrote and produced that whole song in Dan’s really tiny loft studio, that you had to get to via some secret stairs in his wardrobe, it was just the most bizarre thing,” she says. “You can hear birds in the background of that song because the window was open. We were just making music, but it sticks out to me because that song proves that it’s not about being in the expensive studios. It’s about the emotion, and if you capture that, then it doesn’t really matter, I think.”
Having recently announced a tour in New Zealand and Australia for February and March 2022, Reid says she’s extremely excited to be over on our shores with London Grammar — for more reasons than just the rush of performing. “The food and the coffee is so amazing in Australia and New Zealand,” she enthuses. “I just always feel really energised when I’m there.”
In the more immediate future, Reid is excited to finish London Grammar’s fourth album which, according to her, sounds completely different again from Californian Soil — “we’ve got loads of new material, so hopefully there won’t be as long a wait between records anymore.”
Ultimately, says Reid, she and her bandmates are interested in staying power, a fundamental marker of success in a notoriously fickle business. “It’s very easy to have a successful first album and fade away, it’s a really tough industry for that,” she says. “I think me, Dan and Dot want longevity more than anything else.”
Californian Soil is out now, and find tickets to London Grammar’s 2022 tour here.
Winter’s not all bad — cosy clothes, warm houses and comforting food are all good for the soul. It’s around this time that our tipple of choice starts to change, too, moving on from the white wines, chilled reds and rosés of summer to full-bodied red wines that bestow a little more richness to our palate. If you are looking to replenish your home cellar, these delicious and varied red wines could be just the bottles to kick off your winter collection.
Butterworth 2018 Pinot Noir A blend of only the vineyard’s best Pinot Noir vines, this unfined wine has a spicy palate with great length and Te Muna road’s signature minerality through the middle. Notes of aromatic rose petal, wild raspberry and blackberry, cinnamon and nutmeg spice precede lavender and earthiness in this distinctive, satisfying drop.
Chateau de la Cour Saint Emilion 2016 Grand Cru This sophisticated, polished wine is from the medieval town of St Emilion, South-Western France. A blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc results in an intense and structured character, while also bestowing a wonderful mouthfeel and delicious flavours of ripe red fruit, blackberry and oak. Serve with a roast leg of lamb, with plenty of thyme and garlic, and you’ve got yourself the ultimate winter pairing.
Mills Reef Elspeth 2018 Syrah Brimming with intense flavour and complexity, this Syrah from the Hawke’s Bay winery’s Gimblett Gravels vineyard is a superb example of the style. Luscious boysenberry, white pepper spice and liquorice are displayed, along with a beautifully refined palate. The stony soils of the warm, inland district make for both fine Bordeaux-varietal reds and Syrah, and while this wine will certainly sing if enjoyed now, it’ll also respond wonderfully to longer-term cellaring.
Vino di Anna 2019 ‘Palmento’ Rosso From the volcanic, mineral-rich soils of Sicily’s Mount Etna, this juicy drop makes for exceptionally easy drinking. Vino di Anna is a family-run vineyard, specialising in natural wines that are farmed organically and tended by hand, and this wine is predominantly Nerello Mascalese grapes with small quantities of some other endemic varieties in the mix. While this is a dry, fresh wine, notes of red cherry and strawberry keep it juicy and an underlying minerality makes for an exquisitely interesting drop.
Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Selection Crozes-Hermitage ‘Silene’ Juicy, ripe fruit is balanced by a hefty dose of structure in this Syrah made by the biggest name in Northern Rhone — Jean-Louis Chave. Showing plum, black pepper, pencil lead and warming spices, this distinguished yet attainable wine is perfect for a cold winter’s evening, matched with a hearty and comforting meal.
It’s that time of the year again: we’re thinking about our cold-weather wardrobes, and how we can update them. The natural inclination is to first focus on outerwear — after all, a great coat will pull together any ensemble no matter how low the mercury drops. From simple and sophisticated, to oversized and cocoon-like, these coats will keep you cosy in style.
“We want the community to use this as their local, and come in a couple of times a week,” says restaurateur Amanda Frecker. The owner of recently-opened Bucklands Beach eatery Bucks Bistro is well-versed in the nuances of what it takes to establish and run a successful venue — her inner-city restaurant Rice was a must-visit in the early 2000s, and since then she’s been entrenched in various facets of the food industry before the pull of owning and operating her own place once again become too strong to ignore.
From left: The signature seafood platter; Bucks Bistro is located on The Parade.
A five year search for a beachfront spot ended, successfully, with Frecker striking gold at the charming corner site where Bucks Bistro can be found. Gracing The Parade at Bucklands Beach, the ocean is always in view no matter where you’re seated and on a good day the sun streams in.
Working with architect Tim Dorrington and designer Sam Elliot, Frecker has created a light and bright yet cosy and welcoming space, with a palette of white, ash woods, pastel leathers and granite that perfectly complements the coastal surroundings. A chic fireplace bestows its warmth in winter, while the restaurant’s front doors and windows can be thrown open to embrace the summer months.
The menu centres around fresh, seasonal bistro food with seafood at its heart. Bucks Bistro Head Chef Tom Loose creates visually stunning food that’s even more of a joy to eat — having come from a senior position at O’Connell Street Bistro, his pedigree is impressive indeed, and his focus on creating interesting, delicious dishes is geared towards that same attitude of welcoming the same people multiple times a week (as well as one-off diners, of course).
Find delights such as oysters, whole yellow belly flounder, tuna tataki and salt baked beetroot risotto on the menu.
If you’re a seafood fan, it would be a travesty to overlook Bucks’ signature seafood platter — the abundant arrangement can be ordered with or without grilled crayfish tail, and comprises baked tiger prawns, tuatua, pipi, cockles, tempura soft shell crab and green-lipped mussels with various delicious sauces.
Tuna tataki is perfectly seared on the outside with sesame seeds, coconut and wasabi peas, puffed rice and borage cress, while a whole yellow belly flounder is delicious in brown butter, with capers and chervil.
Salt baked beetroot risotto is a lovely vege option, with pickled turnips adding contrast to the flavours, and a parmesan custard that can be left off to make it a vegan dish. On the other end of the scale, pan-seared eye fillet is exquisitely cooked with zero chewiness, paired with Jerusalem artichoke, kumara crisps and courgette. The desserts are just as delicious, with a dark chocolate pannacotta arriving with chocolate soil, buffalo yoghurt and pickled blueberries.
The interior is by architect Tom Dorrington and designer Sam Elliot.
Being an asset to the neighbourhood is of utmost importance to the team and Frecker says they are constantly taking their diners’ feedback on board. “We’re invested in this community, and are aware that if we’re going to stick around, we need to do what the community wants.”
Not to be everything to everyone, she says, but taking into consideration people’s wants while providing top quality, well-priced food is the goal. Both Frecker and Loose say they have been slightly surprised by the prevalence of plant-based eaters that come to dine with them, so have expanded the vegetarian and vegan offering even further for their winter menu.
Most of Bucks’ staff are locals (chef Loose is based in Cockle Bay and Frecker in Sunnyhills), and there’s a strong emphasis on supporting quality suppliers like Clevedon Buffalo Company, and Fin and Leaf Aquaponics. Frecker has dynamic plans for the bistro, with the space available to hire for events, and a take-home meals arm to come for families in the area, plus fresh fruit ice cream in summer.
From left: Dark chocolate pannacotta dessert; Pan-seared eye fillet.
There are plenty of carparks and, for those who sail in or come over from nearby islands (quite a common occurrence, apparently), two moorings and a water taxi are available for booking. Bucks is a 10-minute boardwalk from the Half Moon Bay passenger ferry, or a short ride with local, on-demand shuttle service MyMobigo.
Whether you’re a local of the area or are looking for somewhere great to eat next time you’re out that way, we highly recommend letting the team at Bucks Bistro take care of you with warmth, finesse and — most importantly — delicious food.
Opening hours: Monday: 4PM — late Tuesday to Friday: 11AM — late Saturday to Sunday: 8AM — late
Bucks Bistro 23A The Parade Bucklands Beach (09) 2158435
There’s nothing quite like a long, hot bath to shake off a stressful day, or to counter the chills that come with the onset of winter. Essential in any master bathroom, a large, luxurious tub — whether tucked away in a nook or positioned front-and-centre — will (we promise) revolutionise your after-work routine.
When considering a new bathtub, it is to the experts at Victoria and Albert that you should turn. For decades, this beloved British brand has dedicated itself to creating some of the most exquisite, freestanding baths we have ever come across, cultivating a global reputation for its pieces that balance beautiful design with practicality and a focus on high quality. With most of the brand’s tubs made from its specially-created QUARRYCAST™ material, a unique blend of Volcanic Limestone and high-performance resins (and each one coming with a 25-year guarantee), it’s hardly surprising that Victora and Albert has become the go-to for anyone seeking to step-up their bathroom game. Lucky for us, the brand is available locally from Robertson.
So, without further ado, we present some of the spectacular bathtubs that have caught our attention of late. Oh, what we would give to be able to post up in one of these with a good book and a glass of wine.
Tradition is a beautiful thing. So too, are new practices that don’t so much ‘break’ tradition as expand it. With the launch of its first men’s diamond engagement ring this month, Tiffany & Co. has brought a new offering to the magic of the marriage proposal. The luxury jeweller has been capturing couples’ hearts since 1886, when Charles Lewis Tiffany introduced a women’s solitaire diamond engagement ring — the Tiffany Setting.
Following in that ring’s iconic footsteps, the men’s engagement ring is named The Charles Tiffany Setting, with the first release available in both round-brilliant and emerald-cut diamonds up to 5 carats. Designed to recall a signet silhouette, the platinum and titanium bands are a bold departure from the traditional wedding band, putting a new spin on classic men’s style.
These rings are not delicate; rather, they make a confident yet elegant statement on the hand, with the round-brilliant cut diamond showcasing a streamlined, knife-edge band (inspired by the original Tiffany setting) and the emerald-cut diamond comprising architectural, angled edges.
With same-sex marriage on the rise and some couples, in general, approaching the marriage process in unconventional ways, Tiffany’s men’s engagement rings are sure to be chosen for and by stylish men with an eye for luxury, who are wanting to celebrate what is such a special moment in their lives.
Tiffany is also a globally unique company in its transparency efforts, with the full craftsmanship journey available for each and every diamond — including the Charles Tiffany Setting. From the diamond’s region, or country of origin, along with where it was cut, polished, graded and quality assured, the provenance of each diamond is traceable, an important aspect that increasingly astute purchasers are focusing on.
No matter how it takes place, everyone should be able to celebrate their engagement in a way that feels right for them. The release of the Charles Tiffany Setting ring captures Tiffany’s long-standing legacy of love and inclusivity, offering a new way to honour the important commitment.
The Charles Tiffany Setting is currently available upon request in Auckland.
In this decidedly cute new cafe, located on Khyber Pass Road (with another entrance from the base of the SKHY Apartment complex) incredibly fluffy bread and expertly-roasted coffee take centre stage. Started by partners Kayla Nong and Michael Nguyen, Fluff is the result of a passion project that grew out of the former’s penchant for baking uniquely soft, fluffy bread over lockdown and the latter’s years of experience in hospitality as a barista. Opening a cafe had long been on the cards for the duo, and now felt like the perfect time.
As you have probably already guessed, Fluff’s name was conceived to reflect its food offering. “I wanted to focus the menu around our special, fluffy bread,” Kayla tells me, which she explains, is the opposite of the classic sourdough we’re used to. “It’s soft like a pillow,” she says, “like a mixture between Japanese bread and brioche, so you have a bit of that sweetness, similar to a brioche, but it never feels too much and it works as perfectly with savoury dishes as it does with sweet.”
From left: Inside Fluff; The Gogi.
Fluff’s menu is a tasty, daytime affair (thanks to experienced Chef Jason Meng) where classic, Kiwi brunch dishes meet Asian-fusion flavours in a delicious mix of sweet and savoury. The Smashing, for instance, is an interesting twist on traditional smashed avocado, with edamame, free-range egg, tomato, coriander and lime juice on (you guessed it) fluffy bread. In fact, most of Fluff’s dishes are served as tasty mixtures of meats and/or vegetables on thick slices of the good stuff.
The Gogi is a highlight, where Korean bulgogi beef is served with kimchi, mixed slaw and candied sesame; as is the Chick Flick, with fried chicken, sriracha mayo, radish and fried basil. And for anyone with a penchant for sweet, we’re predicting that the Frenchie, with fluffy French toast, lemon curd, seasonal fruit, hokey pokey and maple syrup (and bacon if you’re feeling particularly naughty) will be an instant hit. Those with dietary restrictions should also note that despite Fluff’s bread-centric menu and meat-based dishes, there are still plenty of gluten-free and vegetarian options available.
From left: The Frenchie; The Smashing.
Alongside the food, Fluff is offering a range of specialty coffee from the beans of Kayla and Michael’s own roastery — Sorted. “Michael is very precise about our coffees and how they’re made,” Kayla tells me, “our long blacks, for example, are all brewed from single-origin beans, which taste totally different from a normal blend… they produce this very fruity, juicy flavour.” Cold-brew and batch-brew options made using Sorted beans are also available, as are a variety of non-coffee options, including pressed juices, smoothies, housemade sodas and teas, ensuring that there really is something to quench every kind of thirst.
Stepping into Fluff, it becomes clear that the name relates to more than just the bread alone. With pops of yellow, pink and blue and an eye-catching neon sign to offset the exposed concrete, the interiors of this cafe (which were finished with the help of Spaceworks and The Fitout Company) embody the light-hearted ethos of its food.
Fluff’s entrance from SKHY apartments.
“One day we would love to have a production kitchen so that we can sell our bread wholesale,” Kayla tells me, “and we also want to grow our roastery and maybe open a few mini espresso bars around town where the focus would be on our coffee.” For now, however, Fluff is open from today and will stay open every week, from Monday until Friday, 7am until 2:30pm (with the possibility of weekend hours in the near future). Whether you’re looking for a tasty bite or a delicious coffee to kick off your day, Fluff is a great place to start.
Sparking wonder and bringing boundless joy, a bookshelf with plenty of good books is fundamental for building small imaginations. From humorous to insightful, these new kids’ books are to be cherished.
G My Name Is Girl by Dawn Masi Celebrating girls around the world, this joyful, A-Z picture book depicts 26 girls from different countries and shines a light on their empowering traits. It is a reminder that we are all connected, and even includes a map at the back in which little readers can point out all the countries mentioned.
My Monster And Me by Nadiya Hussain & Ella Bailey Written by a former winner of The Great British Bake Off and a woman who herself has struggled with anxiety, this heartfelt tale offers subtle tools for children and their parents to deal with feelings of worry and anxiety, ensuring no one must suffer in silence.
No Pants! by Jacob Grant In this riotous book that will have you and your wee one laughing out loud, Pablo and his dad are getting ready for their day when Pablo proclaims that he won’t wear pants. A warm-hearted depiction of a father-son relationship, Pablo’s dad must learn that sometimes, pants aren’t for everyone.
Milo Imagines The World by Matt de la Pena Set to become an instant classic, this poignant book follows young Milo as he rides the subway with his sister, studying the appearances of those around him and picturing what their lives are like. It isn’t until an unexpected traveller gets off at the same stop as Milo, that he realises you can’t judge a book by its cover.
My Elephant is Blue by Melinda Szymanik and Vasanti Unka A warm, hopeful and humour-filled story about a child who is stuck carrying around an elephant, this insightful and empathetic book is about having the blues, and was written to help little ones who might be dealing with sadness, to identify and manage those feelings in a constructive way.
Where’s Brian’s Bottom? by Rob Jones In this ‘veeerrry long fold-out book’ Brian the sausage dog has lost his bottom and needs the help of little readers to find it again. Is it with Alan the hamster? Or Derrick the duck? Entertaining and interactive in equal measure, this hilarious book is suited to curious young minds and is designed to teach them about the different rooms of the house, various animals and the different sounds they make.
The Rock from The Sky by Jon Klassen This new work from celebrated picture-book creator Jon Klassen is a meditation on friendship (between a turtle and an armadillo), fate, shared futuristic visions and that feeling you get when something just isn’t right, and is full of wry wit, deadpan humour and visual suspense. This is one that you’ll enjoy and cherish just as much as your child.
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