Fresh Reads

The clocks have gone back, there’s a bit more chill in the mornings, and suddenly dinner needs to be something a bit more comforting. It doesn’t feel like that long since we were talking about last autumn, but here we are again! Whether you’re feeding a crew, getting ahead for the week, or just trying to use up what’s in the fridge before it turns to mush, here’s what’s looking good right now and how to make the most of it. Some of these you’ll see year-round, but this is whe

Food rarely gets wasted on day one. It gets wasted mid-week when it is still usable, just not at its best. A soft tomato. Greens that have lost their perk. Bread edging towards dry. That is usually the moment it gets tossed. According to the Ministry for the Environment’s Aotearoa New Zealand Baseline Food Loss and Waste Project , around 1.22 million tonnes of food are lost or wasted every year. That works out to about 237 kilograms per person. Around 30% of that happens at t

Garlic is not just an ingredient; it’s a culinary superhero! It can transform your meals and elevate your cooking game. Let’s dive deeper into the world of garlic and explore its many facets. Measure with Your Heart Recipes may suggest a certain number of cloves, but in reality, you can be a bit more relaxed about it. Garlic isn’t something you need to stress over. If you like a gentle flavour, use less. If you love that warm, garlicky hit, add another clove or two. Cooking w

Stone fruit season has arrived, and I have made no secret over the years that it's my favourite time here at Eatlocal. Sorry, kiwifruit, but as much as we love you, your local growing season has come to an end for 2025, and our heads have been turned by the new kids on the block. While enjoying a juicy peach or nectarine, you might have noticed that when you cut into it, the flesh sometimes clings onto the stone for dear life, while other times it falls away neatly. There is

How fabulous is spring? The longer daylight hours, the air scented with the aroma of freshly-cut grass, and the vibrant green leaves with all their shiny newness. Not to mention the bright, colourful, fresh fruit and veges bursting with flavour. Move over, hearty stews and root vegetables - it's time for crunchy salads and lighter meals! Buying seasonal produce means fresher, better-tasting food that’s also kinder on your wallet and the planet. Fewer food miles, less packagin

Now that the clocks have gone back and daylight hours are getting shorter, it’s time to start thinking about hearty meals and warming dishes. Autumn is the season of comfort food, with a healthy twist. And lucky for us, it’s also when some of the best fruit and veges come into their own. Whether you’re feeding a crowd, meal-prepping for the week, or just trying to find ways to use up what’s in the fridge before it goes sad and squishy, here’s a look at what’s in season right

Avocados—creamy, green, and downright delicious—are more than just a yummy toast topping. These nutrient-packed wonders have rightfully earned their title as a superfruit. Not only do they taste incredible, but they’re also brimming with health benefits and are grown right here in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty. Let’s explore why avocados deserve a spot on your plate. Packed with Heart-Healthy Fats One of the standout features of avocados is their high content of monounsaturated

Why Your Gut Health Matters Did you know your gut is home to trillions of tiny helpers that weigh about as much as your brain? This incredible ecosystem, the gut microbiome, plays a huge role in keeping your body and mind healthy. Scientists have even discovered a fascinating link between your gut and brain, showing that what happens in your belly can affect how you feel, think, and handle stress. Let's dive into why caring for your gut is so important for a happier, healthie

Cruciferous vegetables play a starring role in winter cooking, offering both hearty nutrition and robust flavours.

These colourful veges are not only easy on the eye, but also packed with powerful nutrients that can boost your overall well-being.

Eatlocal is all about celebrating the freshest, most exciting seasonal produce, and today we're shining a spotlight on a dazzling discovery!

With the tomato season reaching its peak, it's the perfect opportunity to stock up on fresh, juicy tomatoes at unbeatable prices. The tomato season here kicks off in early spring and can continue until late autumn, giving our growers a generous window to work their magic to provide us with this versatile fruit. Tomatoes are grown both outdoors and undercover in New Zealand. When the weather's on our side tomatoes thrive, soaking up the sun. This outdoor approach is especially

Selecting produce might seem straightforward, but what if there’s a level of quality, a cut above the rest, that you’ve been missing out on? It's an all-too-familiar scenario: believing we’ve picked the freshest fruits and vegetables, only to face disappointment with bland, floppy produce. Settling for less means bypassing exceptional quality and missing out on hidden gems! So how do you discover the pinnacle of freshness and find diamonds in amongst the ordinary stones? Di

At Eatlocal, we understand that sending your loved ones off to college is a milestone that...

Box Subscriptions - The perfect grocery shopping solution When you finally do get there, are you fed up with the poor quality of the fresh fruit and veges? We hear you! Here's the freshness you've been looking for. Our box subscription service means your grocery shopping just got a lot simpler! Eatlocal brings you super-fresh, premium-grade, locally-grown fruit and vege boxes of Tag 1 grade, meaning it’s the highest quality available in the grocery industry. With your to-do

The humble spud. No matter how you cook them - hot chips; wedges; mashed; roasted; gnocchi; potato salad - they are absolutely delicious! For hot chips or wedges, switch things up a bit and experiment with the seasoning - a dash of olive oil, a sprinkle of paprika, mixed herbs, and a pinch of chilli flakes and sea salt is my go-to - but play around with whatever herbs and spices you have lurking in your pantry and have a bit of fun creating different flavours. A good tip is

I had a very interesting visit to the "Banana Room" at Market Gardeners Christchurch HQ today. This is such an enormous space! When they say "room", what they mean is an area pretty much the size of an aircraft hangar, as most bananas destined for sale in the South Island go through this facility. The bananas come from Ecuador or the Philippines and take approximately four weeks to arrive via sea freight. Even though we are all about locally-grown produce here at Eatlocal, w

Here is a great salad to make the most of beetroot. A really simple dish with a big wow factor. The colours, the textures, and the flavour - just fabulous. I've made this several times and it never fails to please. Preparation time 15-20 minutes Cooking time 45-60 minutes (mostly hands-off) Serves 6 as a side Ingredients 750g beetroot Half tsp salt 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar 3 Tbsp olive oil or hazelnut oil 1 tsp wholegrain mustard 1 tsp honey Handful of mint leaves, roughly

Here at Eatlocal, we like to know where our produce originates from. For example, our brown onions come from the sunny fields of Swannanoa near Rangiora, right in the heart of North Canterbury. Onions like a lot of heat and water when they are growing, and they need it hot and dry once they mature so they can dry down and keep for the many months ahead. Being a slow crop, onions are sown in late winter and harvested in the following autumn. Once matured, they are lifted out o