Best fish and chips in the Coromandel

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Fish and chips on the way to or from New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula are a genuine treat but the debate as to where to buy them goes on.

To help identify the best fish and chips in New Zealand, we’ve drawn on many sources including which fryers have taken awards at the national Best Chip Shop competitions. These awards have run since 2006 and are a useful guide to identifying the best in the country and in each region.

Our guide to the best fish and chips in the Coromandel includes the following recommendations:

Top choices

Corogate Café 

State Highway 25, Thames

It’s not a specialist fish and chip cafe but they are a popular option on the menu.The cafe was highly commended in the regional Best Chip Shop awards in 2013. The main attraction to this cafe is its unusual decor as it serves as a shrine to the British royal family. Converted from a service station, this cafe is home to a huge collection of memorabilia and royal souvenirs, including jewellery, cutlery, clothing and a mass of stuff emblazoned with the Union Jack.

Kiwi Taste

595 Front Miranda Road, Thames

A family-owned business in the grounds of the Miranda Hot Springs where bathers can work up an appetite before chowing into typically New Zealand fare that includes fish and chips, and a seafood platter (fish, oyster, mussels, prawn cutlet, squid ring, scallop, chips and salad). Highly commended in the regional Best Chip Shop awards in 2013.

Our guide to the best fish and chip shops in New Zealand

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Where to find the best pies in Auckland

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Aucklanders love their pies – there’s a pie shop on just about every shopping strip and in almost every gas station.

In recent years, bakers have added to the range of pies made, with gourmet selections joining the traditional mainstays of mince, steak and either of those with cheese.

The annual Bakels Supreme Pie Awards help identify where to look for the best pies in Auckland.

Here are 22 of the top award winners over the past five years.

The best pie shops in Auckland

North Shore

Bakers Oven

687 Whangaparaoa Rd, Stanmore Bay, Auckland

–  Silver Medal in 2016 for their gourmet pie entry, a mushroom, bacon and cheese pie

–  Bronze Medal in 2016 for their apple pie in the gourmet fruit category.

– Highly commended in 2016 for their potato top pie.

– Gold Medal in 2014 for their bacon and egg pie.

– Bronze Medal in 2014 for their mince and cheese pie.

Bernie’s Bakery & Cafe

25 Clyde Rd, Browns Bay, Auckland

– Gold Medal in 2014 for their mince and gravy pie.

– Gold Medal in 2014 for their mince and cheese pie.

Dairy Flat Bakery

1443 Dairy Flat Highway, RD4, Auckland

– Gold Medal in 2016 for making the best gourmet fruit pie in New Zealand (blueberry, spiced apple and apricot).

– Gold Medal in 2015 for their gourmet fruit pie.

– Gold Medal in 2014 for their gourmet fruit pie.

– Gold Medal in 2011 for their vegetarian pie.

Euro Patisserie Torbay

1028 Beach Road, Torbay, Auckland

– Bronze Medal in 2014 for their mince and gravy pie.

– Gold Medal in 2013 for a gourmet meat pie containing chicken, cranberry and Camembert cheese.

Mairangi Bay Bakery

336d Beach Rd, Mairangi Bay, Auckland

– Highly commended in 2016 for their steak and cheese pie.

– Gold Medal in 2015 for their bacon and egg pie.

– Highly commended in 2014 for their mince and gravy pie.

– Bronze Medal in 2014 for their seafood pie.

– Gold Medal in 2013 for a gourmet fruit pie containing brandied apple, apricot and grape.

– Gold Medal in 2013 for a seafood pie containing salmon, scallops, leeks and crab meat.

Richoux Patisserie Takapuna

447 Lake Road, Takapuna, Auckland

– Bronze Medal in 2014 for their steak and gravy pie.

Savans Bakery

56 Queen St, Warkworth, Auckland

– Gold Medal in 2016 for their chicken and vegetable pie.

Warkworth New World

6 Percy St. Auckland

– Highly commended in 2016 for their cafe boutique entry, a pie made with venison, mushroom, ales, red wine and juniper berries.

West Auckland

Eurobake Espresso

45 Main Rd, Kumeu, Auckland

– Highly commended in 2016 for their mince and gravy pie.

Central Auckland

Corner Bakery

180a Hillsborough Rd, Auckland

– Silver Medal in 2016 for their potato top pie.

– Silver Medal in 2014 for their gourmet fruit pie.

Julia’s Bakery

128b Main Highway, Ellerslie, Auckland

– Silver Medal in 2016 for their mince and cheese pie.

Nana’s Bakery

586 New North Rd, Kingsland, Auckland

– Highly commended in 2016 for their mince and cheese pie.

Penny Lane’s Bakery

249 Onehunga Mall, Onehunga, Auckland

– Silver Medal in 2014 for their steak and gravy pie.

– Highly commended in 2014 for their vegetarian pie.

– Highly commended in 2014 for their gourmet meat entry.

– Gold Medal in 2011 for their steak, veg and gravy pie.

Voila Café

573 Sandringham Road, Sandringham, Auckland 

– Bronze Medal in 2014 for their entry in the cafe boutique category.

East Auckland

Greenland Bakery and Cafe

3 Market Square, Botany Town Centre, Botany, Auckland

– Silver Medal in 2016 for their chicken and vegetable pie.

– Silver Medal in 2016 for their bacon and egg pie.

– Supreme Award and Gold Medal in 2013 for their mince and cheese pie.

– Highly commended in 2014 for their bacon and egg pie.

– Highly commended in 2014 for their seafood pie.

– Gold Medal in 2013 for their mince and cheese pie.

– Gold Medal in 2012 for their vegetarian pie.

– Gold Medal in 2011 for their gourmet meat entry.

Panmure Bakehouse

12 Pilkington Rd, Panmure, Auckland

– Gold Medal in 2016 for their mince and cheese pie.

South Auckland

Counties Bakery

2 Queen St, Pukekohe, Auckland

– Gold Medal in 2016 for their steak and gravy pie.

Fresh Bun Cafe

42 George St, Tuakau, Auckland

– Silver Medal in 2016 for their steak and gravy pie.

– Highly commended in 2016 for their chicken and vegetable pie.

– Gold Medal in 2015 for their gourmet meat entry.

– Gold Medal in 2015 for their chicken and vegetable pie.

– Highly commended in 2014 for their mince and cheese pie.

Greenland Café

Suite 5 28 Subway Road, Pukekohe 

– Bronze Medal in 2014 for their vegetarian pie.

– Highly commended in 2014 for their chicken and vegetable pie.

Hillpark Bakery

75 Grand Vue Rd, Manurewa, Auckland

– Bronze Medal in 2016 for their chicken and vegetable pie.

– Highly commended in 2016 for their bacon and egg pie.

Rushgreen Bakery and Cafe

2/10 Rushgreen Ave, Papakura, Auckland

– Highly commended in 2016 for their vegetarian pie made from carrot, peas and corn.

Target Bakehouse & Café

241 Manukau Road, Pukekohe

– Bronze Medal in 2014 for their bacon and egg pie.

– Gold Medal in 2012 for their mince and cheese pie.

Source: Bakels Pie Awards


OUR PIE GUIDE: How to find the best pies in New Zealand  Ι  The best pies in Tauranga  Ι  Where to find the best fruit pies in New Zealand  Ι  The best vegetarian pies in New Zealand  Ι   The best Christmas mince pies in New Zealand Ι  Our favourite types of pie  Ι  The best English-style pork pies in New Zealand  Ι  The best Cornish pasties in New Zealand

Best pies in Tauranga

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Tauranga is a haven for some of the best-baked meat and fruit pies in New Zealand.

Local bakers have been among the most successful at New Zealand’s annual Bakels Supreme Pies Awards.

Tauranga baker Patrick Lam, owner of Patrick’s Pie Group Gold Star Bakery, has taken the national pie-making Supreme Pie Award five times since 2003 and has collected more than 60 awards for his range of pies which include savoury and sweet styles.

Here are some recent award-winners to track down in Tauranga.

Top choices

Patrick’s Pie Group Gold Star Bakery

19 Bethlehem Town Centre, Tauranga, Bay of Plenty

– Winner 2016 Supreme Award and Gold Medal for its bacon and egg pie.

– Silver Medal in 2016 for their steak and cheese pie.

– Highly commended in 2016 in the gourmet fruit category for a Cointreau pear, apple and cherry cheesecake.

– Silver Medal in 2014 for their mince and gravy pie.

– Silver Medal in 2014 for their bacon and egg pie.

– Silver Medal in 2014 for their vegetarian pie.

– Bronze Medal in 2014 for a chicken and veg pie.

– Gold Medal in 2013 for a vegetarian pie made with stir fry vegetables, roast pumpkin, potato, kumara in spinach cream sauce.

– Gold Medal in 2012 for a chicken and veg pie.

Baker Bob’s Bakery & Cafe

135 Chadwick Rd, Greerton, Tauranga, Bay of Plenty

– Gold Medal in 2016 for winning the Best Gourmet Meat Pie section.

– Gold Medal in 2016 for making the country’s best steak and cheese pie.

– Bronze Medal in 2016 for their spinach, pumpkin and kumara pie in the vegetarian section.

– Bronze Medal in 2016 for their potato top pie.

Best of the others

One Tree Bakery

204 Maunganui Road, Mt Maunganui

– Gold Medal in 2015 for their steak and gravy pie.

– Gold Medal in 2014 for their chicken and veg pie.

Cherrywood Café

7 Cherrywood Court, Cherrywood Drive, Otumoetai, Tauranga

– Gold Medal in 2012 for their bacon & egg pie.

Coincidentally, Tauranga is also the home of some of the best-made commercial wholesale pies in New Zealand. The nationally-distributed Ponsonby Pies are made in Tauranga.

Ponsonby Pies were awarded a Bronze Medal for their mince and cheese pies in 2016.

Source: Bakels Pie Awards


OUR PIE GUIDE: How to find the best pies in New Zealand  Ι  Where to find the best pies in Auckland  Ι Where to find the best fruit pies in New Zealand  Ι  The best vegetarian pies in New Zealand  Ι   The best Christmas mince pies in New Zealand 

The best sausages in the North Island

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They call them bangers, snarlers and barbeque fodder but some butchers are taking New Zealand sausages to new culinary heights.

The best butchers plan and experiment for months before entering the annual Devro Great New Zealand Sausage Competition in the hope of landing the title for the country’s best sausage.

More than 450 butchers enter the awards which began in 1994. Here are results from the 2016 competition.

The best sausages in the North Island

Supreme Award

Chicken, Lime & Lemongrass

Mangawhai Meat Shop, Mangawhai

Devro New Zealand Wildcard Winner

Free Range Chicken & Parsley

Col’s Butchery, Mt Maunganui

Gold Medals

Flavoured

Beef Flavour

Greytown Butcher, Greytown

Poultry

Free Range Chicken & Parsley

Col’s Butchery, Mt Maunganui

Chicken, Lime & Lemongrass

Mangawhai Meat Shop, Mangawhai

Pre-cooked

Classic Saveloys

Hellers

Continental fresh

Fresh Chorizo

New World Stonefields, Auckland

Black Pudding/rounds

White Pudding

Waikanae Butchery, Kapiti Coast, Wellington

Gourmet beef

Reuben’s Made in Store, Beef, Mushroom & Parmesan

Aussie Butcher New Lynn, Auckland

Silver Medals

Pork

Traditional Pork

Ellerslie Meats, Ellerslie, Auckland

Flavoured

Preston’s Beef Flavoured

Preston’s Master Butchers, Wellington, Palmerston North, Porirua

Continental fresh

Traditional Toulouse

L’Authentique, Auckland, Wellington, Katakana, Mt Maunganui, Hamilton, Napier, New Plymouth, Wanganui

Continental ready-to-eat

Smoked Romanian Pork & Garlic

Magills Butchery, Te Awamutu,

Black pudding/rounds

Black Pudding

Ellerslie Meats, Ellerslie, Auckland

Gourmet varietal

Lamb, Pumpkin, Feta & Chives

New World Stanmore, Stanmore Bay, Auckland

Bronze medallists

Pork

Reuben’s Made in Store, Free Farmed True Pork

Aussie Butcher New Lynn, Auckland

Flavoured

Pork Flavoured

Countdown, (National)

Pre-cooked

Original Cocktails

Hellers (National)

Poultry

Chicken, Spinach & Pinenut

Elite Meats, Hamilton

Traditional flavour

Reuben’s Made in Store, Pork, Sage & Onion

Aussie Butcher, New Lynn, Auckland

Gourmet varietal

Duck & Orange

The Village Butchery, Waiheke Island, Auckland

Source: Devro Great New Zealand Sausage Competition


The best sausages in the South Island

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