The wonderful writer and cartoonist Tom Scott once wrote, "if the Buena Vista Social Club and a Mississippi Paddle steamer ever had children it would look like the Havana Coffee Works Factory! Their glorious avocado coloured building on upper Tory St is at the heart of Wellingtons love affair with coffee. This building is where the creative caffeine visionary company roasts its potions for the people today."

Havana Coffee Works was established in 1989 in Cuba St, driven by a desire to roast coffee better and cleaner than what was then available. Pioneering their own hot air roaster designs that were electric and not gas, Havana Coffee quickly got its own following of loyal caffeine addicts and co-founder Geoff Marsland gave their coffee the slogan COFFEEUFEEL.

Now over 30 years on, Havana Coffee Works is still Wellingtons loveable wild child and a nationally known brand roasting delicious coffees with clean hot air. In 2017 they made the bold move to roast on the world’s most environmentally sustainable hot air Loring Roaster. Always a trailblazer in the industry, since the beginning they have used biodegradable and compostable packaging wherever possible and they ensure social inequalities are addressed through the business practices of Fairtrade and their own brand REALTRADE.

Havana’s Real Trade relationships are strong and long standing. They make sure the people who grow their coffee get a bigger share of the price paid. This includes regular visits to origin, ongoing mentoring and pre-financing growers during the harvest. Havana’s Real Trade relationships pay premium prices in recognition of the coffee growers and the importance of the coffee industry to the many struggling economies where coffee is grown. Real Trade prices paid are over and beyond Fairtrade.

Havana has close relationships with both their growers and customers. The new generation of coffee drinkers want to know where their coffee comes from and the Havana Coffee Works factory has an open door policy to show the magic in what they do. As well as their sustainability and education practices they also have a fun and creative culture for their staff to work in.

Havana Coffee Works roasts with love around 12 different origins and has created 7 of their own unique blends. You can buy 4 of their blends and their straight Cuban origin at Moore Wilson's in both retail and food service packs, which can be ground to order in Moore Wilson's Fresh. Havana Coffee is very popular and is one of the brands available for customers to enjoy in a barista made coffee in the Fresh area.

Moore Wilson's has a range of delicious Havana Coffees to take home.

Following are some of the staples of Middle Eastern cuisine that you'll find at Moore Wilson's Fresh:

Bulgur Wheat A roughly ground wheat grain commonly used in tabbouleh (a grain salad with pomegranate seeds and herbs) and kibbeh (little stuffed croquettes).

Chickpeas The main ingredient in houmous, chickpeas are also really common in Middle Eastern salads and stews.

Za’atar This earthy dried herb mix is often served with bread and olive oil before meals, or as a seasoning for meat and fish. Fresh and punchy.

Sumac Tangy, fresh and packed with citrus flavour, sumac is often used in salad dressings or dips for a bit of added zing!

Ras-El-Hanout A precious, potent Moroccan blend of up to 30 spices; each merchant has his own unique blend.

Harissa A Tunisian hot chili pepper paste that is as complex as it is spicy, with hints of garlic and cumin. Spread it on sandwiches, mixes it into yogurt, and drizzle harissa oil over fried olives.

Cumin Some say this spice “makes everything Middle Eastern”. Pungent, earthy, and unmistakable.

Turmeric  Fresh turmeric has a spicy bite and deeply orange flesh.

Pistachios One of the jewels of Middle Eastern cuisine, bright green pistachios are delicious toasted and scattered over salads, or baked in classic desserts such as baklava. 

Pomegranate Molasses Rich and sticky pomegranate molasses works brilliantly in sweet or savoury dishes. It has a lovely bitterness to it, and pairs well with stronger flavours such as mackerel and fennel.

Labneh You can strain plain yoghurt to make your own labneh – a soft cheese. It’s delicious spread on toast, or served with an omelette.

Dates Nature’s candy, dates are delicious with a cup of sweet tea. They’re also brilliant for sweetening spiced milkshakes, or as petit fours.

Preserved Lemon Luxuriously soft lemons that, even whole, melt in your mouth. They are bright and yellow and satisfyingly salty. Used in many savoury dishes.

Kataif  Thinly shredded filo dough, and while it doesn't taste like much on its own, it's a great source of crunchiness and texture.

Tahini Used in dressings, sauces, dips, even baked into flatbreads and cakes, nutty, rich sesame-seed paste is essential to Middle Eastern cuisine. Look for tahini that is smooth and light in colour. The natural oil will rise to the top; stir to incorporate before using.

Rose and Orange Flower Water These fragrant waters are distilled from the Damascus rose and the Seville orange tree, respectively. An essential ingredient in many Middle Eastern desserts and Turkish Delight.

New Zealand homes throw away over 120,000 tonnes of food per year, all of which could have been eaten. This is enough food to feed the whole of Dunedin for two years! Wasting this food costs the average household $563 a year.

There are two main reasons why we throw away food: we don’t eat our leftovers and some food goes bad because it is not stored properly. The foods we waste the most are bread, leftovers, potatoes, apples, chicken and bananas.

Here are five easy ways to waste less food in your own household:

1. Use the whole vegetable

• Make stock with the off cuts and use to flavour soup, stews, and risotto
• Dice up stems of broccoli, cauliflower, and silverbeet and add to chilli con carne or bolognaise bases
• Make a crunchy slaw with broccoli, cauliflower, and silverbeet stems and celery leaves.
• Keep skins on apples, potato, and kumara
• Preserve excess as pickles, jellies or jams

2. Plan your menu to use leftovers through the week, for example:

• Risotto > arancini balls
• Rice > fried rice
• Potato/Kumara/Pumpkin > hash
• Leftover salad/chicken > filo parcels
• Fish and vege > fish cakes
• Cooked vege > puree to make soup
• Casserole > pies
• Cooked leftovers > frittata

3. Eat a range of cuts

• Support producers by eating a range of cuts from premium fillets to slow cook cuts and sausages or smallgoods
• Make stock or sauce from raw or cooked bones for soups, stews, or sauces.

4. Storage

• Make sure you keep the cool chain going to ensure limited spoilage.
• Have good quality reusable storage containers on hand
• Check dates regularly and freeze if it is not going to be eaten
• Invest in a Foodsaver to pack product airtight for fridge, freezer, or pantry
• Wrap cheese in paper to avoid sweating
• Crumb, dry, or freeze stale bread

5. Shop regularly

• Where practical, Moore Wilson’s Fresh has most produce lines loose, so you can just buy as much as you need, often.
• Vacuum packed meat has a longer shelf life than repacked products. Having protein fresh in the fridge encourages cooking without having to defrost the day before.

You can't beat a warming soup in winter and this one ticks all the boxes - filling and flavoursome! Recipe by Prefab for the 2018 Moore Wilson's Calendar.

Mt Somers Station is the family property of David and Kate Acland. Together they run the 3800ha farm that runs from the Ashburton River, at an altitude of 400m, to the boundary of the conservation park at the base of the Mountain, an altitude of 700m.

Mt Somers Station runs over 13,000 breeding sheep, 3000 deer, 1300 dairy cows, and 200 head of beef cattle. The property also includes 500ha of native vegetation and beech forest which has been retired from grazing. This vegetation provides ample food source for the 400 hives on the property producing manuka and honeydew honeys in addition to the clover honey produced from the lower terraces. The Station has 12 full time staff, most of whom live on the property.

History

David’s great-great Grandfather JBA Acland originally took up Mt Somers Station, and a number of other Canterbury runs, in 1856 with his business partner Charles Tripp. In 1861 they dissolved the partnership with Acland retaining Mt Peel Station to the south and Tripp taking Orari Gorge and Mt Somers Stations. The families of Acland and Tripp have farmed Mt Peel and Orari Gorge Stations since this time, however Mt Somers Station was sold in 1862 to Tripp’s brother-in-law Charles Cox.

For the next century, Mount Somers Station had various owners, but, for the most part, the Acland family remained closely associated with the property.

The Station originally included almost the entire of Mount Somers and bounded the Staveley Bush, however in the 1970’s the lease on the majority of the bush and mountainous area was retired and the land became part of the national conservation estate.

In 1983, the current owners sold two-thirds of Mt Somers Station to David’s parents Mark and Jo Acland. The family moved from Mt Peel Station where Mark had been farming in partnership with his brother. The property was relatively underdeveloped with limited housing and no deer fencing. Mark undertook a massive development program and the first deer were brought to the property in August 1983 at a time when deer farming in NZ was in its infancy. Mark and Jo purchased the remainder of the Station in 2002, the same year David returned home.

Lambs Wool Blankets

Each year on Mt Somers Station around 15,000 lambs are born. All sheep remain outside on predominantly grass pastures for the entirety of their lives. Lambs remain with their mother for 2-3 months before they are weaned and grown out for market.

The bulk of Mt Somers Station lamb is supplied for export with the largest markets for NZ lamb being the UK and China.

Each year Kate and David shear 6000-8000 of their lambs, the fleece is slightly finer than the main ewe fleece and is perfect for use in lambs wool blankets.

The wool is scoured (cleaned) locally then sent to Wellington for spinning and finally Auckland for weaving. They are incredibly proud to be producing these blankets entirely in NZ.

The blankets are beautifully soft and a generous size (180cm x 150cm) making them perfect as a comforter for a double/queen bed, a sofa throw or to keep in the car as a travel rug. A quality blanket that will last for generations.

Sheep on the Station are also shorn and the wool is used for carpets and heavier textiles.

Recipe by Yonit Tzukerman from the book 'Cauliflower' by Oz Telem.

The fresh tomatoes and spice in the sauce mingles with the triple-cooked cauliflower florets to create a satisfying meaty sensation without any meat!

On 1st June 2018 Moore Wilson's are be celebrating 100 years in business! Following are some of the key events and highlights from our first 100 years:

Frederick William Moore

6th April 1892: Frederick William Moore, founder of Moore Wilson & Co. Ltd, arrives in Wellington. Frederick was born in West Derby, Liverpool on 26th August 1868. At age 24, in search of new opportunities, Frederick booked a passage to Wellington, New Zealand aboard the R.M.S Arawa.

Moore Wilson & Co. Ltd

1st June 1918: Frederick Moore officially opens Moore Wilson & Co Ltd. First premises in Wakefield St.

Wilson Withdraws

2nd December 1919: J.H. Wilson, an original director and naming partner of Moore Wilson’s,  withdraws from the partnership. According to Frederick’s son Stan, Mr Wilson left as he didn’t see a future for the business but Frederick liked the ‘Moore Wilson’ name so kept it on.  

Lorne Street

1927: After purchasing land in 1923, a custom built warehouse is opened on Lorne Street, just down the road from Moore Wilson’s current site.

Second Generation

Mid 1930’s: Frederick’s son Stanley Osborne Moore commences full time work with the company.

Masterton Store

1944: Moore Wilson’s second store opens on Dixon Street, Masterton, on the site of Cameron’s Service Station.

Lorne St Closes

March 1956: Due to extreme pressure on store space and handling and an uncooperative City Council, Moore Wilson’s are forced to shut down their Wellington operations.

Ross Cole Investments

Late 1956: Capital from selling Lorne Street property and plant is used to start up Ross Cole Investments Ltd, specialising in motor vehicle hire purchases. Company offices were on Oriental Bay, with the business running until the early 1980’s.

Third Generation

August 1960: Current Managing Director, Graeme Moore, starts work full time.

Masterton Travel Centre

1960: Moore Wilson’s purchase and operate the Masterton Travel Centre. Closed in 1971.

Porirua Store

1960: Moore Wilson’s re-enters the Wellington region with a new store on Kenepuru Drive. This is the company’s first ‘self service’ cash n’ carry store.

Miramar Store

1964: A store is opened on Miramar’s Maupuia Peninsula. Moore Wilson’s now has three stores operating.

Wright Street

1969: Miramar store closes and operations are moved to a larger warehouse in Wright Street, Mt Cook.

Moore Wilson’s Card

1969: The Moore Wilson’s card is introduced to help provide a more efficient, tailored service for Trade Customers. Previously trade only, the card is also a way around zoning laws, allowing non-trade customers to shop with a wholesaler.

Porirua Flood

20th December 1976: The Kenepuru stream bursts its banks causing a massive flash flood at the Porirua store. Some 30 people, including staff and Christmas shoppers, had to be taken to the roof and ferried to safety by officers from the Porirua Fire Brigade. Stock damage was estimated at $250,000-$300,000.

Bigger & Better

Early 1977: After being redesigned by Athfield Architects, the Porirua store reopens just months after the devastating flood.

Upper Hutt

1978: A fourth Cash & Carry store is opened in Upper Hutt.

Home on Tory Street

12th August 1983: Moore Wilson’s purchase the Thomson, Lewis & Co. Ltd property on the corner of Tory & College Streets. In the early 1900’s Thomson Lewis were Wellington’s major soft drink producer. The site is home to a pure artesian water bore.

Moving Again

10th September 1984: After building at Tory Street is complete, the Wright Street store is closed and Moore Wilson’s move to our current home. Just in time, as  Wellington’s cafe and restaurant scene was taking off.

Dominion Tavern

1986: Originally built in the early 20th century, the Dominion Tavern (adjoining to Moore Wilson’s Tory Street store) was purchased. Moore Wilson’s ran the pub for four years before it was demolished in 1991 to extend the store.

Wingate Store

1989: Moore Wilson’s Wingate store opens. All of the foodservice products at Upper Hutt were moved to Wingate, leaving Upper Hutt a Variety only store until its closure in 1998.

Liquor Category Added

1991: The Dominion Tavern was demolished and Moore Wilson’s Tory Street store extended towards Lorne Street. On the licensed site of the old Dominion, liquor was now available for sale at Moore Wilson’s.

Fourth Generation

1991: Julie Moore, current Executive Director, started full time in the role of Liquor Buyer.

Cuisine Centre

1997: The Cuisine Centre opens in Tory Street, providing Wellington’s only cooking demonstration kitchen. Local and international chefs held demonstrations and the room was available for suppliers and hospitality training companies to hire.

Fourth Generation

1998: Nick Moore commences full time work. Today Nick looks after operations for all four stores and is the Tory Street Store Manager.

A Fresh Way of Thinking

December 1998: Moore Wilson’s Fresh Market, a concept believed to be a world first, opens on Lorne Street on the site of the old Elim Church. The naysayers said it wouldn’t last, but after just two days the store was so busy that Graeme had to pull the advertising.

Porirua Fresh

1999: The Fresh category is introduced at Moore Wilson’s Porirua.

An Evening with Jamie

May 2000: Jamie Oliver visits Moore Wilson’s Wellington, with a large crowd filling the entire lower carpark. Jamie, then just 25 years old, entertained with his signature Essex charm, demonstrating recipes at the event MC’d by Wellington food personality Ruth Pretty.

Masterton Fresh

2002: Fresh category introduced at Moore Wilson’s Masterton.

Restaurant Association Award

2002: Moore Wilson’s Fresh awarded Innovator Award by Restaurant Association of New Zealand.

Cuisine Award

2004: Moore Wilson’s Fresh named Supreme Winner of the Cuisine and Matua Valley Wines Awards of Innovation and Excellence.

Porirua Farmers Market

July 2006: A weekly market called Moore Wilson’s Farmer’s Fresh begins, running on Saturday mornings in the bulk warehouse across the carpark from the main Porirua store. The market closed in 2010.

New Fresh Market

December 2008: After outgrowing the original space, a new larger Fresh Market is opened on the College Street side of Moore Wilson’s Wellington site. Liquor moves from inside Grocery to the standalone building that housed the old Fresh Market.

Dibble in the Piazza

April 2009: A sculpture by renowned Manawatu artist Paul Dibble is unveiled in the Tory Street Piazza to tell the story of the artesian bore that runs under the site.

Fresh Workshops

March 2011: Fresh Workshops begin. Workshops ran on Thursday mornings from 2011 to 2015 in a room off Moore Wilson’s Tory Street Fresh and were hosted by guest chefs, bakers, food personalities, and cookbook authors.

Wellingtonians of the Year

2012: Graeme & Julie Moore awarded Wellingtonians of the Year in the Business category of The Wellys.

The Chook Wagon

August 2012: The Chook Wagon opens in the carpark above Moore Wilson’s Wellington Fresh Market, recreating the traditional French ‘Poulet Rotisserie’ experience served from a replica of the iconic 1947 Citroen H-van. The Citroen was designed and built by Miramar’s Human Dynamo Workshop.

O’Sushi Tory Street

December 2013: O’Sushi opens in a custom built kiosk in the Piazza of Moore Wilson’s Tory St.

Moore Wilson’s Wine Direct

March 2014: Moore Wilson’s launch first e-commerce website “Moore Wilson’s Wine Direct”. The website featured a small hand-picked range of wines available for delivery nationwide.

Berry Culture

September 2014: The Berry Culture frozen yoghurt truck parked up in the Piazza of Moore Wilson’s Tory Street, serving natural yoghurt with live cultures and a range of premium topping. The Citroen hit the road in March 2016, returning to Christchurch.

Moore Wilson’s Online

October 2015: A new website “Moore Wilson’s Online” is launched with an increased range of wine, beers, and spirits as well as products from the Kitchen and Homeware department available to purchase online. Content including recipes, events, supplier profiles and product trends is also added.

Pop-Up Food Pods

April 2016: Pop-Up Food Pods are introduced in the Tory Street Piazza with the aim of giving our trade customers and suppliers the chance to showcase their cafes, restaurants, food trucks, and products.

Building Strengthening

June 2016: 18 months of building strengthening work by L.T. McGuinness at Moore Wilson’s Tory Street Store are completed. The new buckling-restrained braces had their first test (and passed with flying colours) when the Kaikoura earthquake struck in November.

Business Hall of Fame

July 2016: Moore Wilson’s inducted into the Wellington Region Business Hall of Fame.

Porirua Wine, Beer & Spirits

July 2017: With the help of Human Dynamo, Porirua’s standalone Wine, Beer & Spirits store underwent a nautical makeover, paying homage to the regions sea-side location.

Felix Awards

October 2017: Moore Wilson’s accept the award for Outstanding Supplier at the 2017 Felix Awards.

O’Sushi Porirua

November 2017: O’Sushi opens at Moore Wilson’s Porirua. The exterior features a stunning painting of Mana Island by Human Dynamo director Sue Dorrington, continuing the nautical theme from the Wine, Beer & Spirits store across the carpark.

Celebrating 100 Years

1st June 2018: Moore Wilson’s celebrates 100 years in business.

Moore Wilson’s Fresh Market 20 Years

December 2018 : Moore Wilson’s Fresh Market celebrating 20 years.

The Retail Hotlist Awards

September 2019: Moore Wilson’s wins Hottest Retail Business in Operation over 20 Years at the Gem Retail Hotlist 2019 Awards.

Masterton Redevelopment

Redevelopment of our Masterton store was completed in June 2021. A completely redesigned concept, customers will find foodservice grocery, frozen foods, fresh produce, meat, cheese, specialty ingredients, local artisan products and kitchenware all in the one open plan store.

Queen Sally’s Salads in the City

Moore Wilson’s is very excited to start a new adventure with Queen Sally’s Diamond Deli! Opened on Monday 1st of May, our Citroen wagon, level one Tory St will be serving delicious fresh seasonal vegetarian salads delivered fresh direct from Queen Sally’s daily as well as other yummy goodies!

Solar Panel Installation

We are proud to have completed and installed 290 panels at Lower Hutt, 280 panels at Masterton, 310 panels at Porirua and 680 panels at Tory Street With over 1500 panels across all four stores, there is the potential to generate up to 609kwh!

Moore Wilson’s POS Upgrade

We have been busy upgrading our point of sale, checkouts, and back office system, which has rolled out over the past four weeks across all stores.

Recipe from the 2018 Moore Wilson's Calendar. Thank you to Queen Sally's Diamond Deli for creating this beautiful celebration cake for our Centenary month!

A member of the Brassica family, Brussels Sprouts are, of course, named after the city of Brussels where they are thought to have originated. There are two main growing areas in New Zealand. The first is Ohakune in the central North Island. It tends to produce smaller sprouts with compact heads These become available early in the season (autumn). The second major growing area is Oamaru in North Otago where they  produce slightly larger sprouts  using a different sprout variety. Oamaru sprouts arrive later in the season and have a sweeter flavour.

Brussels Sprouts are very good for you because they are a rich source of phytochemicals including glucosinolates, carotenoids and phenolic compounds. They are an excellent source of vitamin C, folate and also a good source of B group vitamins. Brussels Sprouts also contain sulforaphane, a chemical believed to have anti-cancer properties. (Note that boiling reduces the amount of anticancer compounds but steaming and sautéing do not result in significant loss.)

Traditionally Brussels Sprouts are usually boiled or steamed but whatever cooking method you use, they do need to carefully cooked. Overcooking has been responsible for sometimes giving  sprouts a bad reputation because overcooking results in the release of high amounts of sulfur that badly affects the smell and taste. So, however you cook your sprouts, avoid overcooking at all costs.

With the addition of butter and bacon, this simple recipe from Annabel Langbein is sure to convert even those who would normally turn up their nose at Brussels sprouts!

Honey has a long history of human consumption. Apparently humans began hunting for honey at least 8000 years ago as evidenced by some ancient cave paintings found in Spain. Honey is also found in the records of ancient Egypt and it is acknowledged that the art of beekeeping has existed in China since time immemorial.

Honey, of course, is made by bees using nectar from flowers. Honey gets its sweetness from a combination of fructose and glucose. These two sugars don’t need to be broken down by our digestive system so honey is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, giving a quick energy boost to the body.

The flavour of the honey depends on the plants and flowers where the bees have collected their nectar and this is why New Zealand honey is quite special. New Zealand’s long isolation from the rest of the world and its island biogeography means that the flora and fauna here is extraordinarily unique. About 80% of this flora only occurs in New Zealand and this uniqueness has a remarkable influence on our locally produced honey. One of the most common examples of this unique flora is Manuka, a local evergreen tree. The intensely scented Manuka flowers bloom in summer and bees absolutely love them.

Today there is even a registered trademark called UMF which means Unique Manuka Factors. It has become a world renowned trademark because Manuka honey is internationally acknowledged as having anti-bacterial properties that remarkably support the body's health and well-being. In particular 15+ Manuka Honey is being increasingly used in the treatment of burns.

Along with being renowned for its health properties, Manuka honey is a wonderful eating experience. The dark cream to dark brown honey has a distinctive taste profile; slightly bitter, herbaceous, with intense woody and slightly nutty flavour notes.

In fact New Zealand’s unique flora results in a wide range of different honey flavours and our local honey producers are making the most of this uniqueness. Mono-floral (single flower) honeys are  increasingly popular and honeys available include Beechwood, Pohutakawa, Kamahi, Rata, Tawari, Rewarewa and also honey made from imported field flora such as clover and thyme and various wild flowers (such as bugloss). The diversity of the New Zealand honey range is quite outstanding.

Honey colour ranges from almost colourless to dark amber brown.  In general, honeys from forest floral sources are darker in colour and richer in flavour while honeys from field floral sources are lighter in colour with a delicate fine flavour. And honey, of course, can be presented in a variety of forms including comb, liquid and creamed.

NZ Honey brands available from Moore Wilson's Fresh include Arataki (Hawkes Bay), J Bush and Sons (Blenheim), Earthbound (Auckland), J Friend & Co. (Christchurch), Local Flavour (Wellington), and Silverstream (Upper Hutt).

There are many wide and varied uses for honey including:

FOOD

• The most common use of honey is to simply serve it on bread or toast. Increasingly popular is a little honey mixed with your breakfast muesli
• It is also widely used as sweetener in baking, as an ingredient in glazes, or as a flavourful addition in Asian dishes
• Use to sweeten your homemade nut milks
• For something different, try infusing your honey with different flavour combinations like ginger and lime or apple cider and dried figs

HEALTH

• Honey is a natural antiseptic so will help to heal wounds, cuts, scraps and burns
• Combine with the juice of one lemon to sooth sore throats and coughs
• Combine equal parts honey, vinegar and water and drink to remove parasites

BEAUTY

• Use as a moisturizer, simply rub on to dry or patchy skin and let it sit for around 30 minutes before washing off
• Add a teaspoon to your normal shampoo to help smooth damaged locks
• Relax and soak your skin in a soothing honey bath – dissolve 2 tablespoons of honey in 1 cup hot water and add to your bath along with a couple of drops of lavender oil
• Combine 2 teaspoons of milk with 2 tablespoons of honey for a natural face mask. Cover your face and let it sit for 10 minutes before washing off