Whether you are looking to start a vegan diet, or start enjoying more plant-based food, you can be sure to find a lot of vegan and dairy substitutes at Moore Wilson's.

Vegan Dairy Substitutes:

Replacing dairy products in your recipes is easy. A plethora of plant-based non-dairy milks are available, such as soy, oat, almond and rice. If you need a non-dairy milk to curdle in a baking recipe, go with soy. If you need the most neutral flavour possible, such as when making a sauce, unsweetened almond milk is a good choice. And don’t overlook plant-based cheeses: there are some wonderful options out there, particularly those made from nuts.

As dairy products usually provide a significant amount of calcium to the diet, it is a good idea to choose a non-dairy milk fortified with calcium, which is advertised on the label and included in the nutritional information panel.

Commercial Vegan Cheeses:
Usually made from soy protein and/or coconut oil, with the addition of colours and flavours. Available in many different varieties, such as cheddar and gouda. Uses: Use to make vegan cheese sauces, in sandwiches, and on pizza and pasta dishes.

Nut Cheeses:
Nut cheeses are generally soft cheeses made by blending nuts with water, and adding a non-dairy probiotic to ferment the cheese. Uses: Spread on sandwiches and bagels, stir through pasta, and add to cooked dishes such as lasagne.

Nut Milk:
Made by blending soaked nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts or cashews) with water and straining through muslin to remove the pulp. The flavour and nutrition varies depending on the nut used. Uses: Drinking, cooking and baking.

Oat Milk:
Made by blending oats and water: it has a slightly sweet and nutty flavour.
Uses: Drinking, cooking and baking.

Rice Milk:
Made by blending brown rice with water: it is a thin milk with a sweet nutty flavour. Uses: Drinking and cooking.

Soy Milk:
Made from whole soy beans or soy protein that is blended with water, and usually sweetened with added sugar. It has a slightly sweet and beany flavour. Uses: Drinking, cooking and baking. Curdles when acid is added.

Vegan Baking Substitutes:

Replace Egg With:
Chia or Flax Seeds Ground
1 egg = 1 Tbsp flax meal plus 3 Tbsp warm water.
Whisk together flax meal and warm water, and let it stand 15 minutes before using.

Banana
1 egg = 1 medium, ripe mashed banana.
Use in chewy recipes, such as cookies.

Apple Sauce
1 egg = 4 Tbsp apple sauce.
Use in quick breads and cakes, for reduced fat baking.

Replace Egg Whites With:
Agar Flakes
1 egg white = 1 Tbsp agar flakes plus 1 Tbsp water.
Whisk together agar flakes and water, refrigerate for 5 minutes, and use immediately.

Aquafaba (Chickpea Brine)
1 egg white = 2 Tbsp Aquafaba.
Add to baked goods, or whipped to make chocolate mousse, pavlova or meringue.

Replace Butter With:
Plant-based Butter
Use same amount as butter.
Use the same as butter. Do not attempt to brown in a
recipe that calls for browned butter.

Non-hydrogenated Shortening
115g butter = 6 Tbsp  shortening plus 1 Tbsp water.
Use sparingly. Provides structure to recipes where butter is creamed with sugar, as well as frosting recipes.

Coconut Oil
225g butter = 240ml coconut oil plus 1 Tbsp water.
Coconut oil is soft-solid at room temperature and firm solid when chilled. Use solid to cream with sugar.

Grapeseed, Olive Oil
225g butter = 6 Tbsp oil.
Use in cake, cookie and quick bread recipes.

Replace Light Cream, Evaporated Milk & Double Cream With:
Drinking coconut milk, canned coconut milk and full fat coconut milk or cream.
The same volume.
Shake cans well to combine before use. If substituting double cream, refrigerate coconut milk or cream overnight . Remove thick, solid ‘cream’ at the top of the can, and use as a substitute.

Replace Honey With:
Agave, Nectar, Maple syrup, Rice Malt Syrup.
The same volume.
Substitute in any recipe.

Replace Gelatin With:
Agar
The same volume.
Agar needs to be heated to dissolve properly, and will set in about an hour at room temperature. Use to create firm jelly.

Find everything you need to start a vegan diet or alternatives suited for plant-based dishes at Moore Wilson's.

Need more inspiration?
Check out our new range of vegan cookbooks online:

Jackfruit & Blue Ginger

It's a new year and its time to turn over to the first recipe in Moore Wilson's 2019 Calendar: Lucas Putnam from La Boca Loca's Crispy Tortillas with Grilled Haloumi or 'Tostadas De Haloumi'.

The Brothers Coldpress 

Owners Roger Young and Potti Wagstaff arrived in the cold press juice business a little by accident. Their busy Fidel’s café was pumping out juices using an old school centrifugal juicer but it just wasn’t keeping up with demand. With no other options they decided to make batches of juice each morning using Roger’s Hurom press. They couldn’t believe the difference. A far superior juice that wasn’t half liquid, half fluff. Just pure organic goodness.

They decided right then that ‘coldpress is best’ and have never looked back.

After a road trip around the west coast of America sampling juices, the boys were convinced that Wellington was ready for the good stuff.

And so The Brothers Coldpress was born.

The Coldpress Method explained
First they wash the freshest organic and locally sourced produce they can find in a mixture of filtered water and organic apple cider vinegar to remove any contaminants from its journey from the field to our fridge.  It's then chopped and pressed under 12 tonnes of hydraulic pressure to extract every last drop of juicey goodness along with all the precious nutrients that usually get lost in the process of 'juicing'.

What’s the difference between cold pressed and other freshly squeezed juice?
The spinning blade of a centrifugal juicer generates heat and exposes the fruit and vegetables to lots of oxygen which damages the enzymes and makes them deteriorate faster.  By pressing the produce instead, the delicate enzymes and vitamins remain intact resulting in a nutritionally superior beverage.  Fresh juice tastes great regardless – cold pressed is just better for you.

Why does it separate?
Because they don't use any stabilisers and fruit and vegetables contain a lot of water.  The sediment is the nutrients, vitamins, minerals and a little bit of fibre and they are naturally heavier, so sink to the bottom when the juice sits for a while. Just give it a good shake before you drink it.

The Brothers Coldpress fresh juices are delivered daily to Moore Wilson’s Fresh Tory St.

Yarrows Pre-Proof Croissants 

Flakey outside with a rich buttery taste, Yarrows Croissants are a delight. Available to purchase from our Foodservice department as a full carton purchase only 70gx90 CTN.

Find the baking instructions below:

Fresh artesian water at our Tory Street Site.

In the early 1900’s Moore Wilson’s Tory Street site was occupied by Thomson Lewis & Co., Wellington’s major soft drink producer of the era. Thomson Lewis Lemonade, Soda Water and their then famous Camroc Dry Ginger Ale were the mixers just about everyone used. In the 1920’s, the owner of the business  Mr. A.M. Lewis became convinced there was artesian water running underneath Tory Street. To test the theory Mr. Lewis employed Bill Brogden a renowned water diviner from the Manawatu.

Bill Brogden duly arrived at Tory Street and did indeed divine water on the site but was unable to estimate the depth - which he normally could for the relatively shallow bores he divined in the Manawatu. Undeterred Mr. Lewis employed the Richardson Drilling Company (also from the Manawatu and still in business today) to drill a test bore. At normal depth nothing was found but because of his faith in Bill Brogden, Mr. Lewis told them to keep drilling. Eventually at some 497ft they struck water, installed a pipe and Thomson Lewis now had their own continuous supply of pure artesian water.

The Tory Street water, from an underground river believed to originate in the Wairarapa, was used by Thomson Lewis to produce aerated soft drinks for the next 53 years or until the business was purchased by Coca Cola and the building sold. During that time the water was capable of flowing at 500 gallons an hour and was tasteless and odourless. Continuously monitored by the Health Department the water was always found to be remarkably pure and never needed filtering. The only time it ever discoloured was following the Murchison earthquake of 1929. When Thomson Lewis sold their business the bore was capped but the water is still accessible today inside the Moore Wilson building.

This story has been captured by renowned Manawatu artist Paul Dibble in the form of a sculpture which you’ll see in the Piazza of our Tory Street store.

Today the Artesian Bore is free for our customers to enjoy a quick drink or fill up a bottle to take home. We do ask that if you’re filling a bottle you make a donation for the Wellington Free Ambulance. Since we opened the bore in 2009 over $18,000 has been raised for the Wellington Free Ambulance.

Create this stunning Tropical Trifle Cake with Kate Marinkovich from Tomboy Cakery.

Recipe kindly shared by Arobake owner Max Fuhrer. If you don't have time to make your own, Arobake's delicious stollen is available from Moore Wilson's Fresh along with their festive fruit mince pies!

Recreate this beautiful spring dish from Jacob Brown and Sarah Bullock from The Larder in Miramar.

This elegant cranberry and bubbly cocktail is perfect for holiday parties!

Ingredients sold individually in store or the Moore Wilson's Festive Poinsettia Cocktail Pack is available for delivery nationwide - a great gift for a cocktail lover!

Founded in 2007, owners Ned and Mina became the Head Potatoes in 2010.  They have worked with a dedicated team of potato professionals, to cultivate Proper Crisps from seed to success.

The Proper Crisps story started when English couple Stuart and Kathryn Franklin decided New Zealand was being short-changed in the crisp market. They set up a fledgling business in a small food factory at Upper Moutere and Kiwis quickly fell in love with this hand crafted product, so much so they soon outgrew the premises.

However, for a couple who had poured all of their resources into starting a small business the success was a double edged sword. The business simply got too big too quickly for them so in 2011 they sold Proper Crisps to Mina Wilke-Smith and Ned Smith, who became the Head Potatoes.

Born in South Africa to an English father and a French mother, Mina’s love of food is driven by the European influences. From an early age she developed a love for different foods and travel.

Ned is a trained chef who started in the food business as a kid, where he washed the floors in a neighbour’s restaurant. Moving to California saw him switching to a bakery which he developed into a commercial cheesecake business.

After many successful years in the bakery industry, Ned and Mina decided to sell their business and travel the world for two years before buying a home in Nelson in 2010.

Ned said they were looking for investment opportunities rather than buying a business to run.

They discovered Proper Crisps, later found the business was on the market and were eventually tempted into looking at it "because I am a foodie, not because we wanted to buy it and we found a nice little setup in Upper Moutere".

Having had a very successful food business in the United States that was based on similar philosophies Mina and Ned quickly saw the potential in this crisp producer.

Stuart and Kathryn set out to make the best crisps on the planet and Ned and Mina thought they had the perfect product.

At Proper Crisps they only use natural ingredients, their flavourings aren't a list of "e" numbers and artificial additives, just real Marlborough garlic with smoked, sweet paprika or maybe Marlborough sea salt with pure cider vinegar, and it goes without saying they use natural fresh, whole potatoes too.

They have developed the business into the fastest growing snack food business in New Zealand, but most importantly it is a family established and owned business.

"Building a company is like making a family of its own, we want to create an environment where we all work hard, have fun and we all make money, no one is clock watching, if it means staying an extra 15 minutes to complete a job they will, and be happy to do it because they feel they are part of the business," Mina says.