To celebrate the launch of Alan Brown’s new Recipes from the Kiwi Pizza Oven, we have a very simple recipe from its pages – and it coincides nicely with asparagus season!

Not everyone has the space for a wood-fired pizza oven, and Alan’s recipes reflect that – but we have something exciting to show off too. Check out the new Firebox BBQ Pizza Oven, the ultimate gift for pizza lovers and a great excuse to bring out the barbecue.

As with most pizza recipes, you’ll need to get any oven as hot as you can – 350+ degrees C in a wood oven, or 250+ degrees C in a conventional one. The recipe below is for one 10” pizza.

Imported by Wellington's iconic Havana Bar, Ron Varadero 3 Year Old White Rum is ideal for making a classic Cuban Mojito!

Non-Alcoholic Drinks with style and sophistication.

Ārahi is a unique new range of non-alcoholic drinks made to satisfy adult tastes and suit their social needs.

The idea came about when David Wilson, who describes himself as a 'bit of a foodie' and lover of good wine, met and began spending time with Jo-Anne Short, a non-drinker who didn’t enjoy or need alcohol to socialise.

David began to notice that Jo-Anne was often offered an inferior experience than his when they visited restaurants or bars. David would have numerous options for wine, all served in fine stemware, while Jo-Anne would end up with fizzy drink or juice in a tumbler.

Jo-Anne became the inspiration for Ārahi when David decided to right what was wrong in the market. He drew on his many years of culinary experience to create a multitude of drinks they could share over dinner and when friends came to visit. The most challenging aspect was length of palate, a flavour journey from the nose to a lingering finish, just like a good wine.

With the help of a winemaker or two (including Hawkes Bay’s Rod McDonald), David crafted the Ārahi range using the cold-pressed juice of super-premium wine grapes. Only the finest parcels of grapes were used which is one of the critical things that elevates Ārahi from the group of low-priced grape juices that are made from reconstituted table grapes. Also important was the blending process used to turn the super-sweet juice into a refreshing and multi-dimensional experience.

David, along with the winemakers and a food technologist, worked tirelessly to create a sophisticated and balanced drink. “It took months and many failed methodologies until I finally began to produce drinks that were worthy for us to enjoy together” says David, “I’ll never forget the first night Jo-Anne and I had dinner together like two grown-ups, sharing a bottle of Sparkling Karera from an ice-bucket at the table”.

Jo-Anne, who cofounded Ārahi with David, was influential in the naming, look and feel of the finished product – all of which reflects her Māori heritage.

Two Ārahi non-alcoholic beverages are available online and in store at Moore Wilson’s Wine, Beer & Spirits:

Ārahi Sparkling Karera: When served chilled in an elegant flute this Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc delivers a premium experience that is bursting with flavour. This is a lively and special celebratory beverage that makes alcohol-free drinking a pleasure.

Light straw in colour with a fine and vibrant bead. The palate is long and racy with kiwifruit and apple. An off-dry style with a lingering finish.

Food pairing: shellfish, cheese, berries, pasta and seafood.

Ārahi Kuratea: Named after the Māori word for red, the colour of the rich Merlot grapes from which this gourmet beverage is made.

Floral on the nose with blackcurrant and vanilla on the palate. A beverage with nicely balanced sweetness and a dry, slightly tannic finish.

Food pairing: game meats, blue cheese, Asian dishes, beef, beetroot salad.

New season fresh Whangamata Scallops available now from Moana NZ inside
Moore Wilson's Fresh! 

Try this simple marinade to bring out the delicate flavours of fresh NZ scallops.
Serves 3-4 as an entree.

Matcha is a special variety of green tea, stoneground into a fine powder.  Considered a “super food”, matcha is packed with antioxidants, the super chemical compound that prevents aging and several chronic diseases. One cup of Matcha is reported to have the nutritional value of up to 10 cups of regular green tea and over 100 x the antioxidants!

Matcha powder can be used in just about anything – smoothies, juices, desserts, or simply enjoyed as a nourishing tea or ‘latte’. Matcha adds a wonderful, natural colour to baking (or un-baking!) – as you’ll see with these beautiful mini cheesecakes.

Makes  10 | Ready in  45 minutes + freezing time.

The Meyer Gouda Cheese story begins in the 1970’s in a tiny village in the South of the Netherlands. After visiting a monastery in Postel where monks were producing handmade cheese, Ben and Fieke Meyer were inspired to try cheese making themselves.

Independence, working close to nature and producing a good honest product appealed to the young couple who at the time were working as a teacher (Fieke) and an electrical engineer (Ben). Ben enrolled for a cheese course in Gouda run by Dutch cheese master, Mr G Elings.

In the evenings they worked together, to build a little cheese factory in the hay shed on Ben’s parents’ farm near Bladel. Many years of hard work saw their cheese become very popular within the community. In 1983 they immigrated to New Zealand with their three small children, Geert (4), Fieke (2) and baby Miel.

As the heart of the New Zealand dairy industry, the Meyers chose Waikato as their new home. Initially they struggled with the New Zealand milk as Kiwi dairy cows milk composition differed dramatically from milk in The Netherlands. The first year was challenging, however, trial and error and advice from a Dutch cheese maker in Mercer helped Ben and Fieke begin producing the quality cheese they were so widely known for in Bladel.

After five years, the Meyers decided to purchase their very own farm to control milk supply, a decision paramount to the quality of their cheese production today.

Nowadays, Meyer Gouda Cheese is one of the most significantly awarded companies in New Zealand, picking up Supreme Champion at the first New Zealand Cheese Awards in 1994 and a string of awards since. In 2011, their youngest son Miel was awarded the Cheesemaker of the Year Award – the youngest cheesemaker in the history of the competition to scoop the prize.

Meyer did extremely well at the 2015 Cheese Awards with Miel once again taking out top Cheesemaker award and a number of their cheeses earning Champion status or gold medals.

Meyer Gouda Cheese is now a fully-fledged family affair with the next generation at the helm. Miel took over as general manager of Meyer Gouda Cheese after Ben and Fieke retired in 2007. In August 2011, eldest son Geert came back from The Netherlands as head cheese maker for Meyer Gouda Cheese.

Meyer Gouda cheese is available in wedges or whole rounds from Moore Wilson’s Fresh.

Wellington based Peoples Coffee is a small-scale roasting, wholesale and retail business specialising in fairtrade organic coffee.

Started in 2004 by Matt Lamason in a 20m² store in Newtown, Peoples aim as coffee roasters was connect with the farmers who grew the coffee and to control the quality of as much of the process as possible.

The farmers who supply Peoples Coffee are part of a Cooperative. These are farmers that would otherwise not produce enough beans to access the export market but they pool their resources with each other, meaning they can cut out the middle man (the broker) and share the profits as a group. Peoples Coffee regularly visit the cooperatives they work with in Nicaragua, Ethiopia, Mexico, Guatemala and Colombia.

In mid-2005 they went entirely certified organic as well as fair trade and in 2008 a second Peoples Coffee espresso bar was opened in a converted printer’s dockway, on Garrett Street, just off Cuba Street.

Now, over 10 years on, Peoples Coffee have stood true to their philosophy and are one of Wellington’s best known coffee brands. They are also the only coffee brand at Moore Wilson's Fresh that is entirely fairtrade and organic.

Peoples Coffee is one of the five brands at Moore Wilson’s Fresh Tory Street that you can choose to have in your espresso – just let our barista know your preference.

We also have a range of fresh Peoples Coffee Beans which can be ground to your liking to take home.

A comforting winter dish from owner of Lot Eight Olive Oil, Nalini Baruch. Serve as a vegetable soup or with steamed rice, plain yogurt and your other favourite accompaniments.

Recipe featured in Series 1 of the Moore Wilson's Recipe Collection. Serves 4.

Waffles don't have to be sweet. These flavour-packed savoury waffles from
Donna Hay are the perfect way to start the day! 

Serves 2.

Purewei and Half Baked Catering Co join the already impressive range of locally baked cakes and patisserie at Moore Wilson's Fresh!

Purewei

Available exclusively from Moore Wilson's Tory Street Fresh.

Wei Chen has a unique understanding and mastery of traditional and modern patisserie, introducing Wellington to new and inventive flavours inspired by different cultures.

More than just cakes, Purewei produce 'sweet fashion'. Handcrafted with passion, using only top ingredients, these sweet treats will ensure you have an unforgettable tasting experience.

Sold by the whole cake only. Current flavours include:

Fraisier Strawberry compote, mousseline cream, strawberry mousse with strawberry glaze and Swiss meringue

Rum Banana & Milk Chocolate Rum banana, milk couverture mousse with cocoa sponge and hazelnut sablé

Opera Coffee buttercream layer with chocolate ganache and almond sponge

Matcha Island Green tea mousse, adzuki bean créme with matcha biscuit joconde

Peanut Chocolate Peanut creme legere, peanut chocolate mousse with almond & peanut dacquoise and honey financier

Caramel Breton Caramel mousse, salted caramel, dark chocolate cremeux with caramelized walnut and sable breton

Orders welcome. Phone our Fresh Market on 04 384 9906.

Half Baked Catering Co.

Available from Moore Wilson's Tory Street and Porirua Fresh.

Wellington sister Zara and Shinee credit growing up in Cuba Street cafe Midnight Espresso for providing them with the expertise to invent their own recipes, and instilling a lifelong passion for creating food with love.

They believe that healthy and joyful lives should be nourished by incredible food. Taking inspiration from the Real Food movement, all of Half Baked’s food is made from scratch using as many local, raw and organic ingredients as possible. Their delicious 'un-baking' is vegan, gluten free, and refined sugar free.

Sold by the slice. Current flavours include:

Snickers Slice Cashew coconut base, chocolate mousse layer, crunchy peanut butter, coconut & date caramel, creamy chocolate ganache

Raspberry & Chocolate Mousse Slice Cashew & coconut base, Chocolate mousse with whole raspberries, Raspberry cream layer, Creamy chocolate ganache

Individual Carrot Cakes A mix of almonds, cashew nuts, walnuts, mixed spices, carrot and sultanas, layered with lemon cashew cream icing.

Bliss Balls Lemon, Raspberry and Coconut or Apricot, Almond and Coconut

Whole cakes available to order.