A beautiful homemade edible gift. 

Six Barrel Soda Co. is a Wellington based specialty soda company making bottled sodas and soda syrups from their central Te Aro HQ.

They make their sodas and soda syrups the old fashioned way, the colours and flavours come from the natural ingredients.

Established in 2012 by Joseph Slater and Mike Stewart, Six Barrel Soda’s syrups and bottled sodas are now being enjoyed around New Zealand and overseas in Australia, the United States and Hong Kong by top cafes, restaurants, bars and home soda fans looking for something different. All over the place people that care about good drinks are serving natural, creative and seasonal sodas.

Keep an eye out for their latest seasonal and limited release sodas popping up in-store throughout the year.

A new concept in meat retailing has been launched this February that will see lamb lovers in the Wellington region guaranteed of buying some of the very best lamb available from the Wairarapa.

The arrival of Gate to Plate branded lamb will hit selected stores following the success of the prestigious Gate to Plate lamb competition that began two years ago as a feature of the Masterton A&P Show.

Gate to Plate assesses the quality of lamb rearing and production ‘on the hoof, on the hook and on the plate’. It takes meat traceability to a whole new level by assessing the farming practice, production process and final product, and rating it every step of the way.

Instigated to reflect consumers’ increasing interest in the origins of their food, concern for sustainable and ethical food production, the competition was also driven by farmers wanting to constantly improve their product and connect with their customers.

Chair of Masterton A&P Show, Alan Williams says the competition has been such a success that they decided to make the entrants’ meat available for retail, by branding the lamb.

‘The response to Gate to Plate has been really positive,’ says Mr Williams. ‘Both farmers and the public have embraced the concept and we realised that people were genuinely interested in the ethics of where their meat came from.

‘Through the competition, consumers can find out almost to the paddock, where their lamb was raised, who the farmer who nurtured the lamb was, and be assured of its journey from the lovely Wairarapa paddock to a carefully selected retailer. The Wairarapa is increasingly becoming renowned for the quality food it produces, and this is yet more evidence that we’re committed to that.

‘Gate to Plate is now not just a badge of honour for the farmer, it’s a product they can proudly see hitting kitchens and barbeques around the region. This is very heartening for the farmer.’

2015 winner and farmer Lynley Wyeth of Spring Valley Farm says she agrees the competition and now the branded lamb, meets an important need for farmers as well as consumers.

‘People probably don’t realise how much heart and soul goes into producing great lamb. It is actually a privilege to produce food for families, and to see it appreciated and recognised is fantastic,’ she says. ‘Any farmer can grow a great lamb, but to do it year on year to the same, if not better, standard, is the challenge.

‘The Gate to Plate process gives farmers the tools to constantly improve, by working on the data they get at each stage. You get a baseline and go from there. And now there is real reward in seeing it available on the shop shelves. It’s a very exciting next step.’

Gate to Plate Lamb is available from Moore Wilson's Fresh Masterton, Wellington and Porirua.

A delicious weekend brunch! Serves 2.

Juicy and sticky, pork ribs glazed with Hakanoa Ginger Syrup are a real treat! 

This refreshing thick shake is silky smooth with a gorgeous balance of flavours, fresh, floral and spice. Perfect on a hot day, or with any spicy dish! 

Recipes created by Little&Loved

Since 2002, Pacific Harvest owners Doug and Louise Fawcett have had a goal of making sea vegetables (edible seaweed) a more integral and accessible part of everyday cooking.

Nowadays Pacific Harvest offers a range of sea vegetable products which have become increasingly popular with the health conscious and gourmets alike.

They harvest sea vegetables from New Zealand where ever possible, however the restrictions imposed on the harvest of local seaweeds, and the desire to provide seaweeds that are indigenous to different oceans, require that some of their seaweeds are imported from other countries.

Why seaweed?

Seaweeds are vegetables growing in the sea. In Asia, they easily represent 15% of the diet; in the West they have become better accepted (mainly thanks to sushi), but they still represent an untapped culinary potential as their range and variety far surpasses that of land vegetables. They offer a new world of colours, flavours and textures for the foodie to discover and create.

Seaweeds are a functional food that have the combined nutrients of fish, meat and vegetables, are vegan, raw and gluten free. Seaweeds are also far more concentrated in nutrients than their land counterpart so a little bit goes a long way.

Pacific Harvest carries 12 varieties of seaweed, half of them from New Zealand. To ensure they’re safe to consume, their seaweeds are tested for contaminants. All of their seaweeds are harvested sustainably, dried naturally and unprocessed so they keep all their original nutrients.

Most of Pacific Harvest’s seaweeds are packed dried as it is the natural way to extend their shelf-life; unlike land vegetables, seaweeds recover their original texture upon rehydration. Remember, they won’t keep long after rehydration - so just reconstitute what you need.

How to use seaweed in everyday life

Despite their common association with Asian cuisine, seaweeds have strong historical roots in various parts of the world, spanning many continents and cultures, from the Vikings to the Native Indians of America. In the West, however, the art of seaweed cookery has been somewhat forgotten, with only small pockets of tradition remaining. Nowadays, our exposure to seaweed is mostly through Asian fare although there are many simple ways to include seaweed in everyday meal, whatever diet you choose:

- Use seaweed seasonings instead of salt or other seasonings and garnishes. A great alternative to regular salt, seaweed is salty with less sodium and more of the other minerals we need.

- Add seaweed powders to smoothies

- Use Kombu in stocks, stews or to cook grains; it will tenderize, add flavour and increase digestibility

- Use seaweed leaves as wraps to cook food; it will add flavour, impart nutritional value and preserve moisture during cooking

- Add pieces of seaweed to soups and salads, a small amount is all you need

- Make salsas and pestos

Many New Zealand chefs and cafes have seaweed on the menu including Al Brown @ Depot, French Café, Little Bird Organics and O’Connell St. Bistro.

Visit Pacific Harvest online for more seaweed facts and recipe inspiration.

This tasty twist on a potato salad will have you coming back for more!

Serves 4-6 as a side dish or salad.