Apr 2, 2020 What's On
Don’t want to shop at Countdown, New World or Pak ‘n Save? Despite the perception everything else is shut right now, there are a few other (allowed) options – places selling groceries which are either open, or delivering online orders. Here’s a selection, to get you and your family through coronavirus lockdown feeling safe, happy and full.
Supermarket delivery slots are next-to-impossible to nab, we’re running out of flour, and waiting in line outside for extended periods of time surely can’t be good for creating potential transmission opportunities, right? While many of our usual food spots have closed their doors, there are still some alternatives to braving the big supermarkets during lockdown, including alcohol and fresh fruit and vegetable delivery services, plus smaller shops still available to stock up at.
Metro recently discovered The Isolist, a great resource for finding out which places in Auckland are offering online ordering and delivery. A helpful guide split into essential categories, the website is an updated and comprehensive directory which we recommend keeping an eye on.
There are also a lot of services to choose from, so if that seems overwhelming, here are some of our picks for where else to do your shopping, both online and in person.
ACTUAL SHOPS
GoodFor
Plastic-free wholefoods refillery GoodFor are currently doing online ordering and delivery, with plenty of grains, seeds, spices and Kokako coffee to tide you over. Most importantly, their physical stores are also open for customers and quieter than regular supermarkets. Even more importantly, they have plenty of flour which, as we know, is a little bit hard to find on the shelves at the moment.
Your local Asian supermarket
Yes, most Asian supermarkets are open during the lockdown but this will vary so we recommend calling them up first. Some of them – like Korean supermarket Wang – are only selling select produce, which might mean no fresh fruit and vege. All Taiping supermarkets require shoppers to wear masks and gloves before entering the store – they will not let you in without them so please be aware before you head out there.
Huckleberry and Farro
All five Huckleberry stores in Auckland are open. If you’re missing your hot cross bun fix, you can buy Thoroughbread’s Paleo versions at any of their stores or at Farro Fresh, who are also open during lockdown.
ONLINE
Grocery delivery
The no-brainer: There are many delivery services (often where a box of fresh produce and essential items, usually customisable, is delivered to your door) to choose from, including the popular Foodbox which have streamlined their boxes to a single “Just Feed Me” option – perfect if you’d rather leave it in the hands of someone else.
The bulk-buy: Bidfood, a wholesaler which previously primarily catered to cafes and restaurants, have launched a Bidfood home service, where food, beverages and kitchen supplies are delivered directly to your home, but there is a $200 minimum order. Great option for big, staple shops.
The social enterprise: Foodtogether is a social enterprise which works with community groups and non-profit trusts to distribute fresh produce to vulnerable families and individuals. They have two box options: Millennials Box (for 2) at $25.00 or Whanau Fiesta (for 4) at $40, both per week.
The luxe: For a little bit of luxury, Italian fine food store Sabato still has no-contact pick-up and food delivery, though their Mt Eden store is closed. We especially recommend the range of pasta and oils, plus there’s a very bougie Easter range available for all your Valrhona chocolate egg needs.
The organic: Oooby’s concept is “from the farmers market to you”, meaning they work with local and organic growers. They have various boxes to choose from (which show you exactly what’s in there week-by-week), plus add-on options for meat, bread (from Bread & Butter), eggs and coffee.
Alcohol delivery
Lots of independent breweries like Brothers Beer, Garage Project and Hallertau are delivering, plus the big guys – Glengarry and The Good Wine Co. We also recommend…
Planet Wine has been supplying booze to our favourite restaurants for years, but with that avenue of business closed for the moment, they’re now delivering directly to homes. There’s a good range, including the popular-at-the-mo Conceito from Portugal and Pheasant’s Tears from Georgia.
It’s free shipping for orders $50, which is remarkably easy to do here. We like their “mixed packs”, which often will introduce you to something new – their Natural Wine Six Pack is down from $200 to $175 at the moment.
Yep, free shipping, plus a wide range of wine producers to choose from, including Mt Difficulty, Martinborough Vineyard, Roaring Meg and more. They are also doing mixed packs, including a Festive Table pack, which we all might need right now.
Free shipping on all orders, with a curated selection of wines under “Quarantine Dreams” for some “carbonic isolation” (their copy, not ours – how good?).
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