Cafe Adventures: Ceremony Cafe

If you have headed to Grafton to get your coffee fix this past week, its likely you will have had the luck of happening on brand-spanking new café “Ceremony”. Although chances are that when thinking of places to grab some food and caffeine, Grafton is the last place you would consider, exactly the reason behind its location. 

Dreaming of opening a hospitality business since high school, coffee specialist Charles Williams saw the worn and torn Grafton and knew that he wanted to restore it to its previous glory. So after calling on close friend Connor Nestor, the pair decided to make their mark on the area often overlooked by bringing back a little community, alongside some top notch coffee.   

The Space: Connor shared that “everything here, needs to be here. We like to keep things simple”. The café is masculine and industrial, which seems to be the trend among new cafes, however Ceremony avoids the often-monotonous interior tone with kooky illustrations by I Love Ugly’s Valentin Ozich and blown-glass spheres hung from the ceiling. When a minimalist creative and coffee connoisseur gets together, beautiful things happen people. 

The Food: With a gym session for me, and a University lecture for Craig, we missed out on trying our any of the food. But the ummers and ahhers can rejoice in the fact that Ceremony keeps in simple with only 7 different options, with their brioche egg sandwiches, already gaining a strong following from those who appreciate a good breakfast Sammie. 

The coffee: Serving up Wellingtons best, Flight Coffee didn’t disappoint and these kids certainly know how to serve up soy. Although I felt like a double shot would be in order for my next visit as it was a little on the weaker side. 

The people: Super Rad. Walking in we were greeted with a warm smile, handshake and introduction that had us feeling like old friends returning to our regular haunt. The kind of friendly that makes you momentarily concerned that you have already met and just don’t remember. With community being the center focus of the café, these boys certainly walk the talk, with Connor being more than happy to chat with us about how Ceremony came to existence. 

The vibe: With a modern record softly cracking out good tunes, design books stacked on a wall shelf, a roomy yet intimate space and pretty cool people, Ceremony has got good vibes in spades. 

So if you’re in the Grafton area give it a gander, or if you’re not, it’s certainly worth the trip. Tip: Parking is plentiful for only $1/hour on Grafton Road, 2-minute walk from the Park Street Cafe.

repeat.repeat.repeat

The mustang kids are out
Rolling over hills and the roundabouts
White line, motor cade
Sweeter than your baby face

Small town gang got nothing to do
We got guns, got drugs, got the sun and the moon
We got big city plans but it always rains

And the sheriff is a crook and knows me, my name
I said mumma was insane and daddy was a criminal
I grew up in a trailer with dreams of fucking centrefolds 
Now I’m making money experimenting with chemicals
The fact that I'm alive is why I still believe in miracles

Small town gang yeah we get so bored
That I stole a shotgun and robbed a liquor store
We're running these streets, we're the mustang kids
Only doing what we won't, and don't take no shit
I might seem wild but mumma raised a gentleman
In another life, no telling who I would've been
Knight, or a king, or a boxer in the ring 
But I'm just me so I sing

I've been hearing all these things about you
Creepin' into all the things that I do
I've been hearing all these things about you
About you, about you

Cafe Adventures: Atomic Roastery Kingsland

 Another weekend, another excursion to yet another one of Auckland’s many beautiful coffee roasteries.

Looking back at the number of cafes I have gone to in the past year, I’m sure that I come across as quite the caffeine addict. However after a while I had to question the undeniable appeal to frequent such top-notch roasteries given the fact that quite honestly, I don’t really love coffee. Don’t get me wrong, I will most certainly appreciate and savor a deliciously creamy hot cup of liquid caffeine but it would never be my first choice. As a person who orders extra hot ‘soy’ flat whites, I’m sure that the baristas of Auckland are glad.

So remained the question, what was my addiction? I guess as a creative and dedicated foodie, I appreciate the artistic process of coffee making that seems to have become strongly embedded into New Zealand’s culture. The gastronomic art relying on the perfect combination of complex elements from milk temperature, bean quality, roast and ratio. And on frosted mornings, a hot cup of anything is never half bad.

Not only that but its the atmosphere that seems to occupy the truly successful faces, an ambience that one can feel when you walk in almost indicating whether or not its going to be good. The warm sense of content as quiet conversation mingles with the rich scent of rich roasted beans. The wanderer part of me simply loves sitting in cafes with a drink and paper, soaking in these atmospheres as I watch peoples worlds go by. Coffee connesuours peering judgingly at the quality of their latte art, gossiping mothers whose continual visits allow them to order their ‘regular’, university students staring exasperatedly at glaring mac screens, and old friends attempting to catch one another up on their lives, cold coffee giving way to rapid conversations. Unified by their love of a decent coffee.

Wandering into Atomic Roastery Kingsland, escaping the rainy cold tantrum Auckland had been throwing, I was more than open to the idea of a hot drink. When my cup arrived I lifted it to my lips and braced myself for that first sip. See it’s all about the first sip, the moment that will tell you if the $5 was worth it and the baristas have their shit together. Unfortunately that soy latte was the best I’ve had in a long time, meaning that I will forever try to find reasons to make the 15-minute drive over to Kingsland. 

So if you want to experience that wonderfully beautiful first sip of a coffee made by baristas who know their espresso from their ristreto, put on your raincoat and head on over to Atomic Roastery Kingsland. Serving coffee so good, who knows, it may even convert a few sworn tea drinkers…

Cafe Adventures: Good One

 Large, naturally lit space, coffee brewers who know their stuff, beautifully designed branding, Little & Friday baking and damn good coffee. 

Based in a refurbished old manufacturing building hidden in the skinny backstreets of Ponsonby, Good One has been serving up Supreme Coffee (and filter) since 2008. With Ample seating, high open ceilings, chill tunes, simple yet delicious food menu and over 45000, Good One attracts a diverse crowd. Expect to see friends catching up, students finishing caffeine fuelled essays, work colleges reading the paper, and the token hipsters bringing their tongues drinking coffee before its cool.

A flat white for me, a mocha and chocolate caramel slice for Craig. 

Will definitely be back soon, if not for the coffee then to try and sneak out some 1990 National Geographics. 

Good One

42 Douglas St

Ponsonby

Auckland

09 376 2784

Monday – Friday 7am – 3pm

Saturday 8am – 3pm

Sunday 9am – 3pm

let it be autumn.

 “The earth has music for those who listen” – William Shakespeare

I love autumn. I love the colours, leaves painted red, orange, yellow, brown, shades of nature fluttering through the streets. I love the autumn cold, different from the harsh cold of winter, which makes your bones brittle and your skin white. It’s a cosy cold, a tights and skirt kind of cold.

I love autumn skies, clouds gathering in thick grey crowds that allow you to feel comfortable spending an entire day inside reading books and watching television. I’m not coerced out by the guilt of hot summer sun, or trapped by winter rains. Autumn is nonchalant, laid-back, leisurely.

I love the the foods; soups that billow hot steam, freshly baked bread and porridge oats spiced with cinnamon, honey ginger tea and roasted pumpkin. The tender wrapping of frozen fingers around hot bowls and mugs.

Autumn is early darkness and early light, gently frosted mornings that taste crisp in your lungs. It’s sun filtering through morning curtains, dark chocolate and movies in bed. Vibrant colours, leisure and hot earl grey, piles of leaves and grey skies, which are the beautiful kind of grey. Autumn is brown leather boots, red flushed cheeks, brightly coloured socks, and days where it’s cold and sunny at the same time. It’s duvets and coffee and well-worn books and comforts.

Moist Date and Almond Loaf

Collections. We all have them, whether its shoes, first edition novels, old coins or miniature cars. Some people collect historical stamps, vinyl records, coffee mugs, leather jackets or exotic species of fish. My sister stocks up on fashion magazines as if at the world may run out at any moment, overflowing from her many bookcases. While our mother -who is openly against collections due to fear of becoming a hoarder- has accumulated what some may call a collection of delicate china crosses that hang in her bedroom.

As for me? I am in love with cook books. Sandwiches, entrees, vegan, desserts, nutrition, cupcakes, smoothies, salads, raw foods, traditional cooking, modern diets, high tea, comfort foods, if its worth making then chances are that I've got a cook book on the subject. I guess with a love of photography and a passion for food, an obsession with culinary publications is no surprise. 

So with winter just around the corner, I decided to try a recipe from the newest addition to my  ever-growing collection, the 'Petite Kitchen' cookbook by Eleanor Ozich. After having visited the young mother/blogger/chef's wildly successful cafe 'Mondays' far too many times, I knew that her first cookbook was a must-have. With a beautiful rustic and homey theme, the recipes are healthy, wholesome, simple and delicious. 

Naturally sweetened with dates, this Loaf is dairy, gluten, refined-sugar free and with only 6 ingredients and 5 steps it's simple to whip up for an afternoon tea snack.

Ingredients
• 4 free-range eggs
• 1 cup medjool dates, pitted
• ¼ cup extra virgin coconut oil, or butter
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups ground almonds

To decorate
• Slivered Almonds

1. Preheat the oven to 160C, and grease a loaf, cake or muffin tin.
2.Add the eggs, dates, coconut oil or butter, baking soda and vinegar in to a food processor or blender. Process for a minute or so, until the batter is smooth and creamy.
3. Place the ground almonds in a large mixing bowl then fold the wet mixture in until well combined.
4. Spoon into the prepared loaf, cake or muffin tin, then decorate with the almonds
5. If making a cake, bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted. For muffins, bake for 25-30 minutes.
Will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container.

So escape those winter blues (or celebrate the summer if you're on that side of the globe) 

and give this deliciously easy recipe a go!

 xx

Obsessions.

Cereal magazine. A beautiful magical place where travel, lifestyle, photography editorial work and minimalism meet and hang out. Reading this magazine is like eating a decadently rich chocolate truffle. I literally want to eat the pages. But then again no because one issue costs $20NZ and that is far too expensive to be chewing on any of the waxed Bristol-born pages. Elegantly written, cleanly designed and stunningly photographed I’m yet to find a fault with this quarterly travel bible. If this doesn’t make you want to find the cheapest flights to places like London, Sweden, Sicily or Charleston I don’t know what will. So prepare yourself for strong feelings to visit places that you have never heard of and can barely pronounce as well as a desire to throw out all your belongings and live in a white empty room. 

What has brought on this particular obsession? Recently I had a much overdue but very simple epiphany of the importance of being inspired. How is one expected to ever pursue their dreams or live a life they love if they don’t actively spend time surrounding themselves with things they find of great value? Immersing and enriching your life with influences that you are passionate about is often overlooked and forgotten. Constantly in school, university or work we are given books to read, media to watch and art to appreciate, but how often do we take time to spend time around beautiful and insightful things? How often do we take a moment to look at something because it is pleasing, or read about something because it is inspiring? 

So take that time. Indulge in something beautiful. Buy a magazine because its well designed, or write a list of quotes that make you feel inspired. Eat your favorite food or finally get around to reading that book about that thing that you want to know about. Just take the time.

Have a beautiful week everybody xx

Silo Park Markets

Life can be a little crazy sometimes. One day you’re lying in the January sun, soaking up the last of the summer holidays with a weekly schedule that consist of “tan…read…eat…repeat”, the next, 8 weeks of school have passed and you’re driving into school at 7am on a Monday morning with a to do list that has become decidedly less thrilling. Whether its school, university or work it’s easy to become overwhelmed with the to do’s, a list of tasks which supernaturally manages to never shrink no matter how hard you work. By the time you survived to Friday your #TGIF celebration is often dampened by the fact that your ‘crazy weekend’ will probably consist of going between watching procrastinatively and work.

To be honest I had been feeling pretty shit this Friday, un-productive day, plans cancelled last minute and the idea of a free weekend slowly disappearing under a mound of design and photography work. Taking a few hours off get my ass to the gym (my membership was growing cobwebs) then visiting a Silo Park markets in town was the last thing on my mind, yet ended up being just the thing to get me out of my funk. After getting on a sweat at Les Mills, my beautiful mother and I drove to Wynyard and after a couple minutes of scoping out the carpark, managed to steal a park.

I forgot how important it is to take a break every now and then, put life on hold and surround yourself with good music, delicious food, happy vibes and interesting people.

With over 20 food stalls/trucks, an outside movie showing, cute little clothing stalls, fresh air and crowds of people ambling around, Silo park is definitely the place to slow down, grab a seat and indulge in some cheap eats and good old-fashioned people watching.

mmmmm Balsamic and Onion Soft Pretzels 

$12 Beetroot Burger courtesy of The FoodTruck 

A Super Photogenic Very-Berry Natural Fruit Ice-cream 

So get out of your weekend sweat-pants (we all have a pair), step away from the work desk and get out into the big wide world for a few hours. It'll be fun, promise.