The Dish: Go west

Markus Schwarz, owner of Swiss Konditorei Bern bakery in Avondale. Photo / Babiche Martens

Deep in the night, from an address in Avondale, baker Markus Schwarz and his team at the Swiss Konditorei Bern create some of the most delicious pastries and bread in town. By 6am it's all trucked out to many of Auckland's top hotels, restaurants and delis. The good news is, they're now opening their doors to the public - on Fridays and Saturday mornings - so we can buy there direct. Markus, who is also trained as a chocolate maker, has worked as a pastry chef in bakeries and top hotels in Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia and Japan. In 2002, he began work at the One Tree Grill, here in Auckland, before setting up the Swiss Konditorei Bern. Due to overwhelming demand, his team of international and local chefs has grown. Using traditional baking techniques and using the best flour and seasonal ingredients - there are no pre-mixes here - this is one bakery definitely worth seeking out.

Swiss Konditorei Bern, Unit 5/448 Rosebank Rd, Avondale. Open Friday & Saturdays only, 7am-2pm.

Sign up

There's nothing better than spending a Saturday morning doing your shopping at a local market: chatting to the passionate suppliers, tasting samples and knowing where your food is coming from. Well, during the months of August and September, The City Farmers' Market is offering regulars a range of "Delicious Deals". All you have to do is join up to their email database, and then you'll receive a special offer each week. Simply print it out and take it to the market with you. The City Farmers' Market, every Saturday, 8:30am-12:30pm, Galway Street, Britomart. To sign up for the Delicious Deals, go to their website: cityfarmersmarket.co.nz, and click on "Join".

Legend

Those in the know, know that this weekend the place to be is Huka Lodge for its legendary Big Red Dinner. The 160-year anniversary dinner will be hosted by Australian Robert Hill Smith (above) - a fifth generation descendant of Samuel Smith, the man who founded the Yalumba wine company in 1849. Hill Smith is the managing director of what is now Australia's oldest family owned and operated wine company, and promises to be an erudite and entertaining host. To find out more about the dinner contact Huka Lodge in Taupo, ph (07) 378 5791 or hukalodge.co.nz

Local hit

If you're in need of a good coffee, fancy a moment sitting in the sun or are looking for ready-made gourmet meals for dinner, stop by Maggie's General Store - a much-needed neighbourhood delight in One Tree Hill. Shelves are bursting with the best artisan products New Zealand has to offer including the Cuisine 2009 winner - Aromatics, plus beautiful French rabbit or wild boar pates and Italian pastas. Cream doughnuts, hot pies, oils, rubs, crackers and breads, mustards, honey and aiolis, chocolate and tea, even canisters of handmade dog biscuits! Cheeses, Kohu Rd icecream, frozen pastries and products from Neat Meat will be arriving soon.

39 Oranga Ave, One Tree Hill. Open Mon-Fri 7am-5pm, Sat 9am-3pm, Sun 9am-1pm. Ph: 580 0117.

Dine and donate

Top marks to Luke Dallow of the Sale St Bar in Freemans Bay for his latest generous gesture. For the rest of August, if you take a tin of food with you to the bar, then you and a friend both eat from the bar menu but need only pay for one meal. The tin will be donated to the Salvation Army. There are a few rules, one being that the tin needs to be at least 375g in size, another that the free meal is cheaper than the main meal. But all in all it's a generous and thoughtful idea. Support it. Offer is available for dinner on Mondays, and lunch and dinner on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Sale St Bar, 7 Sale St, Freeman's Bay.

Patriotic cuppa

If you're looking for a little change in your morning routine, the good people at T2 - the tea shop in Botany Town Centre - have come up with a tasty alternative to English Breakfast. Yes, these connoisseurs of tea have combined black tea with sweet kiwifruit and a hint of vanilla to create New Zealand Breakfast Tea. Try it, you'll find it surprisingly refreshing. And if you don't, they have more than 180 different teas to tempt you.

T2, Shop 30, Town Centre Drive, Botany Town Centre, ph (09) 950 4740.

Step back in time

If you are of a certain age, you'll have many a fond memory of The Windsor Castle in Parnell. It's the place where many musicians cut their teeth - think Chris Knox, Hammond Gamble, Citizen Band. Boot boys would gather to see the likes of the Spelling Mistakes, The Chills played regularly, as did the Pop Mechanix and more. Over recent years, this iconic building has had a number of incarnations and has sat empty of late. But, as of today, its doors are reopening and the owners - Daniel Wrightson of Juice TV, publican Nick Brooks and hospo personality Bruno Baptistella - are planning to have live music from Wednesday through to Sunday. Plus, chef Warner Gray (Squid Row, Frolic Cafe) will be serving up gastropub food.

The Windsor Castle, 144 Parnell Rd. Open seven days, 11am-late.