Jones The Grocer, Newmarket

In a country where the dairy industry makes up such a huge percentage of the GDP, it's a surprise to see artisanal cheese production only just beginning to take hold. Sure, in every Foodtown, New World and Pak 'n' Save, you can find fridges full of mass-produced facsimiles of Colby, cheddar, brie and camembert (these last two indistiguishable from each other), but what I've been looking for since I've been here are two things:

1. Actual cheese. If I'm in the mood for Brie, I want it to come from France, to be actual Brie, not 'brie-style' or 'brie-flavoured' cheese. I will pay what it costs and eat it rarely if I must.

2. New Zealand cheese. Surely there must be a cheesemakers here who can make an indigenous cheese, something that speaks of where it's from? Why try to emulate something that's done perfectly well (and let's be honest, better) somewhere else, when you could be producing something brilliant and unique that can't be bettered elsewhere?

These two I have found at Jones. Their cheese room reminds me of Neal's Yard in Borough Market, with temperature and humidity kept constantly perfect, as is the condition of their product. Their passion for what they do is unrivalled, to the point that you actually have to stop them talking when you want to pay up and leave.

And so on one hand, they have genuine Stilton (still pasteurised, sadly, but that's EC legislation for you), wheels of perfectly ripe brie, excellent chevre and plenty of the more arcane European cheeses. On the other, they have a growing collection of local produce, showcasing just how good New Zealand cheese can be when the focus is on 'let's make something that's the best we can make', rather than 'what's the cheapest way we can make something and stick a familiar name on the packet?'.

In addition to all this, the deli and grocery stores stock a superb selection, the cured meats in particular being worth a look. Yesterday I tried some of the best pancetta I've had yet, and some excellent Iberico sausage, both actually surprisingly reasonably priced for what they were.

Definitely worth a visit if you're at all interested in what you eat. Proud Kiwis would do well to support the elements of their dairy industry who are keeping their product 100% New Zealand and producing something excellent, rather than those who're imitating something else, badly.


Jones The Grocer
143 Carlton Gore Road
Newmarket
Auckland

+64 (0) 9 522 9161

http://www.jonesthegrocer.com