The General Store Food Market

“Britomart has just had it's landscape enhanced even more”
9/10 *********

Walking along Customs street to a business meeting last week, I noticed something new in the Britomart space that used to contain a semi-deli (the Barrow) that seemed to always be closed... The newness that has my attention is The General Store Food Market. So this morning I was excited to be meeting friends there as it is the perfect opportunity (or should I say excuse) to try their food.

Unlike The Barrow, the new comer looks inviting, it has a warmth and authenticity to it that is bound to catch on. It has tables to sit at and enjoy a comforting breakfast and coffee, and it has counters full of extraordinary looking italian filled rolls and scrumptious turkish pide’s among much more!

I think the Barrow had it wrong. It was all packets of imported stuff but nothing fresh about it? There was no where really to sit and relax. Their concept I think is successful in the downtown Westfield as it suits being a shop you shop at rather than an eatery you experience. The General Store however has completely transformed the beast. This is a terrific cafe experience. They have got great rustic tables that feel solid and comfortable. They have created little intimate spaces within the big open plan area with cool shelves of imported and gourmet foods for purchase and even more importantly they have fantastic service.

Entering from the side entrance you feel like you have just stepped into a European Deli/Cafe. It’s a bit more open and dare I say ‘contemporary’ down the far end for those of you who like a simple cafe experience but I love the decor and the slightly ‘antique-chic’ vibe. We are greeted by the owner, a familiar face, David Williams - keen restauranteur of Opium and Prego notoriety.


Finding us a lovely table by the window, I order my brunch as I am the only one who hasn’t eaten still holding out to try their culinary brekkie skills at 2pm on a Saturday! The menu reads very well and the decision is tough... Should I go for the very well priced GS Grill (complete with Savoury Mince), Hotcakes with Blueberry Compote and Bacon or the Waikanae Crab and Corn Fritters topped with Creme Fraiche? Fritters it is... as this is a good test, many cafes balls these up too often. “Oh and you can bring us each one of your lattes in a glass please, are they good?” ... “the best” the barista says confident.

The coffees arrive first and they are good, perhaps a little dark, slightly too tightly packed and slightly too fine a grind (not burnt though) but still these are better than most cafes out there. The coffee alone I would give an eight out of ten and as I like it erring on the strong side - it goes down just right. The food arrives and Wow! it looks great and smells fantastic. Mouthful by mouthful I savour the flavour, the crab tastes fresh and the texture of the fritter is perfect. The creme fraiche is real creme fraiche too, not that cheap imitation stuff that too many cafes use when attempting to increase their bottom line and decrease the customer count. This must be that really flash, full fat fraiche that you by at Nosh or Farrohs and use at home on special occaisions, superb!

The service continues to be friendly, efficient and nonintrusive even though they had few staff and a good amount of customers. The atmosphere was just what you want in a cafe, relaxing music at a good volume, clean, friendly and fragrant in a good ‘yummy food’ kind of way. I will definitely come back and if you are in this end of town, make sure you check it out.

Interestingly it is also attached, and you can walk through to, Spago - a fantastic Italian restaurant from the same owner, the true ‘inner city Prego’.