Hawke's Bay has an excellent climate which is perfect for growing great food and grapes.

It's an affluent, thriving region known for stone fruits which can be bought at roadside orchard stalls all over the area.

Fruit

This is one of New Zealand's real fruit-bowls, a region with dozens of orchards providing truly delicious, tasty produce. The great thing about New Zealand fruit is that it's all grown outside, it's not mass-produced, which means its flavour is something special. And you don't have to head to the shops to buy it. Little stalls outside orchards and farms all over Hawke's Bay sell their goods to passers-by or you can sample it at the many markets in the area.

Markets

Village Growers Market in Havelock North, Hawkes Bay.
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Restaurants

Hawke's Bay is also, of course, a wine region and some of the best restaurants in the area are at the vineyards. Craggy Range is one of my favourite New Zealand vineyards and it has an excellent restaurant, Terroir, which is run by well known Auckland restaurateurs, Prue Barton and David Griffiths. It's a great place, quite posh with a modern French, New Zealand-inspired menu. Another more rustic restaurant is at the Te Awa Farm vineyard near Hastings, it is very casual and friendly with tasty food and lovely presentation.