Food and shopping

About food in New Zealand

New Zealand has a broad variety of home-grown and imported food available. It is a major producer of lamb, venison and beef. It also produces quality dairy products and a wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetables. Most of the major cities have shops or markets where you can buy food that originates from different parts of the world, so you should be able to find food that is familiar to you.

The tap water in New Zealand is safe to drink – it does not need to be boiled.

New Zealand food may taste different to what you are accustomed to, due to differing ingredients, seasoning and cooking methods. New Zealand meals usually comprise of a meat or fish dish; potatoes, pasta or rice; and vegetables or a salad.

Breakfast is often an informal meal (often a simple meal of toast and cereal) and each person in a family may prepare their own. It is usually eaten soon after waking up around 7.00am–9.00 am.

The midday meal is eaten around 12.00pm–2.00pm. It’s not usually a shared family meal and often consists of cold food such as sandwiches and fruit. New Zealanders tend to prepare lunch at home and eat it at school or work.

The main meal of the day, dinner, is eaten in the evening. It is usually shared with the other members of the household and eaten around 6.00pm–8.00pm.

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Where to buy food

Supermarkets
Most New Zealanders go to the supermarket weekly to buy food for the coming week. Supermarkets stock almost every food you will require. They sell groceries, fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, and essential personal and household items, such as cleaning equipment, light bulbs, official rubbish bags, toiletry items, newspapers and magazines.

Opening hours vary, but in the main cities they are usually open between 8am–8pm or later, seven days a week. Some supermarkets are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Where to buy familiar ingredients
Though you are unlikely to find all the brands that you are familiar with back home, there is a very good range of foods from around the world in New Zealand. Most supermarkets will stock familiar spices and products, and many will have a selection of cooking ingredients. Many cities will also have specialty shops, such as Asian supermarkets. You should ask other students to find out if such stores are available in your area.

Weekend markets
Many cities and towns also have weekend markets or farmers markets, where fresh fruit and vegetables and a range of goods are sold, often at very reasonable prices. Ask locally to find out whether your city or town has one.

What is a dairy?
Dairies are small convenience stores. They sell a range of things, such as newspapers, bread, milk, soft drinks and personal items. Dairies sell essential items, but do not usually sell fresh meat or fish. Dairies are expensive compared with supermarkets. Opening hours vary but will usually be from 7.00am–7.00pm. In the cities, 24-hour convenience stores also operate.

What do petrol stations sell?
In addition to selling petrol (gasoline) and vehicle accessories, petrol stations also sell a range of essential items but the prices are more expensive than at supermarkets.

Eating out
New Zealand is a multicultural society with a large number of restaurants and cafés offering dishes from around the world. There are many Asian restaurants and takeaways in the major cities.

Food courts are areas with lots of takeaway food outlets in one place. They are an economical option for eating out. They can be found at shopping malls and in large cinema complexes. Food courts usually offer food from around the world.

Depending on where you choose, you can eat out for as little as NZ$7 for lunch and NZ$12–$15 for dinner. Eating out on a regular basis in New Zealand is very expensive. Most New Zealanders only eat out once or twice a week.

Restaurants, bars and cafés close early during the week. They will usually close between 9.00pm and 11.00pm. During the weekend the closing hours are later.

Tipping is not usually expected in New Zealand as service charges are built into the price of food. Tipping sometimes occurs at expensive restaurants, but payment of tips is completely optional and is usually associated with exceptional service.

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Shopping

Most shops are open between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday and can have reduced hours during the weekend. Some shops are closed all day on Sunday. There is usually one weeknight a week when shops are open till about 8pm to enable people to shop after school or work. Supermarkets and other large shops have longer opening hours.

Goods in New Zealand generally have fixed prices. This means that New Zealanders do not bargain when they go shopping. For larger items however, such as cars, whiteware, electrical appliances or even bicycles there can be a range of prices and it is acceptable to ask for a discount for cash. It may be acceptable to bargain at garage sales or open-air markets.

In New Zealand people don’t normally carry around large amounts of cash. It is common for New Zealanders to use bank and credit cards to pay for goods.