On My Plate -June 24

Made for breakfast? Most certainly, says Denise Irvine.

Someone commented to me the other day that there isn’t really anywhere to have breakfast at Made Market, in Hamilton East. Um, not true. Sure, there isn’t a dedicated breakfast/brunch café, as such – they leave that to others in the neighbourhood – but there are plenty of Made vendors doing excellent early morning edibles and coffee. You just forage for what you fancy, find a seat at one of the communal tables, and tuck in.

It’s perfect for when you want something quick and easy, without making a meal of it. So to speak. Some favourites include:

Soul Boul, at the front entrance, has a stylish fit-out and a stylish menu to match, including colourful smoothie and acai bowls, and one of the best avo-on-toast assemblages that I’ve had in a long time. This is a thick slice of Mount Sourdough generously layered with avocado, crunchy pink pickled onion, cherry tomatoes, feta, chilli flakes and a pop of lemon: a neatly calibrated mix of acid, salty, creamy, spiky, and so on, everything anchored by the robust toasted sourdough. $13 for one round, $25 for two, but (be warned) one will set you up for the entire morning.  There is also a sweet version with peanut butter, banana, raspberry etc, but I remain addicted to the savoury. Good coffee, too.

Oat Bros comes into its own in winter with next-level porridge, a traditional bowl made with the simplest of ingredients – New Zealand rolled oats, sea salt and water – and a choice of delicious toppings to turn it into a treat. I love the sweet, chunky, fruity finish of black doris plums, honey, Greek yoghurt, toasted almonds and vanilla crumb. The lemon curd topping comes a close second.  Porridge puts a lining on the stomach, as everyone’s grandmother used to say, and this is a good-value breakfast at $13.

For more ways to kick-start the day at Made, you can buy pastries, scones, buns and coffee at Volare, or freshly rolled pretzels and brunch bagels (bacon and egg, smoked salmon etc) from Mr Twist. Or something decadent from Mamas Donuts or RedKitchen, or head to Mezze for a plate of fresh, Mediterranean goodness and a Turkish coffee.   

Sometimes I take a pastry or a warm pretzel down to Grey Roasting Co in The Sheds at the rear of Made, have coffee and call that breakfast too!  And all of this before Made’s Mess Hall – and many more food vendors – open up at 11am.