Daily Bread Ponsonby

It’s hard to think of sourdough or hot cross buns in Auckland without conjuring up an image of Daily Bread and its iconic croissant logo. At Daily Bread, the mindset is to create the highest quality products possibly conceived, and with that intention, it should come as no surprise Daily Bread has accumulated a number of accolades to its name. With an appreciation for technique, unique flavours and vibrance, Daily Bread originated in Point Chevalier, and their locations and quintessential baked goods have been expanding ever since.

Daily Bread came about purely by chance. Founders Tom Hishon and Joshua Helm met Patrick Welzenbach, a 22nd-generation German baker (yes, you did read that correctly!) back in 2015, and something just clicked, with each able to bring something different to the table. As you might expect, Patrick offered his baking knowledge and skills, along with his 600 year old sourdough starter - a key ingredient in the Daily Bread sourdough we all know and love today. Tom and John contributed their expertise gained from founding and successfully operating Orphan’s Kitchen, a restaurant with sustainable practices and an appreciation for all that NZ has to offer. 

A product that goes to the core of Daily Bread’s brand is their sourdough. The fluffy, light and flavoursome pioneer loaf (white sourdough) is a best-seller, and their baguettes are made with a blend of flours, including NZ spelt, which creates a unique texture and taste. Fans of tradition, the Daily Bread croissant was awarded the country’s best in 2023 - and it’s hard to go past the ham and cheese croissant with mustard and each of its perfectly laminated layers. These days, fresh hot cross buns have become a signature product around Easter time, and Daily Bread’s have now been awarded best in NZ for two years running.

The Point Chevalier location is housed in an old bank building and is where most of the city’s goodies are made and shipped from. They’ve strayed away from traditional table service to enable more relaxed dining. Aiming to be more than just a deli, Daily Bread offers a welcoming and spacious seating area with a mix of communal style tables and smaller ones too, allowing the community to catch up, collaborate and relax. Each Daily Bread location tries to do the same, and with long term goals of further expansion, hopefully, one day, there’ll be more iconic croissant logos spotted around the country!