Horowhenua’s Harvest: Discover the District’s Food Producers

Based in Levin, Thoroughbread is a family-run bakery that sets out to do bread differently: gluten-free and paleo loaves made with freshly ground flours and a focus on texture and flavour. Their approach turns the ‘diet-friendly’ label on its head, and you won’t be compromising taste for virtue here. It’s local, hands-on, and definitely worth scouting if you know someone with dietary restrictions or simply loves bread.

Nestled in Koputaroa, just north of Levin, Udderly Organic is built on a simple philosophy: that milk tastes better from happy cows. Grass-fed dairy cows, organic certification, and glass bottles set the foundation here, with a proud transparency that builds trust as well as flavour. Their milk isn’t just a commodity; it’s a statement of how thoughtful production can elevate the everyday.

Hemp Connect is on a mission to introduce more Kiwis to this superfood. You’ll find a range of premium hemp seed-based foods at the processing and distribution outlet. From cold-pressed oils, oil capsules, ‘hemp hearts’, and hemp protein powders, all with a polished edge and a nod to healthy lifestyles.

A boutique, eco-focused mushroom farm founded by former corporate executives Brent and Jude, Ōhau Gourmet Mushrooms cultivates pink and grey oyster mushrooms using regenerative, permaculture-inspired methods. That means no pesticides, no herbicides, and a minimal-waste approach built on using sawdust and soy hulls. The end result is high-nutrient, plant-based foods accessible to all, centred on ecological responsibility.

The Baked Dane serves up a taste of Scandinavia with a Kiwi twist, offering an array of artisan baked goods. In addition to 100% sourdough loaves, owner Lisa also crafts signature treats like the Dessert Knækbrød, a crisp, seed-packed cracker topped with caramel, dark chocolate, and sea salt. Alongside these favourites are shelves of Scandinavian-inspired breads, crackers, and sweet treats that fuse traditional Danish flavours with local ingredients.

At Shirley’s Strawberries, the farm-gate experience is front and centre: seasonal pick-your-own strawberries, real fruit ice cream, a house-made freeze-dried strawberry powder, and a family-run operation that’s been going since 1992. It’s jolly, it’s bright, and it’s an invitation to connect with fruit at its freshest, ideal for a fun outing with the kids or simply for stocking up on the freshest berries.

Where else in New Zealand can you buy a rich variety of fresh stone-ground flours, milled on-site in a real, working Dutch windmill? At De Molen, a Foxton icon, you can shop for everything from maizemeal and triticale to rye and organic wholemeal flour, made from local grains in the towering wooden structure right before your eyes. For home bakers, food-lovers who care about origin, or anyone who enjoys the slower rhythms of craft, this is a delicious detour into grain, grind, and real-world provenance.

Visitors to Lewis Farms can pick up the freshest produce straight from the source, from the farm’s signature Tendertips asparagus to strawberries and raspberries grown using sustainable hydroponic methods. The on-site packhouse shop also sells small-batch jams made right there, alongside indulgent treats like real fruit ice creams and chocolate-dipped strawberries. Families can relax in the open-air seating area and learn about the four generations of Lewis family farming, making it a wholesome stop that celebrates great food, innovation, and rural charm.

Height’s Farms is a fifth-generation sheep and beef farm with a firm focus on grass-fed, antibiotic-free beef and lamb. It’s the kind of producer that appeals to those who want their meat served with healthy lashings of integrity, knowing where the animals have been, how they’re raised and how the land has been treated. Honest and grounded, the farm encapsulates the best of Horowhenua food production.

At Ōhau Wines, you can sample award-winning local vintages in a relaxed, retro setting where friendly staff offer tastings, bottle sales, and plenty of good chat. The experience blends small-town hospitality with a serious winemaking pedigree, showcasing sustainably produced wines including pinot gris, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, and chardonnay. As the only commercial vineyard in the Horowhenua–Manawatū region, Ōhau Wines invites guests to discover a truly local drop - best enjoyed on site, surrounded by the charm and innovation that put this unexpected wine country on the map.