Daily Bread Britomart

Josh Helm and Tom Hishon – the duo behind Auckland restaurants Orphans Kitchen and Kingi – founded Daily Bread in 2018. It was a partnership with master baker Patrick Welzenbach, who has an extraordinary 22 generations of baking heritage and brought with him the 600-year-old sourdough starter that forms the backbone of the bakery’s goods.

Now with six locations across Auckland, Daily Bread's Britomart site dwarfs its other venues and sets a new precedent for the prolific bakery.

The 177-seat, 300-square-metre cafe is in the Hayman Kronfeld building, and it replaces the team’s last Britomart offering: a takeaway operation in the Sofrana building next door.

The yawning heritage space underwent a renovation by Peddlethorp Architects, retaining features like exposed brick, exposed wooden beams and concrete. There are low, easily moveable stools dotted about the place, as well as bar leaners and larger shared tables to cater for a variety of customers.

Chef Yutak Son (ex-Te Motu Vineyard and Black Estate) has spearheaded a menu that expands on the baked goods with an à la carte offering. Along with your loaf, custard slice or ham, cheese and mustard croissant, you can order scrambled eggs on the bakery’s Southern Alps rye, or house-made granola with yoghurt-and-lemon-curd semifreddo . There are several filled bagels and toasties; a meatball sandwich; and subs stuffed with the likes of beef bulgogi and cheese, onion bhaji and tamarind, and calamari with house-made sweet chilli.

You can also order salads – including colourful tabouli, slaw, and roasted cauliflower with barley, walnut and herbs – and add roasted chicken or mushrooms for extra coin. This no doubt appeals to the many workers all around Britomart: a wholesome option for the lunchtime rush.

Daily Bread Britomart is also licensed, so if you’d like a Mimosa, Spagliato Spritz, beer or wine with your Friday venison pie – they have the means.