Farro, Auckland’s leading gourmet food retailer, has opened its newest store – their first in six years – in the North Shore’s bustling Smales Farm precinct.
The 1200sqm space, situated on the corner of Shakespeare and Taharoto roads, is the brand’s first new opening since Mt Eden in 2018, with a total of seven stores now operating across Auckland. The first was opened by founders James and Janene Draper in 2006 in Lunn Avenue, Mt Wellington.
"We’d been looking for the right spot for a few years,’ says Farro CEO Craig Williams, ‘and with only one Farro store on the North Shore, it made sense to look for somewhere nice and handy for shoppers in those surrounding suburbs."
This is the brand’s first-ever greenfield site, with the building’s design and custom fit-out led by Auckland-based architecture firm, RCG, to create an inspiring, relaxing, easy shopping experience, down to the 50 free car parks for shoppers.
"This has been an exciting opportunity to create a space that’s tailor-made to the best possible shopping experience for our customers," says Craig. "We’ve taken that unique, market-style atmosphere that makes shopping at Farro a pleasure, rather than a chore, and made it an even more engaging experience."
Notable fixtures in the new store include a pub-themed wine and beer cellar, Farro’s first hot lunch counter, an in-house fishmonger, and a butchery counter, all built around an impressive central deli offering barista-made Allpress coffee, fresh salads, sandwiches, and sweets, and Farro’s award-winning range of cheeses and charcuterie.
Customers can expect to find familiar products from celebrated local producers and restauranteurs, such as Daily Bread, House of Chocolate, Little and Friday, Cassia, and Gemmayze Street, along with an extensive artisan grocery range, fresh produce and flowers, New Zealand-raised meats, and the full offering from the popular Farro Kitchen range of ready-to-eat meals.
"The focus of all our stores is on championing our local suppliers, connecting with the community, and being a consistently reliable destination for great food – especially those hard-to-find foodie treasures that our team works so hard to source," says Craig. "Everything on our shelves is hand-picked in line with our lived principles of value, sustainability, quality, and care."
As well as its high standards for ranging, Farro prides itself on being a leader in sustainable retail practices. It was among the first to incorporate BYO cups, bags, and containers, and removed plastic produce bags years before it became a legal requirement.
Central to this commitment is Farro's long-standing partnership with Auckland’s leading food rescue charity, Fair Food. For over a decade, Farro has worked with Fair Food to collect any surplus or unsaleable (but fit-to-eat) food and redistribute it to communities in need. Any additional waste that can’t be rescued is composted or used as livestock feed, meaning close to one percent ends up in landfill.
With the store now open and trading, the next priority for the Farro team is to grow connections with the community, particularly local schools and food security organisations – a priority across all their stores.
“We are thrilled to be part of Smales Farm – it’s become a real landmark location throughout its development, and we have huge respect for our surrounding organisations," says Craig. "We’re focused on being a valued member of the local community and a great neighbour."
