It all began
Wild Wheat started wholesaling bread from a small factory in East Tamaki. A loyal following was slowly built over the next two to three years as more of Auckland’s leading restaurants and cafes became aware of a new bakery in the market.
Wild Wheat sourdough
We specialise in making sourdoughs based on long, slow fermentation made from an apple-based sourdough starter which is over 20 years old. These breads have a unique flavour and texture and with no additives nor preservatives, they have great health benefits too. Most of Wild Wheat’s sourdoughs are also suitable for vegans.
Our breads are based on very simple ingredients: flour, water and salt. But with simple procedures there is nowhere to hide if you get it wrong; no way to take shortcuts. Our sourdough loaves take over 48 hours to create from start to finish. This process will never be compromised: naturally produced bread, naturally good for you.
Our sourdough starter has been going for over 20 years. It is fed and nurtured every day and it is this dedication that helps maintain both the quality and consistency of our sourdoughs.
Making sourdough is a long slow process from dough mixing to finished product. The dough spends its first 6 – 8 hours in bulk, developing yeasts and flavour. We then divide and shape it. From here it spends 24 hours in the fridge, not dormant, but very slowly developing flavour and texture. It is this process that helps to significantly break down the starches and sugars. This keeps its Glycaemic Index low, around half the G. I. level of yeasted bread, and makes sourdoughs so much easier to digest and good for you. This is a great option for those watching their gluten intake.
Award-Winning Bread
Best Hot Cross in the North Island
Wild Wheat won the award for the “Best Hot Cross” in the North Island in 2004. This created a wave of publicity that spurred on the company to open its first retail store in Mt Eden in mid 2004, allowing Aucklanders to discover the restaurateurs’ best kept secret. The shop was an instant success and we are eternally grateful to the support shown us by the people of Mt Eden. Wild Wheat Bakery has won Best Hot Cross Buns in the North Island in 2004, 2005 and 2010.
View the 2010 article on the Stuff.co.nz website.
The Best Bread
The Best Bread by Metro Magazine for seven years running from 2004 to 2010.
The Best Bakery
Metro Magazine upsized this accolade from the “Best Bread” to the “Best Bakery” in 2011.
NZ Food Award Winner
Wild Wheat’s Kumara Sourdough was the winner of the Primary Industries Cereals and Breads Award in 2012.
The Farmers Mill Great NZ Bread Bake Off
First place in the New Zealand category in 2016.
Andrew’s Story
“I believe in simplicity with food:
be honest and cook with integrity.”
I was lucky to have known from a very early age that I love to cook and therefore I wanted to be a chef when I left school. My mother is a great cook and was very encouraging, allowing me to cook all sorts of recipes and make a mess of her kitchen.
I left school at 16 and started working at a local restaurant in Howick. After gaining my cooking qualifications at AUT, I travelled to London.
After a gap year or two travelling, I got a job working at Le Pont de la Tour, a Sir Terence Conran restaurant next to Tower Bridge. I worked there for four years and was fortunate to be offered a rare opportunity to work in their highly regarded bakery. I was immediately hooked on making bread and what was meant to be a quick six month stint become a life passion.
I love bread – dealing with a living thing. Our plain white sourdough is still my favourite bread. I am largely self-taught and try to soak up any and all information I can about my craft, always striving to improve. I never want to stop learning or stop creating.
Owning Wild Wheat is not about making money, it’s about creating an environment where I can make the best bread possible. I still enjoy working hard in the kitchen, even as I get older, and will always ensure my week is spent more on the kitchen floor ensuring all my staff understand and follow my passion than in the office shuffling papers.