(This is an edited article from TopTastes.co.nz, written by Neil Hodgson,
first printed in the Nelson Mail).
Another favourite shop that has only been open a few years and continues to develop the range of products available is The Junction at Old Factory Corner in Appleby. The Junction is absolutely packed full of outstanding food products, and they have expert advice to help guide you through the exceptional range of local, New Zealand and international cheeses they stock.
When I stopped in last week I was surprised at the quality of the food they have for you and me to buy. The cheese section is the star of the store, but it only slightly overshadows the meat and condiments section, both of which feature lots of local products.
Since opening in a much smaller space in 2018 The Junction has evolved into a store unique to Nelson, “very much like a Euro deli”. While there are a couple of specialty cheese shops and plenty of places stock a range of artisan cheeses and deli meats The Junction is the only store in New Zealand I am aware of that has such an intense focus on local and New Zealand products that are enhanced by a small selection of premium international treats.
While Dave and Sue own the Junction (as well as the Little River and Thorvald cheese businesses) they have handed control of the exceptional range of cheeses to Virginnia Thomas an internationally recognised Cheesemonger (the person who looks after the cheese in the shop or restaurant).
Having spent more than 20 years working is some of the finest cheese establishments in Australia Virginnia developed her own high profile in the cheese industry and in 2012 she was recognised by the Guilde International des Fromagers in France for her work with French cheese in Australia. In other words – she knows her cheese!
The Junction is one of the very few specialty cheese shops where they cut and wrap cheese to order; sure others do this in a small way but none with such a huge range of cheeses to select from.
Dave told me that people talk about cheese being quite expensive “and this is true to some extent, but there’s not a lot of margin in artisan cheese making.
"We are specialty producers not bulk producers, we use Oaklands A2 milk with a high in milk solids content. That enables us to produce creamy cheeses like camembert, brie and cumulus (a 50/50 sheep/cow’s milk cheese) to a very high standard and as good as any similar cheese from Europe.”
So, it makes sense that handcrafted artisan cheeses are more expensive, but in this case, you most certainly get what you pay for.
"You don’t need to buy a kilo at a time, just buy enough beautiful fresh cheese to enjoy over a day or two. Just buy what you need so you don’t have waste, and then come back for more when you need it.”
The staff at The Junction are also exceptional, they understand customer service and spend a lot of time learning about the products they sell so can give you great advice. Whether it’s tasty sausages and salamis from The Sausage Press in Upper Moutere, succulent veal from Pearl Veal in Golden Bay, handcrafted Aroha Chocolates, cured meats from Peter Timms in Christchurch, Black Garlic from Upper Moutere, local olives and olive oils, fresh sourdough bread, soft rolls of liquorice, the perfect cracker to have your cheese on or even which gift box would suit the foodie in your life, the staff have the expertise to guide your decision making.
The Junction is without doubt one of the very best specialty food shops in New Zealand and is the perfect place for you to buy everything you will need to have a tasty summer in Nelson.