Back in 2016, we were renovating our bathroom and we needed to rent a room locally while our facilities were out of action.
We stayed at the Great Ponsonby Hotel for six weeks and enjoyed their fabulous breakfasts. Around the same time, little bird, another favourite café of ours nearby, was trialing running dinner service for a while. This meant breakfast, lunch and dinner were available.
Founded by Megan May’s bold vision to show just how vibrant, indulgent and flavourful plants can be, little bird kitchen became a pioneer of the plant-based movement in Auckland. What began as a passionate mission grew into one of the country’s most celebrated cafés, helping redefine how Kiwis experience plant-based food.
Award winning little bird kitchen didn’t just serve food – it shaped conversation. With an established identity, loyal community, proven systems and a pioneering legacy in the plant-based space, little bird kitchen offers a rare opportunity to step into a business that has already shaped an industry and is ready to evolve again.
Little bird is now for sale. The question now is: Who will become its next custodian? And will they offer dinner?
Meanwhile, also nearby, Kelmarna Community Farm is just one of many small farms and producers across Auckland and Aotearoa who are working to grow food, knowledge and a better food future.
At their Little Kai Festival, we get to celebrate that movement together – to meet these changemakers, hear their stories and see how growing kai can strengthen communities and inspire positive change. Diary Date: Saturday 21 March is their Equinox Festival, a chance for the community to celebrate the tail end of summer surrounded by nature at their beautiful farm. This will be a relaxed afternoon of live music, great food, organic wines, cocktails and Behemoth beers.
Running from 2pm-6pm, they are have sliding-scale ticket prices. This means everyone can join in the fun while also contributing what they can to support Kelmarna’s mission. Simply choose the rate you feel you can afford.
We enjoyed last month’s Auckland Rainbow Parade on the Ponsonby strip – bringing with it a vibrant reminder of what is possible when communities come together. After last year’s parade was disrupted by protests, this year’s event stands as a powerful statement of resilience, love and belonging, wrapped in colour, creativity and joy. (JAY PLATT & MARTIN LEACH)
