Mamata Bakehouse

I have been to Mamata a few times now and each time has been: yummy vegetarian fare, variety to choose from and fresh, lovely friendly service, tasty hot coffee’s and packed to the rafters with other happy patrons:) As the name suggests, go for the pies particularly!

Head to Mamata if you want some satisfying, healthy and homemade food– the best thing is that it caters for all dietary needs– the corn bread is amazing– quite light and soft for a vegan, gluten free bread. If looking to pick up lunch I recommend the cheesy lentil roll and/​or the hummus vegetarian sandwich in cornbread. I have heard that they use top organic beef in their pies which were voted as one of the best pies in Auckland a few years back. If you want a sweet treat– the sultana cookies are dense and buttery tasting but somewhat satisfying. Stock up on chilled lentil rolls to store in the freezer– quickly defrost and pop in the oven to crisp up– serve with some chutney and salad– makes an extremely satisfying lunch or dinner

Beautiful handmade food, they even make their own breads — the bagels are delicious, my favorites from here are the organic coffee, caramel walnut slice, and daily read of the notice board/​wall

About a month ago I was house sitting this place that was just down the road from Mamata Bakehouse. Here is my daily schedule:
6:30 — Wake up and go for a powerful jog including a very extensive stretching section.
7:30 — Go to Mamata Bakehouse and buy two cheesy pumpkin pies and also a little box of Nippys Chocolate Milk drink.
7:35 — Eat those pies with a knife and fork and just kind of writhe around in ecstasy because they’re so fucking delicious.
7:45 — Play Lego Star Wars on Nintendo Will while keeping refreshed and hydrated via Nippys Chocolate Milk drink.
12:00 — Go back to Mamata and get another cheesy pumpkin pie and make sure to act extremely embarrassed and sheepish about the fact that I’m there for a second time and am ordering the same thing again. Also jack another Nippys Chocolate Milk drink and read a flyer about a transcendental meditation seminar.
12:02 — Eat the pie on the way home because it’s too hard to wait five minutes to get home.
12:07 — Continue adventures through the Lego Star Wars universe. Unlock the version of Han Solo from Hoth in which he’s wearing that cool blue jacket with the great hood thing.
3:00 — Make the excecutive decision to go get one more pie.
3:10 — Get really fat.

I used to work just next to this place, so it was the obvious choice for a quick lunch. It’s lucky I was in the area working though, because otherwise I would have been put off by the prices. The food’s very good, I’ll grant you, but you pay significantly more for a pie here than you would at a less trendy, less upmarket bakery, and although Mamata’s food is good, maybe even better, I’m not convinced it’s that much better. But if you’re buying your baked treats in the same block of Grey Lynn shops as Harvest Wholefoods and Vanilla Ink, then you can afford to pay a bit more.

I’m sortof in two minds about writing this review: on one hand, I’d like you to know about the deliciousness of Mamata pies; on the other, I also want to keep them to myself a little bit. To be honest, I’ve never had any of their slices or biscuits because the pies are too tempting. I did have a sandwich once, which was also very good, but this is the only place to get pies from in the whole city: because a) they are delicious, and b), and related to a, I believe, because they use organic ingredients.
They also have bagels — proper bagels, not ones cooked days ago and kept in a plastic bag — which I highly recommend, along with their bread. This is also one of the few bakeries in Auckland that caters for vegetarians, vegans, and gluten free people.

Mamata Bakehouse gives me that squiggly feeling in my tummy like I’ve just stepped into mum’s kitchen. Full of local mums and their kids, but in a surprisingly good way. Everything seems so lovingly homemade and delicious. The bagels are my favourite, and you can choose your own fillings for a freshly-​made sandwich. Their pre-​filled combinations are always interesting and original too, pairing flavours that I never would have thought of myself.
Their pastry goods look amazing too, although I’ve always managed to resist the urge to wolf down a pie.
Great for wheat-​free or gluten-​free peeps too — before you head to Harvest Whole Foods just down the block.

Everything is freshly baked here and it looks absolutely delicious. Eyeing up the multitude of deli choices on and in the well-​stocked counters and shelves, I decided to go for the double chocolate chip bagal at $ 1.50. It hit the morning tea spot and went down a treat with my flat white. The place is filled with locals and the vibe is friendly. They specialize in gluten free, wheat free and organic free too. What looked really great was the organic meat pie, getting one of those next time I visit for sure.

«I really need a Mamata pie» is the catchcry of the hungover at my flat. Mamata pies are cheap, local, satisfying and best of all, largely vegetarian and vegan. Meat-​eaters are so often catered for in the comfort/​hangover food department, leaving veges and vegans to subsist on vegemite on toast. Hearing of Mamata’s range is like music to our ears — sample the cheesy lentil roll (shaped like a short, fat sausage roll) or the vegan potato top pie for a really satisfying snack. And go there after 3pm — the range is limited at this time of day but you can get Mamata’s famous pies on the cheap.