Hamilton has no shortage of talented makers, independent businesses and great places to eat, but few destinations bring as many of them together in one place as Made.
Located at 401 Grey Street in Hamilton East, Made has developed into a bustling destination for food, coffee, shopping, entertainment and local products. Set close to the Waikato River, the precinct includes the Made Market, Mezzanine, Mess Hall and Sheds, with each area offering something slightly different.
You could easily arrive for a morning coffee and end up staying for lunch, browsing the shops, picking up something for dinner and returning later for drinks. That’s a big part of Made’s appeal. Rather than operating like a conventional shopping centre, it brings together independent businesses and interesting concepts that give the precinct plenty of personality.
The tenant mix continues to evolve too, with new operators joining Made since it first opened. Here are some of the businesses currently worth discovering.
Grey Roasting Co.
Coffee lovers should make Grey Roasting Co. one of their first stops. Located in the Made Sheds, Grey Roasting Co. is a Hamilton specialty coffee roaster and tasting room owned by two-time New Zealand Barista Champion Dove Chen.
Its team sources coffee from respected growing regions around the world before roasting it locally in Hamilton. Visitors can stop in for a freshly brewed coffee, learn more about different origins and brewing methods or take home whole beans. For anyone interested in coffee beyond simply ordering a flat white, it is one of the more interesting places to visit at Made.
Butter Boom Croissanterie
Right near Grey Roasting Co. in the Sheds is Butter Boom Croissanterie, a patisserie dedicated largely to the art of the croissant. Its pastries are made by hand using a multi-day process, with careful temperature control and lamination helping create the crisp exterior and layered interior that good croissants are known for.
Butter Boom has quickly become one of Made’s destination food businesses, particularly on weekend mornings. Pairing one of its croissants with a coffee from Grey Roasting Co. makes the Sheds a good place to begin a visit.
Città
Made is also home to a Hamilton store from New Zealand design company Città. Founded in 1989, Città has grown into one of the country’s better-known homeware and furniture brands. Its products begin with an in-house design team in Auckland before being produced with manufacturers and artisans around the world.
The Made store is worth exploring for furniture, cushions, throws, tableware, accessories and gifts, particularly if you prefer clean, contemporary design.
Bare Refill Grocery
Bare Refill Grocery brings a different approach to everyday shopping. The low-waste grocery store allows customers to purchase what they need without relying on conventional single-use packaging. You can bring your own containers, use donated jars from its Jar Library or purchase reusable containers in store.
Its range has expanded beyond pantry staples to include fresh produce, locally sourced products and meat supplied through local producers. Bare is a good example of the kind of independent retailer that makes Made feel different from a standard supermarket or shopping centre.
Soul Boul
For breakfast or a healthy lunch, Soul Boul has become one of Made’s established food options. Its menu is focused on nourishing food, smoothies and drinks using seasonal ingredients, with açai bowls being one of its best-known offerings.
There are also smoothie bowls, toast, coffee, matcha and wellness drinks, making it particularly popular for breakfast and daytime visits. Its Hamilton location is open seven days a week inside Made.
Oat Bros
Oat Bros has taken one of the simplest breakfast foods and built an entire café concept around it. The specialty oat café serves hot porridge and overnight oats made using South Island oats, paired with a changing range of house-made toppings.
The idea is deliberately simple: good oats, interesting toppings and good coffee. Oat Bros has also developed a community around the business through its weekly run club, making it as much a social concept as a breakfast destination.
Volare
Volare has been part of Hamilton’s food scene since starting from a garage in 2009 and has since grown into one of Waikato’s best-known artisan bakeries. Its Made location gives Hamilton East locals access to its handcrafted sourdough breads, croissants, pastries, cabinet food and seasonal specials seven days a week.
If you’re visiting Made for groceries rather than sitting down for a meal, Volare is an easy place to pick up a fresh loaf or something sweet to take home.
Oh Dutch
One of the newer food additions at Made is Oh Dutch. The focus here is pancakes, with combinations ranging from familiar sweet options through to loaded creations topped with fruit, sauces and other treats.
It’s positioned somewhere between breakfast and dessert, which means it works equally well for a morning visit or an afternoon treat. Its arrival adds another daytime food option to the Made Market and is one of the businesses that wasn’t included in the earlier version of this article.
Mr Twist
Mr Twist brings American-inspired treats to Made. The business grew from a simple lemonade stand before expanding into food events and eventually finding a permanent home at Made.
Freshly baked soft pretzels are the main attraction, alongside lemonade, Dole Whip-style soft serve and a growing food menu. It’s one of Made’s more family-friendly stops and an easy option if you’re wandering through the Market and want something quick.
Pasta Paradiso
Pasta Paradiso specialises in traditional handcrafted fresh pasta. Its pasta is made daily, with varieties including traditional egg pasta alongside vegan and squid ink options. Sauces and accompaniments are also available, so you can either enjoy the food there or pick up what you need for an easy dinner at home.
Pasta Paradiso also pops up in other areas of Made, including collaborations and pasta evenings with some of the precinct’s drinks businesses.
Mezze
Mezze brings Turkish and Mediterranean flavours to the Made Market. The family-run business serves dishes such as gözleme, souvlaki, falafel, salads and baklava, while also offering products including olives, hummus and other dips to take home.
The food lends itself well to lunch or something easy to eat while exploring the Market, while its take-home products work well for platters and entertaining.
RedKitchen
RedKitchen started in Te Awamutu and has built a strong following around nourishing, ready-made meals. At Made, you can pick up prepared dinners and pantry products designed to make feeding the household considerably easier on busy days.
The emphasis is on proper home-style meals rather than conventional supermarket ready-meals, with different serving sizes available for individuals, couples and families.
Neat
Neat combines a specialty liquor store, tasting room and cocktail bar in one space. Rather than being somewhere that simply sells bottles, the concept is designed around helping customers discover interesting wines, spirits, beers and other drinks.
You can buy something to take home, sit down for a drink, attend a tasting or take part in one of its masterclasses. For people interested in whisky, wine, gin, tequila and other specialty drinks, it gives Made a strong point of difference.
Sawubona
Sawubona brings together handmade products sourced from artisans across Africa and New Zealand. Its collection includes hand-carved wooden kitchenware, woven baskets and bags, loose-leaf teas and other artisan goods.
As a social enterprise, the business places an emphasis on supporting the makers behind the products and connecting shoppers with the stories and craftsmanship involved. That makes it one of Made’s more distinctive places to browse if you’re looking for gifts or something unusual for the home.
Agapé Jewellers
Head upstairs to the Made Mezzanine and you’ll find Agapé Jewellers. This family-owned Hamilton jewellery business combines retail jewellery with an onsite workshop, custom jewellery design, manufacturing, remodelling and repairs.
Customers can work directly with the team to design engagement rings, wedding jewellery or other bespoke pieces, while permanent jewellery has also become part of its offering.
Nooan
Nooan is the brick-and-mortar home of New Zealand-made possum and merino socks. Made using natural fibres, the socks are designed around warmth, softness and durability, with different styles available for everyday use, sleeping and outdoor wear.
For visitors looking for something distinctly New Zealand-made, Nooan is one of the stronger gift options within the Mezzanine.
What’s Up Buttercup
What’s Up Buttercup is another Mezzanine retailer and has grown beyond being purely a children’s shop. The family-owned boutique stocks children’s clothing, toys and care products alongside homewares and gifts. Its colourful, carefully curated product range makes it particularly useful if you’re shopping for babies, young children or a present that feels a little different from something you’d find at a chain retailer.
Avisha Massage & Skin
Made isn’t solely about food and shopping. Avisha Therapeutic Massage & Skin provides massage, facial treatments and wellness services from the Mezzanine. Its treatment menu includes remedial massage, relaxation massage, hot stone massage and facial treatments, giving visitors another reason to make Made a destination rather than simply somewhere to grab lunch.
Fabrik
Fabrik has been part of Hamilton’s hairdressing scene for years and operates a second salon within Made.
The salon focuses on contemporary cutting and colour backed by experienced stylists, with services designed around the individual rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Its Made salon is located in the Sheds, complementing Fabrik’s central Hamilton location.
Smooth Muse
Another service business worth knowing about is Smooth Muse. Run by registered nurse Tori Colby, Smooth Muse provides cosmetic and skin treatments including anti-wrinkle injections, dermal filler, facials and other aesthetic treatments. It operates by appointment from Made and adds another wellness and beauty option to the wider precinct.
Reggie’s
For a proper sit-down meal, Reggie’s brings Italian-American food to Made. Located on the rooftop, Reggie’s takes inspiration from New York’s Italian dining scene, with pizza, pasta, wine and hearty mains forming the core of the experience. It’s quite different from the casual stalls elsewhere at Made and works particularly well for dinner, celebrations or longer catch-ups.
The Green
The Green sits at the fine-dining end of Made’s food spectrum. Chef Karl Boulton has built the restaurant around Waikato produce, seasonality and close relationships with local growers and suppliers.
Rather than offering a conventional à la carte menu, The Green centres around a degustation-style dining experience where the dishes change with what is available and at its best. It’s one of the stronger options at Made if you’re looking for a special occasion restaurant rather than a casual meal.
Amphora Wine Bar
Wine lovers also have Amphora Wine Bar. Located in the Made Mess Hall, Amphora specialises in fine wine by the glass and bottle and hosts regular tasting events through its Cellar Club.
The focus is on carefully selected wines rather than an enormous generic list, with owner Kieran bringing more than two decades of experience across wine retail, hospitality and beverage programmes. Amphora also collaborates with other Made businesses for events such as pasta evenings.
Hāpi
Hāpi is Made’s home for craft beer, spirits, cocktails, sport and entertainment. The bar serves local craft beers, artisanal spirits and cocktails and is closely connected with two of Made’s entertainment experiences: SingEasy Karaoke and The Golf Club. That makes Hāpi a natural meeting point if you’re heading to Made with a group rather than simply visiting for dinner.
Omo Omo
Omo Omo serves modern Japanese food from the Mess Hall. The menu draws on Japanese flavours with fresh salads, grilled dishes, donburi bowls, noodle soups and small plates designed to be enjoyed individually or shared. It gives the Mess Hall a lighter alternative to some of its richer fried and street-food options.
On A Roll
On A Roll has become a familiar name in Hamilton’s food scene. Its Asian street-food-inspired menu includes bao, bánh mì, sticky wings, noodles and other dishes built around bold flavours and easy sharing.
The Made kiosk complements On A Roll’s Hamilton CBD restaurant and gives Mess Hall visitors a quick way to order some of the brand’s most popular dishes.
Crack Chicken
Crack Chicken takes inspiration from both Nashville-style and Korean fried chicken. Expect crispy chicken, heat, burgers, waffles and big flavours rather than anything overly restrained. Its casual style is well suited to the Mess Hall, especially when dining with a group where everyone can order from different eateries.
Little ‘Lato
Little ‘Lato has become one of New Zealand’s more successful artisan gelato brands, and its Hamilton flagship is located at Made.
Founded after owner Hannah Wood trained at Gelato University in Italy, the business has developed hundreds of flavours and collected a substantial list of national awards along the way. Expect imaginative seasonal flavours alongside options catering for vegan, gluten-free and other dietary requirements.
SingEasy Karaoke
Once everyone has eaten, Made has a few options for keeping the evening going. SingEasy is a private karaoke experience inside the Mess Hall where groups can book a room, choose their songs and settle in for an hour or two. Food and drinks from the surrounding Mess Hall make it an easy addition to a birthday, work night or group dinner.
The Golf Club
If singing isn’t your thing, The Golf Club offers an indoor golf simulator. Its GC Hawk setup allows both right- and left-handed players to practise, play simulated courses and take on challenges such as nearest-to-the-pin and longest drive. Because it’s indoors, it’s also an activity that works regardless of Hamilton’s weather.
More Than Somewhere to Grab Lunch
What makes Made interesting is the variety packed into a relatively small area. You can start the day with coffee at Grey Roasting Co., grab a Butter Boom croissant, shop for homewares at Città, pick up pantry supplies from Bare, browse jewellery or gifts upstairs, have lunch at one of the Market or Mess Hall eateries and come back later for dinner, wine, karaoke or golf.
The mix also continues to change. Businesses such as Oh Dutch, Città, Butter Boom, Amphora and Smooth Muse are among the additions that have helped Made evolve since its early days. That means it’s worth treating Made as somewhere to revisit rather than somewhere you see once and tick off the list.
Visit Made in Hamilton East
Made is located at 401 Grey Street, Hamilton East, close to the Waikato River and Hamilton East’s wider café and retail area. The Market, Mezzanine, Mess Hall and Sheds operate different hours, and individual businesses may have their own opening times.
If you’re planning to visit a specific restaurant, retailer or activity, it’s worth checking its current hours or booking requirements beforehand.
Whether you’re after breakfast, dinner, local gifts, a fresh loaf of bread, something for the home or simply somewhere interesting to spend a few hours, Made offers one of Hamilton’s most varied collections of independent businesses under one roof.
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