Cheese on Toast in Birkenhead is a casual grab-and-go spot on Hinemoa St fixing all your coffee, toast and toastie needs. The idea is simple: do the simple things well, starting with house made sourdough and a signature three cheese blend of vintage gouda, maasdam and parmesan. The menu mixes familiar staples with more creative choices, all built on local, seasonal produce.
The story began in 2019 in Three Kings, where founders Steve Kennedy and Yang Yang — after four years roaming Auckland and further afield serving life-changing toasties from their food truck — opened up behind a garage door in an unconventional space. After almost three years of trading there, they found another little spot in Birkenhead and set about making it their own.
They are lucky to work with some great local suppliers, serving Eighthirty coffee, Meyer cheese, Almighty juice, Hakanoa syrups and Karma drinks. Expect comforting, high quality feel-good food and drinks in a laid back, approachable space — without breaking the bank.
There is something refreshingly honest about a menu built around bread and cheese — especially when the bread is made in house and the cheese blend gets treated like a signature dish. Cheese on Toast in Birkenhead is a casual grab-and-go spot fixing all your coffee, toast and toastie needs, built on the simple belief that if you do the simple things well, that is more than enough.
The Birkenhead shop sits on Hinemoa St and is one of a small family of Cheese on Toast spots around Auckland, alongside the original in Three Kings and a Newmarket sibling. It is a laid back, approachable kind of place: order at the counter, grab a coffee, and be on your way with something genuinely tasty.
Cheese on Toast was born in 2019 in the neighbourhood of Three Kings, behind a garage door in an unconventional space. Founders Steve Kennedy and Yang Yang had already spent the previous four years roaming Auckland and further afield serving what they call life-changing toasties from their food truck. Keen to stay put for a while, they created a space for people to enjoy super tasty, quality food that wouldn't break the bank.
After almost three years of trading in Three Kings, they got their hands on another little spot in Birkenhead and set about making it their own, bringing the same sourdough-first ethos to the North Shore.
Every toastie starts the same way: two slices of house made sourdough, the signature three cheese blend of vintage gouda, maasdam and parmesan, and a side of pickles. From that base the options get creative. There is the Just Cheese version for purists, Bacon Jam with caramelised onion jam and bacon bits, Creamed Corn with capsicum salsa, and Truffle Mushroom with sautéed button mushrooms, onion, garlic and truffle oil.
For bigger appetites, the Rump Steak toastie comes with spring onion, coriander and a lemon, soy, chili and garlic sauce, while the Braised Pork Belly brings Sichuan spices, green capsicum and ginger sauce.
Not everything gets pressed. The toast menu piles toppings onto a thick slice of house made sourdough: Just Jam with cream cheese and strawberry jam, Mushroom with whipped feta, candied pepitas and pickled onion, Bacon and Eggs with tomato jam and rocket, Smashed Avo with sesame, chili and coriander, and Smoked Salmon made with Aoraki salmon, cream cheese, red onion, capers and dill.
The same bread is sold to take home by the half or full loaf, and the sweet stuff cabinet holds caramel, chocolate brownie, raspberry white chocolate and almond mocha cookies, plus rocky road and banana bread.
Part of what makes the food tick is the supplier list: Eighthirty coffee, Meyer cheese, Almighty juice, Hakakoa syrups' neighbour Hakanoa syrups, and Karma drinks. Coffee comes as flat whites, lattes, cappuccinos and chai in 6oz, 8oz or 12oz sizes, black coffees for the purists, plus mocha, hot chocolate and a short tea list of green, English Breakfast, Earl Grey and peppermint.
Whether it is a pre-work flat white and a Bacon Jam toastie, a loaf for the weekend or a mid-morning cookie run, Cheese on Toast Birkenhead keeps it simple: comforting, feel-good food and drinks, made well and served without fuss.
The Birkenhead shop trades Monday to Friday from 7am to 2.30pm and on weekends from 8am to 2.30pm. It is grab and go by design, and orders can be placed ahead through the Place an Order page on the Cheese on Toast website.