Freds Fine Foods is a ham shop at 52 Oteha Valley Rd in Fairview Heights, on Auckland's North Shore, rated 4.6 on Google. The trade turns on two things: the slicer and the smoker. Hams are typically cut to order, so it pays to say what the meat is for — paper-thin for lunchboxes, thicker for the pan — and a good counter hand will slice it that way. Bone-in hams cost a little more per kilo but keep better and carry deeper flavour, which is why many shoppers still buy one whole for Christmas. That season is the trade's busiest stretch, and regulars order their hams weeks ahead rather than queue in December. For Fairview Heights households, it puts a proper ham counter within easy reach on the North Shore.