There's nothing quite like a mandarin picked at its peak — and these are something special.

We found them on one of our roams, at a little family orchard in Bayview, Napier, run by a lovely gentleman who goes by the nickname "Sweet As." He's tended this Hawke's Bay orchard for the best part of two decades, and you can taste the care in every piece of fruit. Hand-picked and hand-bagged by his small team, these are easy-peel, and honestly the ripest, juiciest mandarins we've ever brought home.  He assures me that 95% are seedless, the one he gave me had one seed in, which he told me was like a golden ticket and I should grow my own orchard!!

In the spirit of full transparency — the way we like to do things — these aren't completely spray-free. A little spray is used to keep black mold at bay, which is very common in citrus orchards. Everything else is grown with genuine love and old-fashioned orchard know-how.

Packed with vitamin C and natural sweetness, they're the perfect lunchbox treat, after-school snack, or a juicy reminder that winter has its bright spots too. Delivered fresh to your door across the Manawatū, Whanganui and Horowhenua regions alongside your eggs.

Once they're gone, they're gone — so grab a bag while you can. ( I hope to get more if I can twist his arm some more, but I can't promise anything!)