Zaida's

Charlie Chait immigrated to New Zealand from Poland in 1920 and opened a business in Dixon Street, Wellington. Initially selling farm and poultry products, by 1930 it had become a bakery, and sold bread and other baked goods based on the foods he knew from his childhood in Europe. In 1974 his son Martin, along with his wife Jayne, took over the family business and developed it into a gourmet deli; renaming the business The Dixon St Deli. Inspired by their experiences during a 1980 trip through Europe, Martin and Jayne introduced recipes for Russian fudge, Russian rye bread, baked cheesecake and bagels. When demand outgrew the capacity of the kitchen, they moved to Brooklyn, where another name change occurred; to Brooklyn Bread & Bagels. During those years the bakery’s range grew to over 70 specialty bread and baked products inspired from artisan craft and recipes from all over the world.
In 2000 Jayne and Martin's son Ari began the third generation, and in 2001 the business moved to College Street as a combined bakery and cafe, allowing customers to buy direct and/or sample the cafe life style in a friendly and welcoming environment. Redevelopment of the premises in 2013 led to rebranding as Zaida’s, to acknowledge the origins of the family business. Zaida is Yiddish for grandfather. Now in it's third generation, Zaida (Dixon St. Deli) has been supplying Wellington continuously since 1930.

Zaida's continues to supply cafes, restaurants and caterers in Wellington and throughout New Zealand with a diverse range of specialty bread, baked and pastry products. The emphasis is on quality and meeting customers’ needs (or wants). The cafe is described as “stylish, sophisticated and spacious”, which is “perfect for working breakfasts, brunches or lunches.” Copies of old family photos adoen the walls.

They supply an excellent long black espresso coffee which I can take back across the road to the inner city CMHC where I come occasionally to assess and review patients. This photo was taken shortly before they closed for the day, and shows some of the range of baked products.