Cuisine Bites Unknown

The people behind what we cook, eat and drink are the true drivers of the New Zealand food & drink story. The movers and shakers that have led their communities, inspiring and motivating the good people of their towns to step up, collaborate and get involved. So much work from so many passionate and dedicated visionaries has gone into making Hawke’s Bay into the amazing playground for foodies that it is today. What are we looking for when we talk about a legend within the business of food and drink? Meet six of the visionaries that have been nominated in our search for the 2021 Hawke’s Bay Legend and listen to their unique stories... 
Jeremy Rameka - Chef and co-owner Pacifica Restaurant
Sam and Mary Orton - Founders of Orton’s Tailored Events & Cuisine
Sir Graeme Avery - Founder of Sileni Wines and the Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Market
Kate Radburnd - Owner and winemaker Radburnd Cellars
Kim Thorp - Communications, marketing and branding consultant & co-owner of Black Barn Vineyards
The winner will be announced at the opening night of the 10th Summer F.A.W.C! series this November.Our food news for this episode is BIG! THE HATS ARE BACK! We announce American Express as our presenting partner for The Cuisine Good Food Awards 2021 and Rob Bourne, Country Manager New Zealand explains how important these awards are for the New Zealand hospitality industry.
Thank you to American Express and our very special supporting partners all of whom are equally invested in the promotion of New Zealand as a premium dining destination… Many MANY thanks to Antipodes, DeLonghi, ORA KING and PEAD… all eyes are on New Zealand and there is no better time to be telling the world about our deliciousness! 
Keep an eye on cuisine.co.nz for updates...
 

What will 2021 bring?
In particular, for our hospitality industry it’s a big question.
This is a collection of conversations that I had across a time period that spanned lockdown to the end of 2020 to find out the different approaches our hospo folk are taking in New Zealand, and how they are feeling about their future. I also wanted to take the opportunity to recognise their impressive work through immense challenges and celebrate some wins.
One thing is for sure, we can no longer take great hospitality or the talented teams behind a great experience for granted. It’s time for us as customers to really think about those experiences and truly value the places that deserve our support.
A massive thank you to this group of extremely talented hospo professionals for generously sharing some straight-up thoughts...
Marisa Bidois - Restaurant Association of New Zealand
Tony Stewart - Amisfield - Arrowtown
Alex Davies - Gatherings - Christchurch
Elizabeth Buttimore - Arbour - Blenheim
Sean Golding - Golding's Free Dive, Shepherd - Wellington
Lucas Parkinson - Ode - Wanaka
#Cuisine #KelliBrett #nzflavour #nzfoodstories #nzrestaurants #nzhospitality #CuisineBites 

This renowned New Zealand chef and ex-restaurateur has sliced up his heart to serve it to you in a multitude of pieces in this episode. As a result, it is a conversation that is way too special to be condensed into 40 minutes… it’s a story of an uncompromising quest for taste, texture and flavour, unending curiosity, incredible skill and great resilience.  As the phenomenon that is Visa Wellington On A Plate draws to a close at the end of October, this month-long celebration of all things food and drink in Wellington has once again dished up a fantastic array of deliciousness alongside plenty of opportunities to have a think about our  NZ food culture and understand a little bit more about what that might be. 
So find yourself a comfy corner and settle in, you may want to listen to this one in two-parts, but do listen. It's an intimate glimpse inside the mind of a chef who continues to play a major part in the development of the Wellington & the New Zealand food story. The very talented Martin Bosley...
#Martin Bosley #CuisineBites #KelliBrett #NZFlavour #NZFood Story

I'm told that Wellington had well and truly established itself as New Zealand's culinary capital in the 80's. The long lunch was in and as patrons quaffed champagne through their expense account meals it seems 'French Inspired' was the theme behind the most discerning menus.
Chef, food writer and quintessential dinner party bad-boy Grant Allen is reuniting an incredible lineup of chefs over 3 fabulous nights during Visa Wellington On A Plate to celebrate favourite Welly restaurants and dishes from the era that brought us lobster bisque, flambé and eggs in aspic. At the time Grant was sashaying front of house at now-iconic restaurant Pierres. In this episode of Cuisine Bites we take a look back at some of the influences that have driven our restaurant scene and influenced our chefs. I promise you this one will be highly seasoned and deliciously crispy...
 
In Crispy Bits...
The Marine Stewardship Council is launching New Zealand’s first-ever Sustainable Seafood Week this week with an aim to empower Kiwis to choose sustainable seafood to ensure we have seafood for generations to come. I speak with Anne Gabriel Head of the MSC. 
 
 
 
 

 

In a post-COVID world what does Visa Wellington On A Plate bring to the table with regards to tourism, economic development and the telling of the all-important New Zealand food story? The festival runs for the month of October with hundreds of venues right across the greater Wellington region participating, and along with all of the excellent eating and drinking options on offer, there is no denying that WOAP builds a special spirit of collaboration. Hear from Sarah Meikle the Chief Executive of the Wellington Culinary Events Trust and Program Manager Beth Brash on finding common ground at a time when our hospitality industry needs us most.
In Crispy Bits...
A world-first for NZ as Loveblock Wines develop the first Sauvignon Blanc to replace sulphur with green tea.
Josh and Helen Emett to open their first Auckland restaurant Onslow.
New Instagram page nz_flavour curates a snapshot of chefs plates across the country.
 

Amisfield Restaurant & Cellar in Central Otago is home to New Zealand’s Cuisine Good Food award-winning Chef of the year Vaughan Mabee. So it stands to reason that this superb winery restaurant should be on your radar as one not to miss. In the lead up to the awards last year Vaughan had held the title of New Zealand’s most innovative chef for 2 years running. Vaughan then led his talented team to take home 3 hats at last year's Cuisine Good Food Awards. One of the great pleasures about producing this podcast is that there is always a helluva journey and a terrific story to tell when it comes to the people behind the food that we eat. This glimpse inside the mind of a great chef is a ripper…
In food news, the Black Lives Matter movement has raised an interesting reaction from some major brands within the consumer market. Victoria University of Wellington's marketing and international business school head Val Hooper says it has been a huge wakeup call as brands scramble to reassert their commitment to respect.