Alice Neville 
Fresh from the tap, sealed and delivered to your door – and you can drink some, reseal it and finish later. Welcome to the latest innovation in craft beer consumption. In 2006, the New Zealand Herald confidently predicted the demise of the flagon. Once a staple of the Kiwi beer drinker, the fill-your-own vessels were going … Read more
Despite being in its infancy, Thorvald had won multiple awards and could barely keep up with demand for its sheep’s milk cheese and yoghurt. But Tasman’s devastating drought has effectively put the company out of business. For many, particularly those geographically and socially removed from rural life, it was hard to come to grips with … Read more
Proceeds from the sales of a new cookbook that shares recipes and stories from people from refugee and migrant backgrounds will go towards funding a new scholarship. Sakina Ewazi, a visual arts graduate originally from Afghanistan, weeps quietly during the minute’s silence. We’re at Ōtāhuhu library in south Auckland for the launch of Tastes of … Read more
Lunch at Downing Street, pottery retreats with Nigella Lawson and Yotam Ottolenghi… New Zealand’s best-known chef has built quite a life for himself in London, but, now more than ever, he yearns for Aotearoa. This content was created in partnership with The Collective He’s been a top chef in London for three decades, with a … Read more
You don’t need a cocktail shaker, 14 different obscure liqueurs or even any particular skill to create a killer mixed drink in your own kitchen. Have a few friends round, whip up a few cocktails – what a lovely idea. How grown-up. How positively classy. Until you realise all you have in the cupboard is … Read more
OK, so we’ve got rid of plastic bags. But what about all the other stuff? Phasing plastic packaging out is a mammoth task, but some of the industry’s main players are working hard to promote change. Next time you’re at your local supermarket, have a look around. Go up and down each aisle and have … Read more
Women from migrant and refugee backgrounds celebrate food and storytelling from their diverse cultures at Renu Sikka’s Auckland workshops. “Food is something that connects people,” says Renu Sikka. “It sparks that conversation.” Sikka is a teacher at Henderson Primary School in Auckland, and in her spare time runs workshops – mainly based around food – for … Read more
Chef Luke Adams talks to Alice Neville about why cooking and eating with the seasons is so much more than a fad. Like “artisanal”, “authentic” and “bespoke”, the word “seasonal” has become ubiquitous in descriptions of food – to the point that it’s almost lost all meaning. That’s a shame, because eating seasonally is one … Read more
The quest for the perfect gin and tonic is one many of us undertake come summertime, but remember: the quality of the tonic is as – or dare we say even more? – important than that of the gin. Ah, the G&T. Saviour of summer afternoons, mother’s ruin, warder-off of malaria. What would we do … Read more
Why do we act like the idea of reducing our meat consumption is an assault on the very backbone of the nation? This story originally ran in Barker’s 1972 magazine under the title A Life Less Meaty Vegans are one of the few groups it’s still widely acceptable to hate on. So worthy, we complain. Talk about … Read more
With this detailed guided tour, it’s easy to follow in the footsteps of the unruly visitors whose shocking antics have gripped the nation. Mere weeks into 2019, we already have a strong contender for the year’s most compelling news story. From the farthest reaches of the North Shore to the light-industrial outskirts of the Tron, … Read more
Since 1981, a pioneering Dutch immigrant has been developing a distinctive New Zealand style of cheese, and now the world is starting to sit up and take notice. But for Albert Alferink, he’s just doing what he’s good at: working. Waikato: home of the Tron, the mighty river, Hobbiton, Waikato Draught and Jacinda Ardern. The … Read more
No-nonsense 31-year-old Māori/Samoan woman Monique Fiso is behind one of the most anticipated restaurant openings in years. Get ready, Wellington. This post was originally published 29 October 2018 Wood-fired kareao and asparagus with salted buffalo curd, pine dust and a pine needle vinaigrette. Kina panna cotta with smoked kahawai, green-lipped mussels, caviar and kawakawa oil. … Read more
In an unassuming spot just outside of our biggest city, exacting standards and secret methods are producing some of the smoothest spirits you’ll ever try. This post was originally published 21 September 2018 Alex Kirichuk makes the world’s best booze, he says. It’s a bold claim for a tiny distillery in Puhoi, a historic village … Read more
This lightly sparkling natural wine has been popping up on drinks lists all over the show, and it’s not going away any time soon. Pét-nats are kind of a big deal right now. It may be tempting to dismiss this as some flash-in-the-pan fad – and granted, the vibrant labels and crown bottle caps that … Read more
In the latest in the Frame documentary series produced for The Spinoff by Wrestler and funded by NZ on Air, we follow chef Luke Adams as he prepares a hāngī for his children’s school fundraiser. “It never really seemed important in the beginning,” says Luke Adams. “It was just something that was always going on.” … Read more
Every day in the lead-up to Christmas, open the door to reveal a Spinoff writer’s short, sizzling commentary on a weighty subject. Our arbitrary and strictly enforced word limit: 365. Today: Alice Neville on why you should tell your kids that Santa isn’t real. Santa controversy upon Santa controversy has beset us this festive season, so … Read more
Inspired by the recently publicised onion-related peril of sausage sizzles, The Spinoff goes deep into the produce aisle and finds that getting your 5+ a day can be a risky business. A few weeks ago, a story came out that shocked right-thinking Antipodeans to their very cores. Bunnings Warehouse had issued a ‘serving suggestion’ advising … Read more
Two Auckland friends have combined their love of tea with their passion for te reo Māori – and turned it into a business. In India, chai wallahs are an institution — you’ll find one in every alleyway, on every street corner and railway platform, making and selling tea to thirsty customers. Half a world a way … Read more
Just like the New Zealand wine industry it champions, Fine Wine Delivery Co has been through quite a journey over the past two decades. Back in 1997, the average house price in New Zealand was $181,000. Jim Bolger was prime minister, with Winston Peters his deputy. The world mourned Princess Diana, Titanic was released, and … Read more
What to offer trick or treaters to ensure you’re the most popular house in the neighbourhood, according to kids. Whatever your feelings about Halloween, you can’t deny it’s now a part of our children’s lives. So you have several options: 1) Throw yourselves into it with great gusto by decorating your house, dressing up and … Read more
No-nonsense 31-year-old Māori/Samoan woman Monique Fiso is behind one of the most anticipated restaurant openings in years. Get ready, Wellington. Wood-fired kareao and asparagus with salted buffalo curd, pine dust and a pine needle vinaigrette. Kina panna cotta with smoked kahawai, green-lipped mussels, caviar and kawakawa oil. Kaipara oysters with horopito mignonette granita and koromiko … Read more
Five women talk about challenging stereotypes in New Zealand’s ever-evolving beer scene. When Nicola Kay started her first brewing job, there were no women’s toilets. There had never been the need. It was the early 2000s, and Kay was working for Lion in Sydney. She’d been running the tasting panels at Lion New Zealand, then … Read more
We lured an official judge from The Great Kiwi Bake Off into the offices to critique our cakes, and it was an emotional rollercoaster. Here at The Spinoff, reality TV is kind of a big deal. So when a new show comes out, we really put our heart and soul into it. Alex Casey and Sam Brooks … Read more
Seven-and-a-half years since the quake, food is playing a critical role in how Christchurch rebuilds, according to the people behind a festival that celebrates the city’s regeneration. When you think about the aftermath of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, food probably isn’t what springs to mind. But it was an important thread that ran through the … Read more
Tonight in the Auckland CBD you might stumble across a tequila-soaked glamour queen and a T-Rex with no head — but don’t worry, you won’t go hungry. What links a headless dinosaur and a vegan fried chicken burger? Art, that’s what. StreetArtDego, now in its third year, teams artists with purveyors of street food, with each … Read more
Tonnes upon tonnes of plastic waste with nowhere to go — there’s no easy solution, but for one group of Kiwi businesses, simply doing nothing was not an option. Until earlier this year, even the most diligent recyclers may not have given much thought to what happens to that plastic bottle after it’s been deposited … Read more
Six weeks ago, through a haze of blood, sweat, tears and citrus, a grapefruit IPA was born. This week, it’s finally time to introduce the concoction to the beer-loving public. You’d be forgiven for thinking that a craft beer-focused jaunt to Wellington would be all fun and games. But I’m a professional, and when I … Read more
By rejuvenating the world’s oldest alcoholic drink, the founder of Lone Bee Mead hopes to breathe new life into our regions. The animal kingdom brims with everyday examples of enterprise, dare and bravery by creatures both great and small. In the world of the humble honey bee, the hero of the narrative is the scout … Read more