What’s better than bread and butter pudding? BRIOCHE and butter pudding, naturally. There is something wonderfully simple about the humble bread and butter pudding. Stale bread (or in this case brioche) is buttered and soaked in a custardy base, peppered with lemon zest, currants and almonds and baked until crunchy, custardy and utterly delicious. BRIOCHE … Read more
The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. It’s another duo pod this week and we’ve pulled out all the stops. Stings. Segments. Crannies. Grannies. Join us as we traverse the week in news, from Hobsonville Point residents furious about undies to an Elvis … Read more
If you data nerds thought the census was fun, wait until you get a load of this. Alex Braae picks out some of the most interesting data points from the 2017 NZ Election Study, released yesterday. They say there’s only one poll that matters – the one that takes place on election day. They’re wrong. … Read more
Simon Bridges is considering a policy that would fine parents of high school dropouts who don’t go into further education or training. Here’s a few successful New Zealanders who would have been asked to cough up. National has released the first taste of the social policy they’re toying with taking to the next election, and … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Port study comes back saying Auckland operations should go north, EV sales finally ticking up, and NZ First loses party president for “moral reasons.” A study into the structure of the upper North Island port system has come back recommending many aspects of Auckland’s port … Read more
In a city that is a microcosm of the growth challenges New Zealand is facing, an engrossing and sometimes nasty race for the mayoral chains is unfolding. The winner will preside over three years that could be defining for decades. The Spinoff local election coverage is entirely funded by The Spinoff Members. For more about … Read more
As disappointed farmers deal with Fonterra’s poor performance it emerges a new multi-million dollar cheese plant is hardly being used. Business editor Maria Slade reports. Fonterra once called it “the single largest foodservice investment in New Zealand’s dairy industry”. Now its $240 million mozzarella cheese plant at Clandeboye near Temuka is sitting close to idle … Read more
Dunedin’s local election race has broken out into a symphony of front-stabbing, back-stabbing, and general mud-slinging. But then, doesn’t a good politician need a bit of bite? Josie Adams consults The Spinoff’s Snake Rating Machine. The Dunedin local politics scene has long been a mudslinger’s paradise, but this year’s election has been filthier than a … Read more
Every single Lip Sync For Your Life/Legacy, ranked. “Two queens stand before me. Ladies this is your last chance to impress me and save yourself from elimination. The time has come for you to Lip Sync For Your Life. Good luck and don’t fuck it up!” No, it’s not Game of Thrones. Eleven regular seasons, … Read more
Alex Casey, Leonie Hayden, Michèle A’Court tackle the past month in women, with thanks to our friends at The Women’s Bookshop. It’s been a big month for young women using their voice. Greta Thunberg admonished leaders at the UN for not doing enough for the dying planet, which annoyed brave old media boys who think teens … Read more
James Renwick explains why he’s investing prize money from a PM’s science award into bringing artists and scientists together, and how you can be part of it. For me, it was The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell. The book tells the story of the life of Holly Sykes, from the 1980s to the 2040s. The … Read more
In this instalment of Things I Learned At Art School, Bob Jahnke talks Māori identity, education and, on the occasion of the Tuia 250 commemorations, “getting Cooked”. Bob Jahnke is the winner of the 2019 Wallace Arts Trust Paramount Award and an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori art. … Read more
What effect will the government’s changes to the electricity market have on consumers? Here’s what you need to know. What’s happening? The government has just announced a series of changes designed to protect consumers in the electricity market. The changes are in response to recommendations made by the Electricity Price Review (aka a panel set … Read more
Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Brianne West, founder of plastic-free cosmetics company Ethique. On the podcast this week we have an amazing guest, … Read more
Last night’s 2019 Silver Scrolls culminated with Aldous Harding taking the big prize for her song ‘The Barrel’. Stevie Kaye was there. The Silver Scrolls, the annual songwriting awards run by not-for-profit music copyright collective APRA, are the only New Zealand music prize-giving I’ve paid particular attention to over the years. My interest isn’t primarily … Read more
The loss of Antarctic ice sheets will likely cause a sea-level rise of 20 metres in coming centuries, a Victoria University-led study says. The earth is heating up and the planet has been here before. A new study into the mid-Pliocene’s climate reveals how today’s polar ice sheets may respond to climate rises expected this … Read more
Simplicity has fired a shot across traditional mortgage providers’ bows – and says if you think home loan rates are as low as they can go, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Mortgage rates could be a whole lot lower, argues KiwiSaver provider Simplicity which has launched the cheapest home loan in the market. From November … Read more
For the first time a universal international standard for sex toys is being considered. Emily Writes goes balls deep to see what New Zealand’s biggest adult retailer and the observer to the Project Committee thinks. Stats on just how many people own sex toys are hard to come by (no pun intended). But there’s no … Read more
In the little town of Inglewood, you’ll find a cosy spot serving up top-notch pies, decadent doughnuts and coffee as good as any you’d get in the big smoke. Sixteen kilometres southeast of New Plymouth, under the shadow of maunga Taranaki, lies a little rural town by the name of Inglewood. With a population of … Read more
The prime minister says her misbehaving coalition cabinet minister is taking the Cabinet Manual away to study. Is it the perfect page-turner beach read? Madeleine Chapman finds out. This story was published in October 2019. Is there anything better than reading a trashy thriller while on holiday? For Shane Jones, only one thing: Threatening political … Read more
In the depths of Unitec’s School of Architecture, teams of second-year students are preparing to put their first tangible projects in front of the public. Alex Braae went to meet one of the teams who will be transforming Devonport’s Windsor Reserve for GLOW@Artweek. Stepping into the room where all the creativity is being done, Unitec … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Early childhood educators plan action to raise pay, many councils reporting low election turnout, and Defence Industry forum cancelled. A new phase of industrial action in the education sector looms, with early childhood teachers calling for a huge pay jolt. Radio NZ reports it was one of … Read more
On the 250th anniversary of Captain James Cook arriving in Aotearoa, Tina Ngata looks at the whakapapa of colonisation in Aotearoa – the 15th and 16th century laws issued by the Catholic church that gave British and European monarchies permission to oppress and enslave indigenous people. This year’s TUIA250 Cook commemorations are New Zealand’s response … Read more
The end of regional flights is a symptom of flailing business confidence, argues the National frontbencher. The decision by Jetstar to pull out of regional New Zealand tells a story that’s much bigger than just an airline deciding not to fly certain routes. It’s a story of rising costs on business and middle New Zealand, … Read more
ACN is a reseller of 2degrees plans but seems to rely more on recruiting people than selling product. Cameron Wilkinson does the maths and discovers a classic MLM scheme. This story was amended on October 9, 2019 to reflect that the Federal Court of Australia found ACN is not a pyramid scheme. The Spinoff regrets … Read more
Catherine Bishop is embarking on the mother of all author tours for her significant new book, Women Mean Business. It’s a colourful history of women in business in 19th century New Zealand and it is busting with yarns and subtle zingers, beautiful old photos and a thoroughly-painted, confronting social context. Bishop writes about dozens of … Read more
This December, with the help of other generous food businesses, Freedom Farms will deliver 40 Christmas hampers to women affected by domestic violence. “What’s this?!” I hear you cry. “A Christmas story at the beginning of October? Madness!” I know, I know. But look, someone has to be first. Better you be eased in gently … Read more
Vodafone TV is yet another damn thing to plug into your television – but one you really should take a look at, says Duncan Greive. What is it? A small box – about the size of a sandwich – which you plug into an HDMI port on your television, along with a simple remote to … Read more
Toby Morris looks into the history of inequality in New Zealand – and how a charity is asking our most fortunate generation to help. This content was created in paid partnership with Spend My Super. Learn more about our partnerships here.