Summer reissue: As the American media giant comes under fire for its treatment of POC contributors, it’s time to talk about the whiteness of food media in Aotearoa, say Jean Teng and Charlotte Muru-Lanning. First published June 13 2020 A wave of consciousness around racism is sweeping the globe at the moment. Protests that started … Read more
The challenges of 2020 have cemented the importance of having flexibility and adaptability top of mind when creating hospitality spaces, writes interior designer Jonathan Goss. It’s no secret that Covid-19 has shaken up the hospitality industry. From being shut down fully for lockdown, to reopening under strict safety measures, then, after a few months, those … 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’s joined by Josh Emett, Michelin-starred chef and restaurant owner. Josh Emett is a household name in New Zealand, famous for … Read more
The duo behind Parnell eatery Simon & Lee talk Gochu, their latest venture in Auckland’s Commercial Bay, and the emerging mainstream popularity of Korean cuisine. Three months ago, before alert levels were even a thing, a small group of guests was invited to have their first taste of Gochu’s menu. With everything from fresh Kaipara … Read more
As the American media giant comes under fire for its treatment of POC contributors, it’s time to talk about the whiteness of food media in Aotearoa, say Jean Teng and Charlotte Muru-Lanning. A wave of consciousness around racism is sweeping the globe at the moment. Protests that started in response to the death of George … Read more
Still unsure about what you need to do in restaurants and bars under level two? You’re not alone, according to a new Spinoff-commissioned survey. Ongoing confusion around the use of mobile apps for contact tracing and social distancing in restaurants means New Zealanders and business owners still have work to do to correctly follow Covid-19 … Read more
Budget 2020: What does this year’s budget mean for one of the hardest-hit sectors post-lockdown? Those in the industry give their initial reactions. As the country braces for the inevitable Covid-19 economic slump, today the government announced its “once in a generation” $50 billion budget. From that $50bn, $3.2bn has been set aside to extend … Read more
After these five long weeks without the joy of having a professional whip up dinner for you (unless you have a chef in your bubble), you deserve only the best. Here are our top tips for level three takeaways. As of Tuesday, takeaways are BACK, baby. Yes, that means the usual suspects – KFC and … Read more
Restaurants were already teetering on the edge. If they’re to survive this, the industry must come together and take one crucial step, writes Sophie Gilmour. We’ve heard about “the good old days” in hospitality – apparently, people wanted to work in the industry because they could make a decent living. Working conditions were great, people … Read more
Praise all that is good and holy, hospitality businesses are allowed to reopen next week – with a bunch of restrictions. Here’s what you need to know. Takeaways are back on next week, right? Thank god, I’m sick of cooking. Yes, New Zealand is moving down from alert level four to alert level three at … Read more
Sure, you might turn up to find the lights off and the doors closed, but if you can catch it open for business, The Afghan Restaurant on Lincoln Road offers an unparalleled culinary experience. You can’t call a restaurant a hidden gem when it’s on one of Christchurch’s busiest roads. The Afghan Restaurant may be … 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 Emma Ogilvie and Nick Landsman from Bar Céleste. You’ve probably seen their food on Instagram: people ripping into … Read more
In the near decade since Sawmill Brewery’s new owners came on board, they’ve made some of the best beers in the country, won awards and watched their brewery burn down. And their former landlords at the Leigh Sawmill Cafe accuse them of acting unethically. Alice Neville reports from Matakana. Every Monday, when the Sawmill Brewery’s … Read more
The buffet offers up a grand opportunity to stuff one’s face, but what is the best way to optimise your buffet-going experience and eat all the glorious things? The world’s been nothing but roses and caramel since the invention of the buffet. No other culinary innovation has let humans graze for food as God intended … Read more
Tis the season for hangovers, so we convinced some of New Zealand’s most experienced consumers of food and/or drink (OK, Spinoff staff and a bunch of chefs/hospo people) to share their tried-and-true culinary remedies. A hangover is a very individual thing. For some, it manifests as a splitting headache and extreme tiredness. Others are gripped … Read more
To many, Marco Pierre White is a legend, but his controversial remarks in a recent interview have some New Zealand chefs questioning why the former enfant terrible has star billing at Taste of Auckland. A celebrity chef who recently made global headlines for his sexist comments about female chefs is headlining Auckland’s biggest restaurant festival, … Read more
Two years on from her open letter to Andrew Little on his vow to slash immigration numbers, Israeli-born Yael Shochat, who owns Ima Cuisine in Auckland, writes about the harm the changes to the work-to-residence visa will do to the hospitality industry. Last week I, like many who employ immigrants, received an email from Immigration … Read more
A restaurant that began life as a pop-up bartering for crockery has become the latest Kiwi concept to shake up the Australian food scene. Chef Peter Gunn grew up in a typical New Zealand home eating no-frills sausages, steak and mash. His Melbourne restaurant, Ides, is far from typical, and Gunn joins a select and … Read more
Auckland is great – but, argues Catherine McGregor, Melbourne’s restaurants, cafes and bars still have the edge. Long before ‘cool’ even existed, Melbourne was cooler than wherever you lived. Take it from me: if you’d stopped a 19th century dandy flaneur-ing his way along Karangahape Road to ask what he thought of Melbourne, the reply … Read more
In the wake of the demise of the famous UK chef’s restaurant group, Al Brown and Martin Bosley reflect on how in the hospitality business, being a “name” comes with its own baggage. It must be strange to be no longer simply a man, but also a brand. That, in essence, is Jamie Oliver: a … Read more
Enough of those inoffensive, latte-sippin’ jams selected purely to appease the baby boomers: the most memorable places to dine use music as just one more way to express themselves. If you’ve worked in a restaurant or café in the past 20 years – even if you’ve dined out a whole lot – you’ll likely be familiar … Read more
Dietary Requirements is The Spinoff’s monthly podcast in which we eat, drink and talk about it too, with special thanks to Freedom Farms. Deeply hungover, we delve into the politics of restaurant awards this month with Metro editor Henry Oliver. This month, old mate Henry Oliver – former Spinoffer and current editor of Metro magazine – joins … Read more
Thanks to a rapidly increasing population and some savvy young returnees, these days the Tron oozes quiet self-confidence. Follow the motorway south from New Zealand’s biggest city, past the fertile vegetable-growing soils of Pukekohe, the Hampton Downs race track and the historic battle site at Rangiriri, along the mighty Waikato River (where at every bend … Read more
Bex de Prospo went from running music venues to spruiking ants and locusts to the country’s best restaurants. Now, after three years of trying to make a difference, she explains why Christchurch startup Anteater is shutting its doors. As we stood, evicted, on the side of a remote road in Cambodia, watching our tuk tuk … Read more
Restaurant dining can present even more complex issues than daily decisions at the supermarket or at home. But what responsibility do chefs have to inform and shape their diners’ eating habits? Nowadays, ethical eating is often presented as a truism: we are told we should all be making ethical food choices, not only at home … 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
Chloe Ann-King wants to set up a digital union providing hospo workers with tools such as a ‘Rate My Boss’ scheme and an online pay checker. In Chloe Ann-King’s 14 years of working in the country’s bars and restaurants she has seen staff underpaid, harassed by members of the public, and exploited by employers. This … Read more
Facing criticism, comparison and scrutiny every day takes its toll. Heaping even more pressure on someone who’s suffering isn’t the answer, writes chef and MKRNZ judge Ben Bayly. It’s no secret that restaurants are high-adrenaline, high-stakes workplaces. The hours are long, it’s highly competitive and with the added pressure of maintaining impeccable customer service, there’s … 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