Culinary invasion
An Independent feature nominates the ten best places to “eat Australasian” in London. These include The Zetter (NZ chef Megan Jones), The Providores and Tapa Room (Peter Gordon’s mini empire with fellow Kiwi's Anna Hansen and Michael McGrath), Gourmet Burger Kitchen (NZ concept with Peter Gordon as consulting chef), The Grocer (co-founded by Peter Gordon), and the Square Pie Company (best known for its uber-Kiwi steak & cheese).
(26 March 2005)
   

Galloping gourmet still in the saddle
Graham Kerr cooks up a storm on his new programme, Swiftly Seasoned.
(April 2001)
  

Big cheese #2
New Zealander Errol J. Baird runs a food importing business in  Jamaica. "He offers to the discerning gourmet New Zealand cheese and wine."
(2 July 2000)
                 

Kiwi Chef to Star at World Gourmet Summit, Singapore food festival
Little is known about New Zealand cusine here, but if chef Rick Rutledge- Manning's cooking is anything to go by, it's something to take note of: "...refined and light, yet - most important of all - full of flavour".
(12 April 2000)
               

Hallertau hops give organic beer a bite
Bateman's a family owned organic brewery in Lincolnshire has joined the swelling ranks of organic beers with Yella Betty Bitter, brewed with organic chariot pale malt and Hallertau hops from New Zealand - "wonderfully refreshing, with juicy malts balanced by aromatic hops and citrus fruit."
(27 July 2000)

By the people for the people  
Auckland trio, Tim Tregonning, Dan Phillips and Danis Roberts are crowd pleasers; their project, OurBrew is currently recruiting beer drinkers to unite and develop a collective drop by signing up online, voting and then launching the world's first crowd produced beer. Participants choose the style of beer, the name, logo, packaging and details for tasting and launch parties. Fascinated by the idea of crowd sourcing and funding, the boys at OurBrew asked themselves, "How could we bring crowd sourcing to New Zealand? It has to involve something Kiwis are passionate about, something that is a constant in our lives." The answer? Beer. 
(28 May 2008)

Chopped, but not out 
New Zealander Mark Simmons, 29, a sous chef at New York restaurant Public and until recently a contestant on popular reality show Top Chef, wants to open his own restaurant in the Big Apple serving antipodean cuisine. Simmons says he wants to introduce New York to more of New Zealand. "I definitely think there's room in New York for that," he said. "The produce and the protein that we have over there; it's from the purest, most pristine waters, and the greenest pastures." On Top Chef, Simmons had to contend with American-themed challenges. "Like a street party: we don't have street parties. And the tailgate - it was a first experience for me, but I had a great time on it. It was pretty awesome." 
(1 May 2008)

Feasts in factories 
New Zealander Margot Henderson, sought-after London gourmand and the other half of Arnold & Henderson catering, does not like to use the word 'simple' when describing their menus. "It's more like it has a sense of place," she says. At a recent Parisian soirée in a metal factory, 240 guests, including the French prime minister, sat down at long banquet tables while the cooks worked out of a makeshift kitchen. Dishes were served family-style from large bowls and platters; the entrée, veal shin on the bone, arrived with a knife sticking out of it. Arnold & Henderson has an impressive client list including Balenciaga, Marc Jacobs and Mulberry. Melanie Arnold and Margot Henderson began the catering business in 1995 when they worked together at London's The French House Dining Room in Soho. They now run restaurant, Rochelle Canteen in Shoreditch.
(23 March 2008)

Enlightened dining
NZ-owned restaurant Seamstress has won over critics and diners just weeks after its opening Melbourne. The four-storey modern Cantonese eatery is co-owned by Dunedin-born Jason Chan, who runs the successful NZ-themed cafe Batch in Balaclava, and Anthony Herzog. Executive chef Raymond Larkins is another New Zealander, who moved to Melbourne from Wellington four years ago. The trio earned a glowing write-up from veteran Herald Sun reviewer Bob Hart in their first week open for business. "Seamstress is the enlightened product of the combined experience and talents of two of Melbourne's better young operators," writes Hart. "They had a clear, shared dream, and they have realised it brilliantly." He goes on to describe Larkins' menu as "outstanding", "inspired" and "brilliantly executed".
(1 December 2007)

Doctor vodka 
42 Below ambassador and "vodka professor" Jacob Briars discusses dirty drink names, Golden Globe shout outs and the social psychology of bars in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald. Formerly a bartender at Wellington's Matterhorn, Briars now travels the world conducting a cocktail master class called Vodka U. "I developed this concept with 42 Below," he explains. "We conduct a tasting of as many as 25 different vodkas and explain how they are made and what makes them unique. We also cover what vodkas suit which cocktails and even taste a few cocktails, too." Briars' skills behind the bar were famously mentioned in a Golden Globes acceptance speech by Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood. 
(10 January 2007)

Love at first bite 
The senior food editor at Gourmet magazine (USA) is a big fan of the Blackcurrant and Apple Glaze produced by NZ company, Forage. "I love this!" she wrote in the June issue. "I'd brush it over duck or pork, or even mix it with seltzer for a summer drink!"

Gourmet Burger Kitchen
London's Gourmet Burger Kitchen - the brainchild of three Kiwi entrepreneurs - is credited with starting the trend for "fast food for the organic generation" in a lengthy Guardian piece. Now boasting 8 restaurants, the GBK chain was founded in 2001 by Greg Driscoll, Brandon Allen and Adam Wills. "Food made with good quality, fresh ingredients is part of any New Zealander's upbringing," says Driscoll. "It's that casual but quality food experience you get in NZ we wanted to bring to London." GBK has inspired a slew of imitators, but the original remains "the biggest, best known and most successful." Driscoll, Allen and Wills recently sold their business to Clapham House for ?25 million, but will stay on as company directors (see previous Newzedge story). 
(2 January 2006)

Spoiled for choice 
Kiwi chef Rex Morgan takes Guardian food writer Jonathan Ray on a culinary tour of Queenstown. The eating extravaganza takes place at Morgan's recently opened boutique hotel, The Spire (competitors will be "hard-pressed to improve upon Rex's celebrated dégustation menus, the 10-course version of which he puts before me"), Joe's Garage ("the breakfasts are indeed amazing, great hangover food, and the best coffee in town"), The Coronation Bathhouse ("[recommended] as much for its spectacular position as anything else"), Wine Tastes ("Central Otago pinot noir just gets better and better, and here you can taste wines from almost every producer"), and Winnie's ("still feeling the effects of my Kiwi wine- fest earlier, I avoid the fine-looking cocktail list and order myself an awesomely good pizza.") 
(24 December 2005)

Food for thought 
A lengthy Independent feature examines Auckland's burgeoning food scene - and NZ's as a whole. While NZ has embraced café culture ("probably the best espresso experience outside Italy in about 13 years, skipping the Starbucks phase altogether"), the Kiwi meat and two veg dinner mindset has been a tougher nut to crack. "We are trying to educate our public by taking them on a taste journey, rather than offering them a stomach-filler," says Morgan. "We are getting there, slowly." Eateries leading the charge towards gastronomic greatness include Citron (Wellington), The Spire (Queenstown), Dizengoff, SPQR, Dine by Peter Gordon, Soul and The French Café (all Auckland). Says the writer, "Personally, I came to scoff, but left converted." 
(15 October 2005)

Pass the Watties?
1988 NZ Chef of the Year and Elton John’s former cook, Clive Hitchens, has returned to his roots, opening a meat pie shop in Alameda, California. Hitchens and partner, Donna, had been successfully selling gourmet pies at farmers markets since early 2003, before deciding to open their own restaurant, The New Zealander, this year. “The pies are dressed up for sure in his restaurant. Hitchens … uses gourmet quality ingredients - imported and free-range meats and his own curries - and wraps the meats in a pastry shell so delicate it defies the dish's reputation of being hearty. But they are still meat pies he's serving, a food that's gobbled up with grubby hands everywhere in NZ, at rugby matches, gas stations, corner stores, you name it.”
(25 September 2004)
     

Kai a la Kiwi
A NZ themed restaurant – The Kiwi Grille - is doing a roaring trade in Newburyport, Massachusetts. According to owner Bruce deMustchine (ex-Hawkes Bay), the Grille served 10,000 happy customers in its first 8 weeks of opening. All meat on the menu hails from NZ, as do 85% of the wines on offer and numerous other ingredients. A day after the Grille’s June 1 opening, the state of Massachusetts held its first annual New Zealand Day.
(16 June 2004)
   

What's cooking good looking?
NZ-born Brad Farmerie – head chef at Peter Gordon’s Public – was named one of the New York culinary scene’s rising stars, in a Post piece entitled ‘Lord of the Ranges.’ As well as “impressing diners and restaurant reviewers with dishes like kangaroo with coriander falafel, grilled ox tongue and New Zealand snapper,” Farmerie is reportedly turning the heads of female foodies with his “boyish good looks.”
(7 March 2004)
   

Quality tucker
Significant New York Times feature ‘The Other Down Under’ chronicles NZ’s culinary revolution - from land of the long boiled mutton to world-class gastronomic player. The new breed of Kiwi chefs are seasoned travellers who weave international flavours with local produce to create an entirely unique cuisine. Says interviewee Alistair Brown – of Wellington’s Logan Brown Restaurant – “What we see and taste, we want to emulate or improve on when we come back home. We are a very young country, not stuck in tradition.” The Times’ tour encompassed the eateries and vineyards of Martinborough, Wellington, the Hawkes Bay, and Auckland, with highlights including Logan Brown (where “quality is as dependable as the tides”), Martinborough’s Wharekauhau Inn (“under pink clouds at dusk it made an unforgettable impression”), the Te Whau vineyard and restaurant on Waiheke Island (“an award-winning restaurant of Corbusier-inspired design … [which] offers more than 600 wines, including every big NZ name), and Auckland’s O’Connell Street Bistro (“if we could have stuffed [it] into our luggage and brought it back to the States, we would have”). A Toronto Star feature attributes a swell of interest in NZ produce in Canada to - what else - the Lord of the Rings. "Never has a country's public profile been raised so high, so fast. Its food exports capitalize on the pristine environment, the lush pastures and clean waters, the fresh air, the reverse seasons."
(14 January 2004) 

Deep south delights
The Australian finds the university city of Dunedin a "hearty mix of charm and character – with plenty of wee surprises". In the 'Scotch Broth' Stephen Brook includes culture and characters during a visit to the rugby ground known as the 'house of pain', Carisbrook; takes in the the "thrilling wildlife" of the Otago Penninsula, (including majestic Royal Albatross: "its massive wingspan makes it the 747-400 of the bird world"); heritage and history at Olveston House and Larnach Castle; a strenuous stroll up the world's steepest street; beds (Corstorphine), bars (Di Lusso) and eats (Home); and, of course, a visit to the scarfie fuel manufacturer, Speights Brewery (above).
(04 October 2003)   
       

Wild West Coast food in Hokitika
Hokitika's Wildfoods Festival rates a mention in a New York Daily News feature on icky eating. "More than 20,000 adventurous eaters gather to sample such delights as bulls' penises and sphagnum moss," states the incredulous writer, who goes on to detail the Middle Eastern penchant for sheep's eyes and the insect treats available on the Iowa State University's etymology department website.
(6 July 2003)
  

Tastefully turning heads
Turner NZ restaurant - serving up an all-Kiwi array of food and wine - stands out in the sea of Italian, Asian and American cuisines on offer in Southern California. Says an enthusiastic reviewer for Coast Magazine; "Prepare to leave with more than just a satisfied appetite. You'll likely have the urge to pack your bags and take that long-awaited trip to New Zealand."
(May 2003)
  

Round one...
"The food is sooooo good -- we want to lick our plates. And the breathtaking views - islands, harbours, volcanoes." Edmonton Journal travel writer is so impressed by his whirlwind North Island tour he's already planning a southern sequel.
(8 February 2003)
  

Holy lamb of Godzone
Two of the culinary world’s US icons, Julia Childs & Emeril Lagasse, dined on the finest lamb in the world, courtesy of Newport Beach, California-based Noel "King of New Zealand gourmet food" Turner in a two-day fund raiser to benefit the James Beard Foundation hosted by chef and restaurateur Zov Karamardian.
(December 2001)
         

Stella food in New York
Stella, a dark, candlelit bistro garnering acclaim in New York, is owned by Anna Weinberg and Paul Masters, a husband-and-wife team from New Zealand. "It has a comforting niceness about it," writes food critic Moira Hodgson, "more like the sort of restaurant you used to find in the Village in the 70s than a slick Soho bistro".
(15 October 2001)
                     

Tui Flower and ANZAC biscuits
Tui Flower, the "Julia Child of New Zealand" shares her ANZAC biscuits recipe with readers of the Los Angeles Times.
(2001)

Have mint-sauce, will travel
New Zealand lamb, herb-crusted and juicy, makes the menu at Bangalore's "Globetrotter's culinary festival".
(20 April 2001)
             

Kosher in Canterbury 
Christchurch is visited by some 20,000 Israeli backpackers annually, and to cater for these numbers, the city will soon be home to New Zealand's first kosher restaurant. Rabbi Mendy Goldstein, formerly of Brooklyn, New York, views the restaurant as a first step in building a future for New Zealand where "Jewish living is convenient and enjoyable" for travellers and especially for its general Jewish population. Ten-thousand Jews live in New Zealand. The article also discusses the history of Jews in Dunedin, which bills itself as the "World's Southernmost Jewish Community". 
(12 May 2008)

Tastebuds will travel 
Guardian reporter Emma Johns and friend spent a two-week culinary tour of New Zealand "exploring the local flavours before attempting to recreate them ourselves." From fine-dining in Wellington to cooking lamb fillet off a cliff in Arthur's Pass: "One great incentive to roam, on any New Zealand road trip, is the extraordinary proximity of its different landscapes. A few hours' drive can take you almost anywhere, from the coastline to the snowline; you can eat prawns for breakfast on the beach, lunch on farmed venison on the plains, and drink your sundowner atop a 3,000ft mountain." 
(10 February 2008)

China wine and dine
Aotearoa wine and cuisine has gained a significant foothold in China with the opening of the first restaurant and bar dedicated to premium NZ produce. Located in Guangzhou, China's third largest city, Back Street 19 Matakana Estate restaurant and bar is a joint venture between Matakana Estate and Goldridge Estate Wines, and Chinese business magnate Mr Yifei Li. "[Guangzhou's] financial elite, like many other affluent Chinese, are rapidly developing a sophisticated appreciation of premium Western wines and cuisines," says Matakana and Goldridge Estates Managing Director, Peter Vegar. Back Street 19 is located in Guangzhou's exclusive residential area of Ersha Island. 
(1 September 2007)

Potential World Heritage sites in NZ 
UNESCO is considering three NZ locations as potential World Heritage Sites at the request of PM Helen Clark, who is also NZ's Minister of Culture and Heritage. The Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Kerikeri Basin and Napier's Art Deco historic precinct have all been suggested as worthy of World Heritage protection. Known as "the birthplace of the nation", the Waitangi Treaty Grounds at Russell were the location for the first signing of the Treaty of Waitangi between Maori and the British Crown in 1840. The Kerikeri Basin in Northland saw the birth of Christianity and bi-cultural society in NZ, with the arrival of European missionaries in 1819. Napier's Art Deco historic precinct was built following the town's near complete destruction from a massive earthquake in 1931. 
(16 July 2007)

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Burger boom 
A restaurant chain founded by three New Zealanders has become one of the most successful businesses in the booming UK "posh burger" market. Gourmet Burger Kitchen was established six years ago by school friends Greg Driscoll, Brandon Allen and Adam Wills. The trio sold the business to restaurant investment company Clapham House Group for NZ $25.7 million in 2004, staying on for 18 months as directors before cashing out. Since the start of the 2006 financial year, Clapham House has added 13 GBK outlets to the chain, and is currently looking for a further 100 sites across the UK. 
(10 June 2007)

 

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Piece of cake LA 
Times food writer Amy Scattergood introduces Americans to the humble pavlova: "a dessert with an unexpected, rustic elegance." As well as providing a step-by-step recipe, Scattergood details the historical and cultural background of the iconic Australasian pudding. "Now the national dessert of both [New Zealand and Australia], the Pavlova has come down to us as a kind of edible symbol, not only of balletic art, but of colonial ingenuity. Unlike its ornate meringue cousin the vacherin, a beautiful if rather fussy dessert, the Pavlova is composed of a free-form meringue upon which whipped cream and fresh fruit are piled with lovely abandon. That's it."
(23 May 2007)

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A taste of Nelson in New York 
A NZ-themed gastropub, Nelson Blue, has opened in New York's burgeoning Seaport area. Owned by Pauli Morgan, a Nelson-born veteran of New York's bar scene, the 100-seat restaurant features a suspended waka, Steinlager on tap, a bar shaped like a ship and views of the Brooklyn Bridge and East River. Kentucky-born Eric Lind, of Brooklyn's feted Flatbush Farm restaurant, has signed on as head chef. 
(2 May 2007)

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Surfing the Menu in NZ 
NZ chef Mark Gardner will co-present the fourth season of popular cooking show Surfing the Menu, with London-based Australian Ben O'Donoghue. Gardner, 29, replaces O'Donoghue's previous co-presenter, Australian Curtis Stone. The fourth season comprises an eight-part tour of NZ, showcasing the country's food and scenery in equal measures. "I have been watching a lot of the food channels lately and checking out the other shows. And I just think we've just got a lot more punch and excitement," said Gardner. The series will see O'Donoghue and Gardner cooking innovative meals in between heli-skiing, surfing and scuba-diving with sharks. Gardner will present his signature barbeque dish: freshwater trout with fejoa wrapped in flax. The series premieres on Discovery Travel & Living, May 8. 
(1 May 2007)

 

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Roast with the most 
Edge establishment Batch Espresso is cutting it in Melbourne's razor-like café scene, with more stellar reviews in the city's leading newspapers. Herald Sun: "[Owner Jason Chan] works the coffee machine and the room, making beautiful coffee and good conversation. He's the consummate host … The menu is choice. In fact, it's choice bro, eh? Chan is proudly Kiwi and the menu features NZ wines, smoked salmon and fruit juices." The Age: "Last year [the Age] Cheap Eats again recognised a Carlisle Street cafe with its best barista prize, describing Jason Chan's Batch Espresso as 'a coffee-themed retreat.' Café lifestyle magazine Crema wrote: 'Move over Wall, Batch is in town.'" 
(7 February 2006)

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Te Rapa creams the opposition
Cream cheese from Fonterra's Te Rapa site won a silver medal at the World Championship Cheese Contest in Wisconsin; its 97.55 out of 100 score less than half a point behind the winner. Known as the Cheese Olympics, the WCCC is the largest event of its kind, boasting 1,792 entries from 18 countries this year alone. Te Rapa cream products process manager Dave Waterman was particularly pleased to win such an award in the US, the undisputed home of cream cheese. 
(31 March 2006)

 

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Flash Gordon
The Times profiles NZ’s most famous cooking export, the “arch-exponent of fusion food” Peter Gordon. As well as owning the Sugar Club, Providores and Tapa Room (all in London), Gordon is consultant chef to Changa (Istanbul), Public (New York) and Dine (Auckland). His latest book, Salads: The New Main Course, cleverly mixes the fundamentals with the exotic. “He seems to want, as ever, to bring the whole world to our tables."
(9 July 2005)

   

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Steaming in Seattle
Kiwi Carl Sara was a finalist in the World Barista Championship in Seattle. The prestigious competition was won by Denmark’s Troels Overdal Poulsen.
(19 April 2005)
   

NYC pie fix
NY Daily News profiles Kiwi Gareth Hughes, the brains behind NYC’s Down Under Bakery. “In Australia and NZ, meat pies are as central to the culture as pizza in New York,” says Hughes. Popular flavours include steak and Portobello mushroom, steak and cheese, steak curry and – of course – the “marvellous addictive mince.”
(29 March 2005)

Perky paradise
A Kiwi oasis in the midst of Melbourne is winning the hearts of critics and customers alike. Batch Espresso, owned and operated by ex-Wellingtonian Jason Chan, earned a rave write-up in Melbourne food bible Cheap Eats and Chan himself was voted barista of the year by the Age. “Batch has a slightly more organic but polished feel than some of its rivals on the strip,” says one reviewer. “The service is young, sassy and sparky, while the menu boasts the sort of honest, simple but slightly inspired combinations that make Melbourne the goddamn cafe capital of the goddamn world … Typical. That's the last thing we need. Yet another pack of New Zealanders over here stealing the limelight from their Aussie rivals.” Batch serves solely NZ wines and beers, Supreme coffee, and sells such Kiwi sweet essentials as Perky Nana’s and K-Bars.
(22 February 2005)
  

Adventure tourism for the tastebuds
The Malaysian Star interviews NZ born Wendy Hutton, an intrepid food and travel writer who is “practically a household name in South-East Asia.” Hutton has published numerous cook books, including Singapore Food and A Cook’s Guide to Asian Vegetables, and helped edit the Charmaine Solomon classic, the Complete Asian Cookbook. She recently planned and edited the first in a series of eight World Food books for Singapore publishing house, Periplus Editions. “Food is a universal language,” says Hutton. “I know from experience that if you show genuine interest in the local food, whether it is in Moscow or Mexico, Marseilles or Malacca, people really relate to you.”
(14 December 2004)
   

Global edge-sposure
Premier NZ vodka label, 42 Below, has made further inroads to the global market, acquiring a key distributor in Australia with Carlton and United Beverages (CUB) and purchasing the US direct sales company Collinsville Securities Limited for US$1.296m. In other news, 42 Below was recently announced as principal sponsor of the Creative NZ commissioned exhibition, ‘The Fundamental Practice’ by et al., for the 2005 Venice Biennale.
(13 September 2004)
    

Export success
Lamb exporting to the UK is set to rise even further following a favourable report by the British government on NZ’s methods of slaughtering stock. According to the report, the standard technique in NZ (stunning the animal prior to slitting its throat) meets both halal and kosher requirements, as well as satisfying the concerns of the Farm Animal Welfare Council. A third of all lamb eaten in the UK currently comes from NZ.
(2 April 2004)
   

Edge eatery hits NoLIta
Celebrated ex-pat chefs Peter Gordon and Anna Hansen (the team behind London's The Providores and Tapa) have opened a new restaurant in New York's trendy NoLIta district - Public.  In a glowing review, the New York Times describes Public as "an extreme example of Antipodean fusion cuisine," one which transports diners to "the far end of the known culinary universe." The New York Daily News is similarly entranced: "Eating here requires a sense of adventure; the chefs here find their pleasure in cockeyed juxtapositions of atypical ingredients, often prepared in a strait-laced fashion ... To be sure, a place this fun won't stay hidden long."  
(21 November 2003)
    

Out-standing
Ex-pat bar proprietor, Kim Lucas, shares her views on “pride and prejudice” in an Observer feature on Britain’s 20 most outstanding homosexuals. Lucas opened London’s first official lesbian hangout - the Candy Bar - in Soho in 1996, and established the alternative (to the more “corporate” Pride) gay summer festival, Purple in the Park. She has since opened another Candy Bar in Brighton and was voted 2003 Woman of the Year by Diva magazine. Lucas on homosexuality: “My relationships for the past 20 years have been with women, but I don't call myself a lesbian. I don't believe in labels. Labels are a useful banner with which to fight for equality, but I think it's only when we don't have them that we'll have equality.”
(26 October 2003)
   

An angel at his table
Actress Kerry Fox interviewed in the Observer 'favourite eateries' column and muses on fellow Kiwi, ex-flatmate and celebrity chef, Peter Gordon's Tapa Room - as well as  his influence on her own culinary habits. "Peter is one of the forerunners of fusion cooking in this country. He made a name for himself working at the Sugar Club by using a mixture of Asian and European ingredients, common in our native New Zealand … while we were living together, I never used a recipe book. Instead I'd decide what I felt like eating, say fish, ring Peter, and he would make up these fantastic dishes off the top of his head."
(8 June 2003)
   

A kiwifruit a day…
Sales of NZ kiwifruit to SARS zone Taiwan have escalated dramatically after two academics proclaimed the fruit's resistance-building properties in a Chinese daily. Kiwifruit contain twice as much vitamin C as oranges and a significantly higher proportion of essential vitamins and minerals than any other commonly eaten fruit.
(28 May 2003)
   

A winter's ale: Montieths
"This dark, brooding, Kiwi ale [Monteith's Richly Hopped Original Ale] with its deep nutty, malty flavours is the perfect thing - served just chilled, of course, rather than cold - for old fashioned roast beef, yorkshire pudding and a grey Sunday afternoon."
(26 - 27 April 2003)

High steaks
NZ beef takes centre stage at New York's latest meat-lovers' paradise; Sosa Borella. According to its reviewers - "a group of eager carnivores" - the "grass-fed, free-range beef from New Zealand" is the main draw-card for the grill-happy Argentinian/Italian restaurant.
(20 October 2002)
      

Cheers, Digger
A Kiwi beer has won at the Australian beer awards. Founders Brewery from Nelson won the accolade of Champion Small Brewery for its organic range including Tall Blonde, Red Head and Long Black. 
(June 2002)    
        

Supermarket nirvana: Gisborne Woolworths
Street-Porter lauds fusion master Peter Gordon, bemoans some antipodean executions of the theory, but finds solace in Woolworths: "I purchased sun-dried tomatoes, olive and rosemary focaccia bread, and locally made Camembert. Have you picked yourselves up off the floor? I'm not even going to bore you with the 25 varieties of Chardonnay, the organic eggs or the 10 kinds of honey. Plus the fact that the check-out lady actually packed my bags". 
(5 February 2002)
          

Book Now
Providores, the keenly awaited new restaurant from Peter Gordon, has opened to acclaim. Says the Times: "Expect to queue once the reviews start rolling in."
(1 September 2001)
             

Mussels and joints
Sore joints? Eat New Zealand green-lipped mussels, or take a pre-processed extract.
(14 June 2001)
              

Sun-kissed pasta
Trials are underway to improve the colour of New Zealand pasta by creating yellower strains of wheat.
(30 November 2000)

" Food miles" shredded by chef 
NZ celebrity chef Peter Gordon has made discrediting the "food miles myth" and promoting quality NZ produce his mission in the UK. In recent months, the London-based chef has appeared on British TV, met with industry officials and written an article in The Independent in a bid to open up dialogue on the increasingly contentious issue. "The term food miles just needs to be dropped - that's the best thing we could do," he says in Wellington's Dominion Post. "A lot of people think the carbon footprint is entirely in the transport, but it's in the production, the [air-conditioned] buildings and the people in the offices ... There are good people doing good things in New Zealand and to have their future at threat because of two words is a real shame." Gordon's views are backed up by a recent study at Lincoln University study which found that NZ lamb sold in Britain was four times as energy efficient as its local product. 
(December 2007)

Familiar tastes in France
NZ rugby fans in France have been able to enjoy a taste of home at Le Maori Cafe in Lyons. Owned by Aucklander Tai Pepere, who played rugby league for French club Catalans in the mid-90s, Le Maori Cafe stocks Speights and Steinlager and is designed to resemble a traditional marae. Pepere suffers only a mild case of divided loyalties, despite being a permanent resident of Lyons who is married to a French woman. "My dream would be for an All Blacks v France final and for the All Blacks to win the final," he says. "I'm not saying it will happen because we (the All Blacks) are used to being beaten in semi-finals, but if the two meet in the final it will certainly guarantee an entertaining game." 
(16 September 2007)

Pure and simple 
NZ mineral water Antipodes was reviewed by Michael Mascha, author of Fine Waters: A Connoisseurs Guide to the World's Most Distinctive Bottled Waters, in the LA Times. "The soft, light bubbles (it's artificially carbonated) and low mineral content contrast well with food without overpowering it," he writes, recommending readers pair it with Chinese dishes such as sweet and sour pork. Antipodes is an Auckland-based company that exports to a growing number of countries, from Taiwan to the Maldives. Last year, Antipodes was judged the world's best sparkling water at the prestigious Berkeley Springs Winter Festival of Waters in California. 
(20 May 2007)

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Gates of Hell open in Fulham 
Hell Pizza has opened its first UK outlet in Fulham, northwest London. Founders Callum Davies and Stu McMullin decided it was time to test a new market after 11 successful years in NZ. Their first attempt broke even after just five weeks trading, bolstering the pair's plans for further expansion. "We have got to get three months solid trade in, doing better than break even and seeing good pizza numbers. As soon as we are happy with that, then we will look at franchising, we have got people beating down our doors to do that," said McMullin in the NZ Herald. "I don't like to fail and Callum doesn't like to fail and we are both competitive dudes. I've got to give it a really good crack." The Fulham restaurant seats 50 and features copper tables, custom-made chandeliers and black leather booths decorated with red flames. Davies and McMullin aim to have 20 UK outlets open by the end of next year.
(29 April 2007)

 

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Matterhorn among world's best
Wellington institution the Matterhorn has been named one of the world's top five bars by respected US trade magazine, Bartender. The Cuba St local was ranked fifth behind Milk & Honey (London), Salvatore at Fifty (London), The American Bar (London) and Bayswater Brasserie (Sydney). Judges described the Matterhorn as "a bastion of creativity and bar culture in NZ [that] has led the way for many years." Last year, the Matterhorn was crowned Best Bar in New Zealand and won Best Drink Selection at the inaugural New Zealand Bar Awards in Auckland. "There's a definite culture that goes with the Matterhorn," said co-owner Sam Chapman in the NZ Herald. "It's a real local, rather than just an urban tourist spot - it's very much part of the fabric of people's daily lives." 
(22 April 2007)

 

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Pride of the south
Speight’s Gold Medal ale gets a big thumbs up from the Journal and Courier’s (Indiana, US) resident 'Beer  Man’. “It poured a nice head and was an absolutely crystal clear, light amber colour. Bready, biscuity smells wafted from my pint glass as I prepared for my first sip. Those characteristics were also apparent in the taste, as well as light caramel malt …This is a good everyday drinking beer that shows New Zealand breweries can compete on an even keel with many bitters and pale ales from England. You won't be disappointed by this fine beer.”
(15 February 2006)

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Serendipity strikes gold
An extra virgin olive oil by Waihopi Valley’s Serendipity Olive estate was awarded a diploma of grand mention at Italy’s prestigious Mastri Oleari International Golden Lion Awards. Serendipity Olive Estate owner Carol Walton: “It is especially great news for us, but also for the NZ Olive Oil Industry as a whole in that we are up there with the best.”
(4 May 2005)
    

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Plastic fantastic
NZ’s Calvert Plastics in conjunction with the Wellington Institute of Technology has developed a plastic packaging innovation set to revolutionise global exporting. International market regulations are increasingly demanding alternatives to traditional wood and cardboard packaging, for both monetary and environmental reasons. “[Our] design allows more product to be stacked on a pallet,” says Calvert trading manager John Matthews. “It’s a new way of thinking, with products stacked by angling them on their edge rather than layering them flat.”
(29 March 2005)
   

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Kai to die for
Independent food writer Jenni Muir nominates Nelson and Marlborough as the lesser-known food capitals of NZ. In Nelson, she recommends foraging for kai-moana with guide Mike Elkington of Te Hikoi Maori. Matua Valley is the place to go in Marlborough for bold sauvignon blanc served with raw oysters and other fresh seafood.
(26 March 2005)
    

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The £55 burger
Hamburgers made with New Zealand meat are being sold by a London restaurant for £55 ($NZ146) each. The 200g 'burgers, made from meat from cattle of the Japanese wagyu breed, come with fries, and are being sold at the Zuma restaurant in Knightsbridge. A spokeswoman for the restaurant said: "Our wagyu beef comes from New Zealand, where the cows are reared on beer and massaged until they weigh three-quarters of a ton, more than double the weight of an average cow. The meat rivals foie gras for richness, tenderness, calorific content - and cost. It's also the only beef proven to reduce cholesterol levels." Zuma introduced the burger after a request from James Bond star Pierce Brosnan, who ordered wagyu beef while the two dined in Japan.
(11 April 2005)

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A Kiwi voice in Cannes
Cuisine won silver in the Food Magazines category of the inaugural Gourmet Voice Awards in Cannes. The September 2004 Middle Eastern special was recognised alongside such renowned international publications as Delicious (UK), Olive (US), and Cucina (Italy). “To take out a top award like this when competing with some of the world’s most respected food magazines endorses the world class quality of Cuisine,” said Editor Simon Wilson in Scoop. “This award will bring worldwide attention and industry recognition, further showcasing our country’s inventiveness and resourcefulness when it comes to cuisine.”
(18 November 2004)
   

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Go Fish
Fish la Boissonerie – co-owned by Kiwi Drew Harre and American Juan Sanchez – features in an LA Times guide to dining well (without breaking the bank) in Paris. “Here's a place to go, in the heart of the 6th arrondissement, on the Left Bank just off the Rue de Buci market, when you're tired of trying to negotiate Parisian menus loaded with brains and intestines … [Fish] has a friendly expat air - which isn't to say it doesn't attract plenty of Parisians … I had tuna tartare in oyster shells, followed by a beautiful, thick, fluffy piece of cod on a bed of spinach. Then I sat for the longest time, nursing a glass of red wine, reluctant to face the walk home in the drizzle.”
(25 April 2004)
   

Edge espressoholics
The Star attributes Wellington's creativity and can-do attitude to its extraordinary topography and world-ranking caffeine intake. "Wellington, the 'windy city,' definitely enjoys one of the most challenging locations on earth. 'Here’s your brief,' the city designers must have said to the builders. 'Find the hilliest place in New Zealand, preferably right on a fault line; build all the houses on the sides of cliffs so that they threaten at any moment to tumble down into the harbour, and make the roads and footpaths as steep as you possibly can.' The result is a 3D city without peer, a training ground for mountain goats and mountaineers ... Every turn you take reveals breath-changing vistas, or funky street sculptures, or bars and cafés that would not be out of place in Paris or New York." The writer imbibes quality coffee at Wellington institutions Caffe L'Affare and Emporio, visits the award-winning multimedia firm Click Suite, watches the animated film The Ring: Wagner’s Dungeons and Dragons at Circa Theatre, and takes a tour of Te Papa.
(7 February 2004)

Eating on the edge
Public – helmed by NZ chefs Peter Gordon, Anna Hansen, and Brad Farmerie – has administered a welcome shock to the tastebuds of New York diners. According to New York Times food critic, William Grimes, “[Public’s] triumvirate of New Zealand chefs practice a style of global fusion cuisine that walks the line between freewheeling and reckless […] a high-risk, high-reward dining proposition. I have a feeling that the owners want it that way. They did not come thousands of miles to bore New York. Understatement is not in the plan. Sometimes you have to slap people in the face to get their attention.”
(17 December 2003)
 

Kapiti Creme Anglaise: finger licking good
SMH's 'Good Food Guide' salivates over Kapiti Creme Anglaise: "Talk about the perfect dinner party treat. Heavenly drizzled over cakes and tarts. Or on your finger when you've got a hankering for something sweet and creamy." The creme anglaise is produced in a novel soft pouch. The award winning boutique cheese and ice cream maker, "also produces excellent creme fraiche and mascarpone."
(30 September 2003)
      

Turning it up
Californian A-listers dined on the very best of NZ produce at UNICEF’s Gala Awards Banquet and Fundraiser, where ex-Bond, Roger Moore, was named Humanitarian of the Year. Entrepreneurial restaurateur, Noel Turner (Turner New Zealand Restaurant), donated the raw materials for the event, which were then shaped into culinary masterpieces by four American Master Chefs. Turner has coined the phrase “food integrity” to describe the process behind his popular establishment; he owns his own food-processing operatives in NZ, thus enabling him to exert quality control from “plant to plate.”
(4 September 2003)   

Truffles R Us
An English farmer aims to bring truffles - "the black diamond of the fungi world" - to the masses using technology purchased from the NZ Institute for Crop and Food Research. Nigel Hadden-Paton of Truffle UK Limited is selling the tree seedlings implanted with truffle spores for a mere 25 pounds each. "There is," he says "a ridiculous amount of snobbery surrounding the truffle and there needn't be."
(20 May 2003)
  

Celebrity chef
Kiwi chef Alex Mackay is one of the bright sparks leading Britain's ongoing gastronomic revolution. After working in England and Italy, Mackay now runs an acclaimed cooking school at Le Baou d'Infer in Provence - the holiday home of London fashion photographer, Peter Knab. The class has already been translated into a successful British TV series. Mackay's book - Cooking in Provence - has been equally acclaimed.
(9 March 2003)
   

Whale watching on Ponsonby Rd?
Moby, the world's most vocal vegan, has spilled the beans on his favourite places to dine around the globe. His list of ethical eateries includes Ponsonby Road mainstay, Musical Knives. "[This] cute little restaurant is very nice … And it's in New Zealand. Which is the best place in the world. Now I'm hungry again."
(December - January 2003)
  

"Feast feats"
London restaurant Pied a Terre, where Kiwi chef Shane Osborn reigns as "creative genius," praised in the Observer: "You may wonder how it is possible for a Michelin-starred restaurant to serve a three-course lunch for £23, but this Noho stalwart manages it […] despite a small dining space, impeccable service, and endless amuse-bouches." Osborn is commended in particular for his "delicate combinations, deeply flavoursome sauces and daring desserts."
(13 October 2002)
       

Salted venison 
Sydney's premier restaurant Salt brings NZ venison to Aussie palates via their latest menu. 
(6 June 2002)
       

School's dinner
On the heels of his hotly anticipated new venture Providores, edge fusion food-man Peter Gordon spurns the celeb-chef cliche for knife-wielding cruelty and cooks top notch cuisine to raise funds for a new school in Butterstone for the 'educationally fragile.' "Sample his New Zealand expertise and some fine wines ..."
Pdf Copy
(14 July 2001)

Landing the big one
Turner New Zealand baits the hook for US seafood buyers with on-demand video demonstrations by celebrity chefs and NZ-fresh fish delivered to the door. Not only is Turner's food the finest gourmet offering, their website ranks 57th on the Chef2Chef culinary portal, beating big-gun taste gurus like Martha Stewart.
Pdf Copy
(July 2001)