BEYOND BIG CITIES AND BEYOND THE PLATE

Michelin has created an appetite our food columnist Rae Baker sees as an opportunity. How about we band together to show what our food culture’s made of?

PHOTO TOURISM BAY OF PLENTY

The arrival of the Michelin Guide in New Zealand has generated plenty of excitement, and rightly so. Internationally, a Michelin recommendation or star can transform a restaurant’s reputation, attract global visitors and elevate an entire country’s culinary profile.

For New Zealand, it’s another chance to showcase our food story on the world stage, but although much of the conversation has centred on which restaurants might earn recognition, I think the bigger opportunity lies elsewhere. It’s with the regions.

Tourism New Zealand has identified food and beverages as a key driver of international visitation, recognising that today’s travellers increasingly choose destinations based on the experiences they’ll have, not just the sights they’ll see. Food has become one of those experiences. Visitors want to discover local produce, meet the people behind it and experience the flavours that define a place.

Michelin has the potential to put New Zealand on more international itineraries. The question is: once visitors decide to come, how do we encourage them to travel beyond our major cities?

That’s where our beautiful Bay of Plenty has a genuine opportunity to shine. We’re fortunate to have many of the ingredients already in place: a thriving horticulture sector, innovative producers, talented chefs, award- winning restaurants, boutique breweries and distilleries, bustling farmers’ markets and a climate that allows incredible produce to flourish almost year-round. More importantly, we have something visitors are increasingly seeking: authenticity and manaakitanga (hospitality, generosity...) in abundance.

The Bay of Plenty has never tried to be a fine-dining capital – and that might be one of its greatest strengths. Our food culture is relaxed, welcoming and deeply connected to the people and the landscape that produces it. Whether it’s sharing a long lunch overlooking the ocean or meeting the grower behind the ingredients on your plate, our hospitality reflects the lifestyle that makes this region special.

The challenge isn’t creating great food experiences, it’s making them easy to discover. This is where regionalcollaboration becomes so important. Food trails, seasonal campaigns, destination marketing, accommodation packages, festivals and events all help visitors to see the bigger picture. Rather than promoting individual venues in isolation, they create a compelling reason to spend another night, explore another town or venture a little further off the beaten track.

Events such as Flavours of Plenty have already demonstrated what’s possible when an entire region comes together to celebrate its food identity. By connecting producers, chefs, hospitality businesses and communities, they offer visitors something they can’t replicate elsewhere – a genuine taste of place.

As Michelin shines a brighter spotlight on New Zealand’s culinary credentials, the Bay of Plenty has an opportunity to ensure our region is part of that story – not by trying to imitate the world’s dining capitals, but by confidently showcasing what makes our own food culture distinctive. After all, people don’t travel to the Bay for a single restaurant. They come for the beaches, the orchards, the sunshine, the hospitality and the lifestyle. Great food simply brings those experiences together.

Perhaps that’s the opportunity Michelin presents – not to chase stars, but to give more people a reason to discover everything else that’s waiting beyond the city limits.

Rebranding the Bay

What makes a place truly unforgettable? Is it the golden beaches, the rolling hills, or the vibrant urban buzz? For Our Tauranga Region, the answer is something deeper. It’s in the stories of the people who live and work there. Now, in a bold move to express the essence of Tauranga and the Western Bay, the team is turning to the community to help define the region’s next big identity.

words HAYLEY BARNETT

After years of watching Tauranga and the Western Bay grow in size and diversity, Our Tauranga Region has embarked on a journey to develop a new brand. In fact, it will be the first brand the region has ever adopted, and they want to make sure it’s one that genuinely reflects the spirit of those who call the Bay home.

“We’ve got this beautiful region, but the way we talk about it hasn’t caught up with who we are now,” explains Haydn Marriner, project lead at Our Tauranga Region. “We didn’t want to slap a logo on a postcard and call it a brand. It has to be a reflection of the people – our mana and values.”

Rather than relying solely on marketers or consultants, Our Tauranga Region is crowdsourcing the heart of the brand from its own community. They’re meeting with iwi, local businesses, artists, and residents to uncover what truly defines the region and its people. Nothing has been decided yet; even the term 'Our Tauranga Region' is a temporary white label identity that will be retired once the new place brand has been delivered.

“Branding is no longer a top-down process,” says Marriner. “It’s about co-creation. We’re not just building something for the community. We’re building it with them.”

One of the key principles guiding the project is authenticity. Our Tauranga Region is working closely with tangata whenua to ensure the brand is grounded in te ao Māori and the unique cultural fabric of the region. As Marriner puts it, “You can’t tell the story of this place without starting with the people who have been here the longest.”

While culture and heritage are central, the brand also aims to represent the region’s evolving identity and its entrepreneurial energy, creative spirit, and laid-back lifestyle.

The process has been anything but conventional. From community hui to online submissions, the brand development has become a dialogue, not a monologue. And it’s working.

“What’s been amazing is how much people care,” Marriner says. “There’s a sense of pride and ownership coming through in every conversation. Whether someone’s been here five minutes or five generations, they’ve got something to say about what makes this place special.”

The branding project is set to roll out over the next few months, with a visual identity and messaging platform expected later this year. But for Our Tauranga Region, the journey has already delivered its own reward, which is a stronger connection between the people and the place they call home.

“If we get this right, if we create something true to us, it'll resonate with locals, with visitors, with businesses – with everyone!” Marriner says. “Because it’s real.”

Have your say at: OURTAURANGAREGION.COM