Winter warmers
The top secret food experiences you need to know about.
words STACEY JONES
It feels like winter has truly set in now – grey skies, chilly nights, the same old dinner on repeat. But fear not, you don’t have to wander far to warm your cockles. Here are our food columnist Stacey Jones' top-secret foodie experiences in the Bay of Plenty that’ll light up your winter with a fantastic food adventure.
Mid-Winter Gin-Mas
June–August
Matahui Distillery is warming our cockles this winter with their Mid-Winter Gin-mas workshop, where you’ll have the chance to make your own custom gin using mid-winter Christmas botanicals. At $95 per head (roughly the cost of a decent shop-bought bottle), it’s the steal of the season. Paul Horak, Matahui’s master distiller, will guide you through small-batch botanicals (he even snagged New Zealand’s Best Botanical Spirit award). The distillery is located in Matahui, just 20 minutes from Tauranga. It's the perfect spot for a fun weekend away from the city.
To book, visit:
Shuck Yeah!
June–October
Have you ever wanted to slurp an oyster moments after it left the water? Tio Ōhiwa’s twice-daily, 90-minute cruises across Ōhiwa Harbour make it possible at New Zealand’s only Māori-owned oyster farm. Your journey begins with a guided history of the estuary, winds past Ohakana Island and Tauwhare Pā, then drops anchor at Ōhiwa Oyster Farm. There you’ll learn to shuck, dress and serve your own oysters, tour the processing plant and walk away with a dozen (or more) of the freshest Ōhiwa oysters you’ll ever taste.
To book, visit OHIWAOYSTERS.COM and use code BOPEATS for 10% off.
Diggin' It
June-July
Truffle-hunting season (late May–July) is here and in the Bay of Plenty we are graced with some of New Zealand’s highest producing truffle farms. Trufflewood in Paengaroa invites you onto their farm to hunt Perigord truffles, famed on TVNZ’s Country Calendar and featured on plates at Amisfield and Ahi. Follow expert dog Simba as he leads you through the orchard floor to unearth these rare gems. Once you’ve dug up your treasure, indulge in a guided tasting, including local cheese, butter, ice cream and more.
Visit BOPEATS.CO.NZ for tickets and use the code UNO10 for $10 off.
My Big Fat Greek
Cooking Class
Thursdays, June–August 2025
Step inside Yiayia's Little Kitchen at Caterina Murphy's cosy Matatā home, perched opposite Whale Island on a tranquil rural property, and roll up your sleeves for a hands-on Greek cooking class. Under her warm and welcoming guidance, you’ll learn to craft pipinghot moussaka layered with silky bechamel, hand-stretched pillowy pitas to fill with homemade hummus and tzatziki, and fold flaky filo for sweet baklava. Along the way, Caterina will share the stories behind each recipe, the traditions they spring from, and the love she pours into every dish. After cooking, sit down together to feast on your creations, savouring an experience you’ll be talking about long after the last bite.
Contact YIAYIASLITTLEKITCHEN@GMAIL.COM for classes.
