Creating and innovating
Creating and innovating. Hospitality really is at the heart of this restaurant.
Hospitality really is at the heart of this restaurant.
Words Nicky Adams Photos supplied
Bethlehem’s Somerset Cottage has something of a multi-faceted footing in the food world. In addition to offering an unforgettable dining experience, it runs cook schools and provides the option of accommodation in an architecturally designed adjoining studio. It is unique not just because of its ‘dine, learn, stay’ ethos, but also because, under owner/operator husband and wife team Anne and Rick, Somerset Cottage has been creating cherished food memories for over 36 years, which in hospitality is monumental.
Anne and Rick are respectively front of house and chef, and a mutual respect of the importance of each other’s roles goes a long way in their recipe for success. Anne has a unique gift in that she combines an efficient professional manner with friendliness and open humour. Rick is reserved, with modesty masking his mastery and expertise. He is miles away from the stereotype of bullish, egotistical chefs – in fact the thought of him raising his voice, throwing a tanty or melting down over a split sauce is frankly laughable.
This calm, understated vibe is what defines Somerset Cottage, and the fact that Anne and Rick actively shy away from the limelight is in some way what has allowed them to seamlessly evolve from the small BYO restaurant that started in July 1986, to offering the symbiotic foodie experience that they excel in today.
With a keen eye on the advances in dining expectations, they understand the need to move with the times. As Anne points out; “We’ve evolved on a food front, but also on a wine front – the drinks are no longer just about wine, increasingly it’s about cocktails and non-alcoholic options. Food has progressed immensely: people’s dietary requirements have necessitated that. We’ve embraced a vegan menu – as a long-established restaurant you have to offer the dishes that you are strongly associated with, but at the same time if regular customers don’t see change, some of them critique that - hence our weekly menu that accommodates the seasons.” Ironically, a regular diner I spoke to tells me, she often feigns delight at the array – then circles back to the tried-and-tested favourite dish, Sauteed Squid, every time.
While the food is exquisite – so much so that my visiting best friend smuggled vacuum-packed items back to Melbourne with her – the cook schools are at once informative, interactive, engaging, and entertaining. Held with Rick demonstrating and Anne explaining, the intimate vibe and the wealth of knowledge means that even the most timid home cook comes away with tips and the know-how to recreate restaurant-quality dishes. After the cooking demonstration the group together enjoy a long lunch and paired wine: the bonhomie and jokes flow as freely as the wine, and Anne remarks with obvious pleasure that “it just works.”
With the cook schools attracting participants far and wide, Anne and Rick made the decision to build a loft-style studio next door. According to Anne, “We had a vision – a small, intimate space that’s all about the bush - a space to decompress.” Whether just for a ‘staycation’ or to visit the restaurant or cook school, it’s a stunning stand-alone experience.
With a stubborn determination to remain under the radar, Somerset Cottage is a beguiling mix. It offers world-class food yet prizes the relationships with its customers above any accolade. While moving with the times – you’ll find Anne gleefully telling tales of sourcing the latest New Zealand distilleries – some things haven’t changed for 30 years; you will no more find yourself charged for your side dish than be allocated a restricted dining time slot. You are here for the experience – and the team will do its best to ensure it’s an unforgettable one.
After Dark
Creative BOP’s urban festival is bringing light to dark times.
Creative BOP’s urban festival is bringing light to dark times.
Words Luke Schroder - images supplied
It’s easy to walk around Tauranga’s city streets without paying any close attention to the big blank walls of surrounding buildings. Concrete slabs and featureless facades line the streets, designed to be forgettable, non-intrusive enclosures for the businesses contained behind them. But for some clever minds these walls represent a far more exciting opportunity. These walls will soon become canvases for creativity as artists light up public spaces with an eclectic mix of colourful shapes, short films, abstract imagery, and innovative lighting technologies that will show the city in a new light.
This exciting initiative is being brought to Tauranga by Creative Bay of Plenty, with funding support from Creative New Zealand. Trustpower has come on board as the major corporate sponsor, alongside partners Downtown Tauranga, Tauranga City Council, Priority One, Veros, Te Tuhi Mareikura Trust and Toi Ohomai.
After Dark Urban Light Festival is an all-new art experience that will see a range of artworks transform Tauranga’s CBD into a gleaming playground full of exciting, illuminated installations. For 10 days in May a selection of luminous artworks will form a unique art trail across the central city through a mixture of video projection, freestanding sculptures, glowing alleyways, short films, and creative uses of vacant spaces. The festival is designed to be a self-guided journey spread across multiple sites within Tauranga’s CBD that encourages people to walk around the city discovering the various installations and the magic within.
It may not seem like a logical time to be running a new festival given the recent wave of event cancellations, postponements, and ongoing uncertainty, however with some clever thinking and careful planning After Dark is designed to be able to proceed regardless of traffic light settings or gathering restrictions. Because the festival isn’t fixed to a particular day, time, or single location, all those attending can be spread out from each other and stay socially distant whilst still enjoying all the festival has to offer.
“We’ve intentionally designed a covid-friendly format that allows people to participate from a distance and at their own leisure”, says Project Manager Luke Schroder. “People can view any artwork at any time on any evening during the 10 days of the festival and still have the same great experience.”
After Dark will be an opportunity for families, friends, and individuals of all ages to share in an exciting and fresh artistic experience described as a ‘tapestry of illuminated creativity’. After Dark explores themes of connectedness in our society, specifically connections to people, culture, and nature. These connections make up the themed ‘threads’ of After Dark and serve as inspiration for new works created for the festival.
Emily Woolerton is one local artist creating a new artwork specifically for After Dark. As the creative mind behind Mount Maunganui design studio ‘Calico’ and clothing label ‘The Know’, Emily is no stranger to creating fun designs and out-of-the-box visual ideas. For the launch of her first clothing line, Emily used video projection to transform Papamoa photography studio Suburbia into an exciting visual feast of giant slurping noodles, animated playing cards, floor-to-ceiling curtains made of poetry, and a brand-new fashion collection on display.
“Normal moments became jarring by placing them in the centre of attention. Someone eating noodles is an average, everyday occurrence – until that person is five metres wide and you can see every detail. It became an immersive experience, where people were both transfixed and horrified by the ordinary.”
With a mind for design and an eye for detail, Emily is looking forward to creating a new piece to be exhibited at After Dark later this year. Her artwork titled ‘Critical’ is a creative look at our need for human connection and examines how we are wired to thrive through relationships with one another instead of getting lost in our own insular worlds.
Emily is excited to see creativity fostered in the Bay of Plenty through projects such as After Dark and is looking forward to seeing the vibrancy it will bring to the city. “One of the beautiful things about art is how it brings people together, and it’s really exciting to see events like this build the culture and atmosphere in Tauranga.”
After Dark Urban Light Festival runs from Friday May 13 to Sunday May 22, 2022 in Tauranga CBD and is a free-entry event suitable for all ages.
Café Near Me
With options to suit vegans, gluten-free and keto diets, as well as the pooch, there’s something for every Mount local’s requirement at this new aptly-named café.
With options to suit vegans, gluten-free and keto diets, as well as the pooch, there’s something
for every Mount local’s requirement at this new aptly-named café.
words Monique Balvert-O’Connor | photos Erin Cave
Carmen Furniss with her two sons, Torbin and Marick.
Carmen Furniss has just launched a long-dreamed-about venture that’s near to her heart.
She bought her first eatery (a Te Awamutu restaurant) at the tender age of 23. A few decades on and it’s time to do it again. Carmen is the proud owner of Café Near Me, which opened recently at number 8 Maunganui Road.
“Organic, earthy, textured is the look I’ve created and I think that coincides with the Near Me feel… it represents a warm hug,” the enthused, self-professed “foodie” shares. “It’s close to my heart (near me) and that’s part of the driving force behind the name.”
The name and the ambience are receiving plenty of nods of approval, as are the points of difference this
Mount Maunganui café presents.
“Our food, including a puppy menu, our implementation of a mental health policy, and our minimal waste (we’re aiming for zero waste) approach are what I call our unique selling points,” Carmen is proud to say.
As mother to a celiac daughter, she offers an essentially gluten-free menu (limited amounts of gluten can only be found in add-ons, catering for those wanting sourdough, for example).
There’s more than a cursory nod to the keto diet too. Carmen’s a-la-carte menu (there’s cabinet and counter food too) includes 12 items, three of which are exclusively keto, six are vegan and the remainder are a crossover of different elements.
If a gluten-free menu, with keto, vegan, dairy-free and refined sugar-free options are what you pine for, then Café Near Me will be close to your heart too.
Real fruit ice creams are on offer, as are smoothies and juices, the latter courtesy of Carmen and her husband’s abundant fruit orchard. Café Near Me is licensed, “so a vodka cruiser in the sun is a goer”. And the café includes an appealing outdoor area with views of Mauao.
Dog friendly, with canines permitted in the outdoor area, the café’s puppy menu features a Pupachino and two venison products supplied by the family’s Te Awamutu-based pet food range, Platinum Ranch.
Carmen wants people to feel at home in her café, and she feels very strongly about waste minimisation too.
“I’m aiming to get to zero waste and want the gold standards certificate to prove it. I have so many awesome contacts to help with this and my staff are being stringently trained on zero waste practises around set targets.”
Carmen has, for example, tapped into a new initiative – the Café Collect Incentive – that will take what’s currently not considered recyclable (for example, used napkins, tetrapack boxes, foil) and turn it into product like gib board.
“At Café Near Me there are exciting things happening. Super pumped is the over-arching feeling I am experiencing,” Carmen smiles.
Her remarkable enterprise is open from 7am to 3pm or 4pm, depending on the day (with a possibility of being open later in the peak season), six days a week, closed Mondays.
It is sited at the bottom of The Pacific building in a space that’s been home to various eateries over the years and has had a complete refit.
Contact: info@cafenearme.co.nz
Mount Dobson
Can you keep a secret? Luckily for you, neither can we. Discover the magic of Mount Dobson.
Accommodation at Parkbrae Estate at Lake Tekapo, along with car hire, was easy to book through Booking.com.
Can you keep a secret? Luckily for you, neither can we.
words Jenny Rudd / photos Ben Hunter + supplied
Scything down the slope, plumes of glitter spraying behind him, my husband Mat whoops with joy after yet another run down the sundrenched slopes at Mt Dobson. Even though it's the winter school holidays and the snow and sun are plentiful, there are just a handful of people up here. Apparently the first rule of Dobbo is no one talks about Dobbo. That's what we were told by a Mackenzie Country local who has been skiing here for 35 years. And it explains why barely anyone's heard of the best-kept snowy secret in Aotearoa. This ski field has some of the country's best snow, every year, the best weather, the friendliest atmosphere and the least people. Allow us to lift the lid.
Skiing terrain
This is family skiing at its best. There are four lifts; one chair, one pommel, one T-bar and a beginners' rope tow. The basin is wide and open, and the runs are never crowded. We didn't queue for lifts, and we always found new places to explore over the week. The kids found some cool jumps and you could see right across the slopes to your little ones on one of the best learner slopes in the country. We skied every one of the seven days we were there. The sun shone, the powder fluffed around, and we wanted to stay another week because another dump was expected.
Ski school
Our four children had a two hour snowboarding lesson every morning with Archie, whose patience must not go unmentioned. All four went from absolute beginners to bombing down all the slopes by the end of the week. The lifties and instructors were all friendly and greeted everyone by name. You can book lessons before you arrive or on the day.
Writer Jenny and her brood of skiers and snowboarders about to hit the mountain for some serious shredding.
Eating on the mountain
Fairlie Bakehouse Pies. If you've had one before you'll be getting flashbacks around now. The pork belly and apple pie had a generous chip of crackling on top, and was an absolute winner. The café serves coffees, hot chocolates, pies and instant noodles. Sit round the heater in the cafe, or chuck a few folding chairs in the back of the car for a car park picnic. We took snacks up every day and left the car open so that we had a base to come back to.
Kit hire
You can hire all your kit from the well-stocked hut up on the mountain. We hired trousers, jackets, skis, boards, boots and helmets. Bring your own gloves, goggles, hats and gloves. Arrive early as it gets busy.
Peter Foote
In the seventies, Peter Foote climbed to the top with his cousin and thought 'This is it!' He spent seven years building a 17km road up to the ski field, and has been running Mt Dobson for the past forty years with members of his family. If you can get hold of a copy, read his book Against The Odds. I don't think there'll ever be another story like it. You'll see Peter whizzing around the slopes on various machines.
Stay in Lake Tekapo
We booked our accommodation on the booking.com app because of their flexible cancellation policy. There was no guarantee that snow (yes please!) or covid (no thanks!) would play ball. There are a huge range of options on the app to suit budgets and your group. We went for a house on the Parkbrae Estate, on the lake front by the Church of the Good Shepherd. The whole town is very well set up for visitors with a flash Foursquare, and great outdoors shops.
The stay at Parkbrae Estate, booked through Booking.com, was perfect for a family of six.
Do
Any non-skiing days are easily catered for in Lake Tekapo. Book into the Dark Sky Project for some stargazing, or soak in the hot springs overlooking the lake at Tekapo Springs.
Getting there
The booking.com app was a winner for car hire. We got a very roomy Audi Q7, which came with a roof box and snow chains. It was seamless, and as soon as we'd booked online, someone called to make sure we had everything we needed for our trip. The flight from Tauranga to Christchurch was direct, then the car was ready and waiting at the airport.
We were guests of Booking.com for accommodation and car hire, and Mt Dobson for lift passes and kit hire.
Life of the party: Tauranga Party Hire helps to make your big day perfect
This big-hearted hire company puts people first – and the “good” into good times.
This big-hearted Tauranga hire company puts people first – and the “good” into good times.
INTERVIEW ANDY TAYLOR / PHOTOS JAHL MARSHALL
Throwing a party is always worthwhile; an excuse to catch up with family and friends, to celebrate occasions and successes. And while a big event might seem daunting to put on, the people that have made throwing parties their business have a knack for pulling it all together.
“Our whole purpose is to take the stress out of holding an event,” says Nathan Dolman, who bought the business with wife Amy in 2018. “With any occasion, there’s so much to think about and so much to do, so we really see our job as not only supplying equipment but also helping to take out all the background noise, and making sure nothing’s missed.” The couple do this in all sorts of ways, like delivering supplies for a weekend event on the Thursday, making for an easier Friday for their clients.
Amy, a former teacher, and Nathan, with his background as a bank manger who values seamless organisation, have extensive experience in all sorts of events like private dinners, weddings and corporate events. They know what works and what doesn’t. They’ve seen every kind of event you could imagine. Nathan in particular has been involved in the industry since he was young. His aunt and uncle owned a party hire company for many years, with Nathan working alongside them for pocket money back in the day. And now their children Ella (10) and Logan (8) are right in the mix. “We’ve involved the kids in the business from very early on,” says Amy.
Amy says their business is always looking toward the future. Sustainability is top of mind for the couple, with the model of the business a naturally smart choice for the planet. “It makes sense that you’d hire items for a party, instead of buying something only for it to gather dust.”
Tauranga Party Hire has everything from table settings, all kinds of glassware and plates – to furniture, lighting, PA systems and marquees. “If we don’t have something, we’ll do our best to find it and save you having to search it out from somewhere else. We pride ourselves on being a one-stop shop,” adds Amy.
Ultimately, it all comes back to making any party a stress-free event. Amy says that at the heart of everything they do, is enabling their clients to celebrate a special occasion without a hitch.
“I love helping people, and that’s what we’re all about – problem-solving and making sure things go smoothly and efficiently, so you can concentrate on enjoying your event. It’s a real privilege to have a hand in someone’s perfect day.”
Flexing your musical muscle at Totara St.
Great teachers are instrumental in developing a certain gift that keeps on giving, and UNO knows where you can find one.
Great teachers are instrumental in developing a certain gift that keeps on giving, and UNO knows where you can find one.
WORDS NICKY ADAMS / PHOTOS SALINA GALVAN
Having flexed my musical chops at an early age by mastering “London’s Burning” on the recorder, I was a little taken aback to be told by my music teacher as a young teen that I was tone deaf.
The bubble of my fledgling pop career burst by the harsh words of Mr Crabb, I never picked up a musical instrument again (unless you count the triangle in the Christmas nativity play), and although my children have each shown some musical ability, I can lay no claim to being the genetic source of their talent. Music trends have moved with the times, though, and it’s fair to say that the array of possibilities now open to young (and not so young, for that matter) learners is extensive – and, more than that, exciting.
Here in Tauranga, we’re lucky enough to have among our options the Mauao Performing Arts Centre (MauaoPAC) based at multi-function venue Totara St, which offers tuition in every avenue you could imagine. No longer must parents be subjected to the screech of a recorder, when the array of instruments to choose from at MauaoPAC includes guitar, ukulele, bass, keyboards, piano, percussion, saxophone, violin and voice. In group classes and one-on-one lessons, there are up to 12 tutors available who operate out of four rooms.
The idea is to immerse the students not just in their lessons, but in the whole scene; some of the tutors are jobbing musos (until recently L.A.B frontman Joel Shadbolt taught here), and at the end of every term, a concert is put on in the high-tech on-site venue. Budding Billie Eilishes or not, this experience blows the kids’ minds. Although the thought of igniting and facilitating their children’s creative passion tops many parents’ to-do lists, like anything, it has to be the right fit.
Tauranga’s Carly Stewart sends her son to MauaoPAC for electric guitar lessons and her daughter to voice classes. She says she loves the culture because, “It has a laid-back, family feel, and the go-with-the-flow vibe fits nicely with the whole music scene”. When it comes to the benefits of being part of this community, Carly says, “It’s so important and has become a huge part of our lives. The temptations out there for teenagers are real and being passionate about music helps kids focus on the right stuff.” She also enjoys the end-of-term concerts. “They’re a definite highlight. They give the kids something to work towards – and parents love it too.”
It’s not just the musically gifted who reap rewards. Music can open a window for anyone to a truly wonderful world. Aside from the joy it brings in the moment, it’s a gift that keeps on giving. Neuroscience studies prove that music can enhance brain function in children, and it helps to develop the left side of the brain, related to language and reasoning. People who are musically trained have been proven to have better working memory skills, which helps them to remember things even while their minds are busy with other matters. As someone with a shocking memory, this leads me to think it’s not just children who should be encouraged to pick up an instrument. Playing music also requires concentration, and in this day and age when technology cultivates an unhealthy desire for immediacy, training the brain to focus on something for sustained periods is invaluable.
Whether you have the next member of Sol3 Mio in your home or just a kid who loves to bang on a drum, MauaoPAC offers a joyous, encouraging environment for all. Add to this the confidence-building attached to any kind of performing, and even the ‘tone deaf’ like myself will come away richer. As German philosopher and composer Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “Without music, life would be a mistake.”
Immerse yourself in the heart and soul of Italy at Alpino Cambridge
“The overall experience is about fun and enjoyment. The restaurant is always full, and the essence of it is truly Italian.”
Those of us lucky enough to have visited Italy pre-Covid will recall a classic scene in our minds, perhaps a packed piazza filled with intimate restaurants, and incredible aromas of food and wine lingering in the electric atmosphere. That celebratory Italian spirit has been captured a little closer to home at Cambridge restaurant Alpino, thanks to two people who know it by heart. Owned by Italian-born Noel Cimadom and Riccardo Carminati, along with Noel’s wife Kim Smythe, Alpino (which you might also recognise from the Mount) serves the soul of Italy on a plate.
“When you enter Alpino, you feel so welcome, you get amazing service and good food,” says Riccardo. “The overall experience is about fun and enjoyment. The restaurant is always full, and the essence of it is truly Italian. You could have this restaurant in Milano and it would be packed; we’ve really put our soul into it.”
To ensure a completely immersive experience, the wine list is flush with Italian labels, many offered by the glass to complement your dish. Riccardo says the menu goes from the simple yet flavourful pizzas to more formal mains, such as the 55-day aged beef, the porchetta and the ravioli handmade with locally grown pumpkin and ricotta by head chef Branislav Petkovic. “We can source ingredients from Italy, but we’re at a point where we’re almost revisiting Italian food with what we have here,” says Riccardo, “It’s still authentic Italian food, but incorporating local elements takes it to the next level.”
Italy can wait – we’re taking a trip to Cambridge instead.
43 Victoria Street,Cambridge
Recipe: Lightning Kombucha with Libertine Blends
A fresh, fizzy, probiotic drink that is easy to make at home with a few simple ingredients.
Image by Max Griss
A fresh, fizzy, probiotic drink that is easy to make at home with a few simple ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
2 Lightning green teabags or 2 Roxy black teabags
1L water
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 Scoby + previous liquid (large enough to cover at least 1/4 of the kombucha surface)
EQUIPMENT
One large fermentation jar. Anywhere between 1.5-3 litre capacity.
Fermentation bottles. These can be purchased from any brewing shop, don't use square bottles as they are more prone to some unwanted explosion! I used 500mL round glass bottles with a swing top lid and silicone seal.
A piece of sterile, breathable cloth. Big enough to wrap over the opening of your fermentation jar, and a large rubber band to use during the first fermentation. I used a Chux cloth.
METHOD
Infuse the teabags in 500ml of boiling water for 10 mins, until nice and strong.
Add sugar and stir to dissolve, then pour in the remaining 500mL of cold water.
Wait until the tea has cooled to below 30°C, or overnight, before adding pouring it into your sterile fermentation jar containing your scoby in its starter liquid.
Cover with a breathable cloth, such as a couple of chux cloths, and secure with a rubber band. Ensure air can still pass into the fermentation vessel, as this will keep your scoby alive!
Leave in an airy place for 7-14 days; this time very much depends on the temperature of the room, and how much of your scoby is covering the surface of the kombucha.
Taste the kombucha every couple of days - it should taste sweet at first, but you will notice it will become more acidic as time passes. You are ready to bottle your kombucha when it has reached the perfect sweet/sour spot for you!
I left my black tea kombucha for 14 days, while the green tea I only left for 7 days. During each batch of booch you make, your scoby will grow another layer. When it gets too big, separate a few layers and give it to a friend in some starter liquid to spread the kombucha love!
Modern hearth cooking at Solera - Mount Maunganui’s exciting new restaurant in a wine bar setting
Truffle oil is being drizzled over cheesecake, polenta skewers toast happily on the hearth and a Jerusalem artichoke is being crowned with shards of fire-dried aubergine purée.
Truffle oil is being drizzled over cheesecake, polenta skewers toast happily on the hearth and a Jerusalem artichoke is being crowned with shards of fire-dried aubergine purée.
It’s all go in the kitchen at Solera, Mt Maunganui’s newish restaurant within a wine bar setting. And, if you (wisely) opt for one of the seats at the chef’s pass, get ready to watch a whole host of such culinary wonders unfold. Plus, the chefs are more than happy to dish up information about what they’re working on.
Solera is the baby of Chloe Ashman and Nick Potts – the result of an idea born out of lockdown. The couple moved to the Bay of Plenty a few years back, armed with years of impressive hospitality experience, Chloe as a sous chef at some of Melbourne’s best restaurants and Nick as a front-of-house manager. Managing a team of 60 in restaurants with serious credentials (among them those owned by top New Zealand chefs Nic Watt and Sean Connolly) was all in a day’s work for Nick. Initially, the couple had no intention of owning a restaurant, so worked at local establishments including Clarence and Fife Lane, but with last year’s lockdown came a lot of time for thinking. They thought it was time for a leap, noticing a potential gap in the Mount market. “We thought we may as well have our own place,” says Nick. “We knew what we wanted to open – we just gauged that by where we’d like to eat ourselves. We knew we wanted a wine bar setting, but Solera is very Melbournian in that it’s not just a bar. There’s something great to eat here too.”
It appears the multitudes concur. Solera bustles. Nick felt a restaurant with seating for about 40 was the way to go. “We have three chefs and three – and sometimes one more – working front of house, and with that number of seats, regardless of how busy you are, the same team can manage. Also important is the fact we’re open only five days a week, because I want the same chefs delivering their same food every time, so we can control consistency.”
Solera’s offering is described as “modern hearth cooking” and the menu is created around sharing plates. Head chef Neil Sapitula tells me the hot faves appear to be the ash-cured kingfish with ginger, coconut, kawakawa and lime; the roasted cauliflower with camembert, walnuts, parmesan and pine nuts; and the apple and pear tarte tatin with ginger and kaffir lime ice- cream. As for Neil’s favourite – that’d be the Jerusalem artichoke with aubergine, kimchi and chili. Neil hails from the Philippines and has also worked in restaurants of high repute, in Hong Kong and Indonesia. He’s ably assisted by Kiwi chef Cameron McKenzie, with Nicolo Batani adding some Italian to the mix. The trio is united in prioritising flavour over technique and presentation. There’s also a focus on fermentation – cases in point being the inclusion of the aforementioned kimchi, and the shiitake mushrooms that are pickled, smoked on the fire, then added to the pork belly skewer. Most items on the menu have a slight Asian influence – the wagyu beef, for example, is marinated with soy and togarashi spice mix.
The kitchen’s big open fire is fed with mānuka and oak timber, and incorporated as much as possible in the cooking (which is also a delightful spectacle). The kingfish cured by ash from the night before is but one example. There’s a strong commitment to local ingredients and the menus are printed in-house, so they’re easy to alter to suit what’s in season. There’s certainly plenty to raise your glass to at Solera, and of course that includes the incredible wines. The unique list celebrates New Zealand drops and includes grape varieties many diners may not be so familiar with, exclusively from smaller wineries. Chenin blanc, malbec and viognier are joined by chilled red wine and an orange wine (white wine made the same way as a red.) All are offered as a standard 150ml pour and as a 100ml pour, with the latter geared towards those who are driving or wishing to try a larger variety of wines. There are cocktails too. Solera has been in business since Easter, but word has spread, and Chloe and Nick are happy to report that “it’s going very well for us.” Diners like me can only say, “Thank you very much.”
Wharf Street: Tauranga city’s sparkling new outdoor dining precinct
Come with us as we take a tour of this must-visit destination, where food and drinks, entertainment, art and culture collide, and the only traffic you’ll find is the foot kind.
Come with us as we take a tour of this must-see destination, where food, drinks, and entertainment come together and the only traffic you’ll find is the foot kind.
Wharf Street has been transformed – an exciting development for Tauranga that sees a selection of eateries and bars spill out onto the pavement, creating a bustling atmosphere for everyone to enjoy. Did you go to the precinct’s first Friday Night Live? It was a roaring success and will continue every week from 5:30 to 9pm until the end of April and again next summer. There are also plans for more weekend events, open-air movie nights and outdoor art exhibitions – and the lane will be put to good use during the jazz festival.
Wharf Street is a cosy yet vibrant place to meet, mix and mingle, and breathes new life into the heart of the city, says Sally Cooke of Downtown Tauranga. “This is very much about creating a unique experience, with great diversity in the food and bar offerings, and all kinds of events. People will be able to enjoy it in so many different ways.”
The Barrel Room
Enjoy the finer things in life with plates and plonks to suit all tastes.
Between their mouth-watering dishes and highest-quality beverages, there’s something for everyone to savour at The Barrel Room. You’ll find wine from the best regions in New Zealand and beyond; an exceptional, ever-changing range of craft beers, special Belgian beers and Heineken on tap; and a stellar selection of spirits to sample. The team of chefs have created a menu filled with international flavours, including crowd-pleaser platters, gourmet burgers and traditional-style handmade pizzas. They also offer quick lunch options if you’re short on time.
Get the full Barrel Room experience with Latin Night on Thursdays and live music on Saturdays, along with brewery, distillery and winery tasting events.
The Crown & Badger
British-meets-Kiwi food and hospitality come together at this popular waterfront pub.
The Crown & Badger has held its place as one of Tauranga’s best-loved destinations for 17 years and is thrilled to be part of the Wharf Street transformation. “It’s exciting,” says owner/general manager Jessica Rafferty. “It’s been so cool to see people gravitating towards this new space – it’s just what Tauranga needed.”
With a sell-out quiz every Tuesday, live music on Fridays and Saturdays, and more than 230 drinks behind the bar, it’s a must-visit hotspot both for folks who want a welcoming place to enjoy a classic British meal and revellers ready to dance the night away. The seasonal menu has a Kiwi twist and along with the lunch deals, the Sunday roast is a Crown & Badger fan favourite.
The Hop House
Creativity’s on tap at this boutique craft-beer bar, where you can experience an ever-evolving roster of innovative brews and special occasions.
Whether you’re a long-time brew aficionado or a recent craft convert, you’ll find your hoppy place on Wharf Street. The Hop House is a craft-beer bar dedicated to local and national boutique beverages, with in-the-know staff who offer service that goes above and beyond. They work with innovative brewers; run creative events, including stand-up comedy nights and a Thursday quiz night that gives back to the community; host monthly tasting events and weekly live music performances; and have a function space that seats 50.
Owner-operator David Stanaway says he’s stoked about what Wharf Street brings to our city. “It’s been game-changing. It really makes Tauranga a destination.”
Enjoy a delicious burger or pizza at The Hop House, or choose food from nearby restaurants to enjoy with their beaut beverages.
Sugo
This forward-thinking Italian-inspired eatery lets local ingredients shine in a polished yet relaxed atmosphere.
Take a stroll down Wharf Street and Sugo will stop you in your tracks. If the deep green facade, twinkling lights, and peeps of red and white get your attention, the menu will make you want to stay. Co-owner/chef Ian Harrison focuses on fresh, local ingredients to create dishes that are constantly being reworked to suit the season. Sugo’s ever-popular chicken saltimbocca has just been given a new twist for autumn, with creamed leeks and lemon verbena, and they’ve devised four different but equally delectable versions of their risotto since their opening in November.
Ian says he and his crew are looking forward to making the most of their new surroundings. “We now have this beautiful outdoor area and it’s a really important part of Tauranga growing up. It brings life back to the city.”
The Chook Nook
Serving Korean-style fried chicken in a quirky setting, the newest restaurant on this block brings an irresistible crispy crunch.
A taste of Korea in downtown Tauranga, The Chook Nook has something for all ages. It only opened in March but has already proven a hit with young and older, thanks to its succinct menu focused firmly on fried chicken. The team hope to extend it as the restaurant grows, but for now, you can choose from crispy fried chicken, sweet and spicy, and soy and garlic, or get a platter of the lot.
Co-owners Paul Kwon and Yd Kim say their style of chicken is incredibly popular with foreigners in Korea, so they wanted to bring it to Tauranga to share the flavours of their home country. The Chook Nook’s fit-out is comfortable and cool, but because it’s part of the Wharf Street development, you’re also welcome to order your chicken to go, then munch on it at any of the precinct’s other establishments that take your fancy. The choice is yours!
Inspired by food, embodied by paint and canvas - a visual feast by Nicola Bennett
Nicola Bennett has made a career out of combining two of her key passions in the most delectable way. Art and food rock the world of this Okere Falls-based artist who produces paintings inspired by her love of food – there’s a deep connection, she says. Colour, to her, is like flavour.
WORDS Monique Balvert-O’Connor PHOTOS Katie Hoy
Nicola Bennett has made a career out of combining two of her key passions in the most delectable way.
Art and food rock the world of this Okere Falls-based artist who produces paintings inspired by her love of food – there’s a deep connection, she says. Colour, to her, is like flavour.
“For me food and art are so intricately linked, in their processes, shared pleasure and transformation.
“I love the sensory pleasure of both preparing ingredients and of applying paint. Whether it’s fashioning fresh food into a meal to be shared or using tubes of paint and a canvas to create a painting that may cause an emotional response… Either way, there is magic in that transformation,” she enthuses.
Nicola says she’s no chef, but it’s often a cooking experience that inspires her work. Her studio is festooned with photos of food and different dishes and lots of recipe books. This way, processes influence each other, she explains. Of great excitement is the pending completion of a kitchen within her studio that’s attached to the house she shares with her husband Stefan, their son Theo (13) and daughter Greer (11).
“When that’s finished, I’ll be able to cook and paint at the same time. Partway through cooking, if I am inspired, I can go straight to painting and then back again.”
This abstract expressionist uses oils and mixed media on her large paintings and also her smaller works, which are A4-size to reference a recipe book. Wooden panelled, they give the feel and weight of a cookbook.
“I love to work this small because it feels intimate and handheld. But I also love to work very big, which results in a different kind of painting: Big, bold and gestural.”
Representational art isn’t Nicola’s gig. She may be inspired by an avocado (she adores them, by the way) but the viewer of her art wouldn’t necessarily know that’s the case.
“My source of inspiration is a flavour, and I want the feeling of that flavour to be in my work in an abstract way. And, of course, the wonderful thing about abstract art is that it can be anything to anyone. Someone may see forests and plants rather than interpreting any actual ingredient, such as avocado,” explains this vegetarian artist with a penchant for green. (If you love food and nature, it’s very hard not to be drawn to green, Nicola says.)
Nicola’s paintbrush is often intimately acquainted with her ingredients – she paints on avocados or aubergines, for example, to ensure she has the exact colour.
“I could even use a big squish of paint to give the feel of smashed avo. Three-dimensional in only small amounts adds to the seductive quality of paint.”
While Nicola enjoys her own company, she gets a real buzz from meeting other creative people.
“I get their energy. I love meeting makers and talking about their passion and creativity.”
Sometimes something truly wonderful grows out of such meetings. Take Nicola’s mutually creative collaboration with Timo Dicker, the executive head chef of Rotorua’s Terrace Kitchen.
In 2019, Terrace Kitchen hosted “Feast,” an event featuring small paintings Nicola had created in response to foraged ingredients such as artichoke, wild garlic and sorrel. Timo created a menu to suit. Over two nights, the creative duo gave floor talks about their processes and inspirations, accompanied by a five-course meal.
In 2020 came “Forage and Feast”, incorporating seven small courses with Nicola and Timo setting each other various challenges. Black-and-white and pink-and-white dishes were the result of a colour competition. Twenty-six of Nicola’s paintings were displayed on the walls (and remained afterwards for a month as an exhibition), referencing ingredients Timo had cooked with for the event. Identifying those ingredients was a talking point for the diners.
Nicola’s keen for more such sharing of the joy and similarities of cooking and painting.
“I experiment with colours that look just right; the chef with ingredients and flavours that taste just right. It’s a similar sensory search for the perfect balance of colour or flavour.”
She’s keen to introduce this collaborative concept in other centres such as Tauranga, Auckland and Wellington.
In the meantime, life at the easel is busy. Nicola’s next commissioned work involves pink oyster mushrooms.
There’s also an award ceremony to attend – Nicola is a Molly Morpeth Canaday Award recipient. Such accolades are especially sweet for the artist, who was dyslexic at school. Her creativity couldn’t be contained, resulting in a Bachelor of Art in the UK and then a Master’s in Fine Art (passed with first class honours) in New Zealand. Until three years ago, she was an art teacher.
And she’s cooking up a storm. She’ll often take prepared food along to share at houses where she’s showcasing her art – usually involving ingredients that have inspired the painting.
How does this artist know exactly when a painting is completed? The answer, of course, references her other love.
“It is finished when it’s ready to eat with the eyes… A visual feast, if you will.”
Creative character: writer and poet Stuart Greenhill and the Fenton Arts Collective
Writer and poet Stuart Greenhill of the Fenton Arts Collective in Stratford talks to UNO.
PHOTOS Andy Jackson and Jane Dove Juneau
UNO: What a beautiful building you are housed in. How did you find it and what was the journey to restoration?
Stuart Greenhill: My partner Jo Stallard was looking for a heritage building to save. In 2016, she offered a ridiculously low amount for the Egmont Chambers building in Stratford, which was earthquake-rated 17%. It was accepted. The building was not listed on Stratford’s District Plan, so no funding was available. Other than that, it was a fantastic journey. We had enough experience from previous projects to ensure the outcome was what we wanted. The renovation won an Architecture Award in 2019 for Renovations and Additions. The building fascinates people, and many come just to see it.
What is the Fenton Arts Collective?
It is a collective of our passions and interests: Art, history, gin and espresso. We are 310 metres up a mountain, so our aspirations are just as high for each of them. The Collective offers people something unique, something intimate, something historical and modern; it offers a genuine experience.
Your partner Jo Stallard is the curator and artist-in-residence. What is Jo's artistic background, and what does she paint?
Jo comes from an art history background and is a portrait artist. She works in the traditional painting technique of “grisaille” or “dead painting” to traverse the landscapes of the human face and body. Looking, seeing and perceiving are the semantics of what a face has to give, share or provoke, and those are the landscapes she loves. So people come to the Collective, grab a coffee or gin from downstairs, and visit Jo’s working studio upstairs -- and maybe even chat about a commission.
Refreshment plays a strong role in your building; we hear gin and espresso coffee flow freely! Tell us more.
To survive in the provinces, businesses require diversity. Coffee, retail, and an art gallery were great, but we needed something more. Making gin is like writing. Botanicals are characters; each brings a different personality, so it was simply a matter of creating fantastic stories. People hear those when they book a gin tasting with me. Our espresso bar uses Proof & Stock coffee, made by our daughter, Adrianna, and offers high-quality healthy options including gluten-free and keto. And Tauranga celebrity Chef Ken Greenhill creates a monthly five-course degustation for us. They are so popular we have a waiting list.
What's your connection to Tauranga?
My brother’s been here since 1997, and Jo and I set up Deckchair on Marine Parade with him in 2007. We sold in 2010, travelled for a bit, and were approached in 2013 to establish Quantum Vis Eatery on Cameron Road. We still have a connection to the Bay, having formed many friendships over those years, and are thrilled that our gin is now carried by Mount Wine Barrel, Maunganui Rd and Fife Lane Restaurant.
And on top of all that, you're a published author! What have you written?
Dante Fog was published by Austin Macauley Publishers in London last year. It is autobiographical fiction (yes, that is a genre). The mother in the novel tells her son, “There are no better observers of life than artists.” I totally agree. Artistic license takes life and makes it art. That’s why I write poetry and prose and make gin and Jo paints. There is a beautiful complexity in discovering and understanding the layers in the mirror looking back at us. Our art attempts to express it so does the character Dante Fog.
What does the future hold for the Fenton Arts Collective?
There’s pressure to grow, but the distillery will remain boutique and so will the Arts Collective. Our gallery is booked for 2021, I am contracted to Austin Macauley Publishers for my next book, and Jo has two exhibitions this year. The future will be busy.
UNO celebrates 50 issues with cover star Joel Shadbolt!
“On stage ready to welcome everyone to UNO’s 50th birthday party, I could see exactly why the Bay of Plenty’s thriving. The room was full of people who support each other. Locals in the arts, business, governance, community groups and medical teams, our columnists, advertisers, readers – we wanted to invite everyone we'd ever met to share the joy together.”
We recently celebrated our 50th issue – hurrah! Editor Jenny Rudd has the round-up.
PHOTOS Jordan Vickers
On stage ready to welcome everyone to UNO’s 50th birthday party, I could see exactly why the Bay of Plenty’s thriving. The room was full of people who support each other. Locals in the arts, business, governance, community groups and medical teams, our columnists, advertisers, readers – we wanted to invite everyone we'd ever met to share the joy together.
And what better way to celebrate than with the lead singer of one of the country's biggest bands (and the cover star of our 50th issue) playing all their bangers and some epic covers?! We hit the dancefloor while L.A.B's Joel Shadbolt performed, before singing our hearts out to his closing rendition of Lean On Me. He showed us exactly why L.A.B’s In The Air was 2020’s biggest-selling single – the energy in the room was electric.
The entire night was truly a local effort; everything we ate, drank and did came from the hard work and enterprise of those connected with the Bay of Plenty. Pals came from Jay and Anna Reeve and Katikati’s Leveret Estate kept us bubbly. Non-boozy bubbles came from San Pellegrino, which is distributed nationwide by Federal Merchants, based here in Tauranga. The iconic yellow Easy Lager cans were from at The Island in Papamoa, and the absolutely delicious grazing table came from Tauranga caterers Blank Canvas. And, of course, the fabulous location was Totara St, arguably the best venue in the country, right here at the Mount.
Thank you to everyone who came to UNO’s birthday party and celebrated and smiled along with us. Here's to the next 50 issues!
Jay Reeve talks to Ben Harper
“Everytime I’m here I’m thinking, ‘I just need to send for all my sh*t and stay right here.”
A long-time Ben Harper listener, our columnist Jay Reeve (along with his radio co-host Duncan Heyde) relives his youth and talks to his teen idol during the musician’s recent New Zealand tour that included a gig at the Mount.
I’m a Ben Harper fan – have been since his first album, Welcome to the Cruel World. In my early teens, I used to recreate his cover art in the misguided hope it’d impress the masses of girls enamoured by this guitar-playing, bohemian, skateboarding world traveller.
In 1994, Welcome to the Cruel World struck a chord with me, and Ben still has that swagger he rolled with back then – although he’s arguably better looking – and still has the effect on the fairer sex; the 17-year-old girls I was trying to impress back in the day were reliving their own dreams during his recent appearances in Aotearoa. His male fans were too, causing a veritable babysitter shortage on the night of his Mount gig.
The crowd was older, but music drops a veil over your tired adult eyes and transports you to wherever you first heard it or it affected you. I love that, I love the way Ben’s music transcends age and I love seeing people enjoying themselves. The one thing I don’t love, though, is ‘Steal My Kisses’. I understand it’s one of Ben’s most commercially successful singles, peaking in the top 20 on the Billboard charts on its release in early 2000. It garnered him more fans and the record label wanted more, so the division was set: you were a ‘Steal my Kisses’ kind of Ben Harper fan or not.
I’m not. To me, unlike his gig-closing tune ‘Glory & Consequence’, it’s not a great song and not one worthy of rolling out 20 years later. But the crowds of predominantly 40-something women at his recent show – those ’90s teens – loved it.
While he was in New Zealand, my The Rock radio show co-host Duncan Heyde and I had a chat to the man himself about what he loves...
Duncan: Welcome mate!
Ben: Well-equipped with a cheering section and everything. How’s it going, Jay and Duncan?
Jay: Oh good, mate. Kia ora, kia ora, kia ora and welcome back to our fine shores – we’re looking forward to having you. So, your biggest musical inspiration came around the age of nine… We heard a cheeky rumour you played your first gig at 12?
B: Well, you wouldn’t call it much of a gig when you’re just hammering out some chords. At 12 I was actually on the drums, because I started on the drums.
D: Isn’t there a funny story about one of your first open mic nights that you got paid for? At a church?
B: The first gig I ever got paid for was in the church basement, and at the end of the night the guy who ran it handed me $50 in the parking lot. I said, “What’s this?” and he said it was for the door. And you know churches have those fancy doors on them with stained glass and stuff, so I said, “No, no, no you can’t sell the door to pay me, that’s crazy! Go find it, go get it back.” And he said, “No, no, no, that’s the money from people who walk through the door”!
D: And you’re like, “Oh wow, I can get paid for doing something I love!”
J: You’ve had 28 years of commercial success and worked with so many different musicians – who’s still on the hit list for you of musicians you’d love to work with?
B: Alicia Keys.
D: Oh, that’d be good!
B: Yeah man.
D: Isn’t it just as simple these days as sliding into their DMs, sending them an Instagram message like, “Righto mate, I’ve got a couple of months spare coming up, let’s do this”?
B: You’d think so, right?! I stopped drinking, though. If I was still drinking I’d probably have the nerve to do that.
D: She’s hardly going to say no to you, though? That’s a fun message for her to read in her inbox, isn’t it?
B: But what if she did?!
J: You hold a special place in a lot of New Zealanders’ hearts and I can only assume that New Zealand holds a fairly special place in yours. When was the last time pre this tour that you set down in Aotearoa?
B: It’s been about four since we’ve been here, and as far as I’m concerned that’s four years too long. Every time I’m here I’m thinking, ‘I just need to send for all my sh*t and stay right here’. It’s on me, man, it’s on me everywhere – my back, my arms, my entire upper torso is here.
D: You’ve actually spent quite a bit of time here. We heard you owned a house here, we heard [musician] Jack Johnson owned a house here, we knew that [musician] Serj Tankian owned a house here... And weirdly, as Kiwis, we kind of just let celebrities do their thing when they’re in New Zealand, but we also like to think that you all go round to each other’s holiday houses for barbecues and play tunes together.
J: And go surfing!
D: Has that ever happened?
B: Oh yeah, that happens plenty with Jack and I. Jack and I are always getting together and looking for reasons to record together. In fact, we’re talking about doing a duet record.
D: That’d be sick!
J: I know that you’ve made your political ambitions heard and that you’re thinking about throwing your name in the hat for the United States of America presidency. I heard that you’re running on surfboards and steel guitars for everybody and then putting a [skate] bowl in at the White House. How’s that progressing? Would Jack be a running mate of yours?
B: Yeah, Jack or [retired professional skateboarder] Tony Hawk, I suppose!
J: You’ve got a couple of days spare while you’re here. It’s a very tight tour schedule, but you’ve got a little bit of a gap in the middle between your gigs in Queenstown and Auckland. Have you got any plans to check out some waves or skate parks while you’re here? What do you do in your downtime in New Zealand?
B: Yeah, skate parks. That’s it – concrete, finding as much concrete as possible. When I get off the phone with you, there’s a local coffee shop here in New Plymouth that supposedly has a bowl in the coffee shop, so that’s getting hit up right now.
Katchafire: burning hotter than ever
If you like reggae then you’ll love Katchafire, if you weren’t sure if you like reggae, you’ll still love Katchafire.
WORDS Nicky Adams PHOTOS Joel McDowell
If you like reggae then you’ll love Katchafire, if you weren’t sure if you like reggae, you’ll still love Katchafire. These guys are the musical Moro bar, the experience is universally uplifting and leaves you feeling better than you thought you could feel. With their chilled-out vibes and harmonies that ease the soul, one minute you can feel so relaxed that you can’t even form the word stress, the next an upbeat tempo will hit, and you just want to dance till you drop. And when you look around you know that it’s not just you, but the world is dancing with you.
Katchafire has been around for over 20 years and is one of New Zealand’s hardest working and most well-known reggae bands, with a cool factor that spans audiences and age groups. A multi-award winning, platinum record-selling formation, they have made it big internationally, rubbing shoulders and performing with musical icons, yet when I sat down to speak to founding member Jordan Bell, there wasn’t a bit of trumpet blowing or whiff of name dropping. Reggae is a musical genre that has exploded worldwide, and Katchafire has been at the center of the big bang. Each strain is taking on its own identity and these guys are 100% South Pacific roots reggae. Their unique formula blends different instruments and sounds until classical reggae morphs into mixed genre music that can be considered ‘an artform’, and amid it all the positive vibes just keep on coming.
Brothers in arms
The band is made up of founding brothers Jordan and Logan, plus ‘lifers’ Tere Ngarua, brother-in-law Leon Davey and Roy Kaiki. Jordan explained that at the end of last year they finished off their latest single, Circle Back. “Definitely a love song, it’s about circling back on anything you love – it was a real summer banger.” The timing of its release was perfect “It came out just before the summer tours so it was great to get it out there live; the support for it has been amazing, as we speak it’s on a million streams and climbing.” Circle Back was worked on during lockdown, it’s a silver lining to a period where, in normal circumstances, the band would have been touring overseas. The other upside of lockdown was the extra time at home. The importance and influence of family is at the core of this band, and pulses through the lyrics of their tunes, from the purity of Addicted to the adoration of family and Aotearoa in Fyah in the Trenches. It’s easy to see how these tunes have been written on the road, when home has felt far away.
Katchafire creates what Jordan calls “good message music. It’s about stripping back, about not worrying – about family and having a bit of consciousness.” You can’t help but wonder about the dynamic of such a tight-knit group, but Jordan laughingly verifies that harmony on the tour bus is kept by rules and a fining system. The bond is clearly strong, and creatively the energy flows. Songwriting is helped by their synergy - they’re even on the same page with musical influences, “between us we listen to everything from Tupac to Lenny Kravitz to anything in between; R&B, Metallica, it’s all on the same playlist.”
From league to the bright lights
Jordan and Logan didn’t start life as muso’s – in fact up until teenage years life was all about Rugby League. Even when music came into their lives, it wasn’t an immediate switch. As pre-teens he and Logan stumbled across a stash of their dads prized musical instruments hidden in his closet. Their father, a talented musician, had hung up his guitar, and embraced a life filled with church and family. He encouraged the boys to start with the basics, and a passion ensued. Around 1997/9 when the boys were in their late teens a choice had to be made – Rugby was subbed out and they ran with music. In what Jordan considers a defining moment for their future, their father, Grenville, rented a loft in central Hamilton where the boys could jam to all hours with friends. They began to score gigs and before long they were playing from Raglan to South Auckland. Initially a cover band, from the outset their love was of old school Reggae - in fact Bob Marley is still to this day one of Jordan’s key musical influences (Katchafire is derived from a Marley song). Growing up, Jordan says, reggae was “a forbidden genre – linked with dope smoking, it was a different religion from what we were doing. But at the same time, it was all around us.”
After winning a competition run by NZ record label Dawn Raid the group had the confidence to write their own songs. Hits Giddy Up and Bounce were the result, and led in 2003 to the release of Revival, the first of (to date) five albums. Transitioning to original music was nerve wracking, but the audience loved it, and the fan base followed them and grew. The success of the band has spread well beyond New Zealand, with the band garnering a huge international following – playing Glastonbury in the UK was “next level”. Of course, home is home, and the One Love festival here in the Bay is one of the favourites “it allows us to catch up with the reggae community and see how well the tree has flourished and grown. Not just here but through the Pacific. It’s good to get together and see how strong the support is and how the next generation has come through, for the musicians and audience.”
Overseas success has not blunted Katchafire’s love for this home audience: “New Zealand has a diverse palette when it comes to music, so we get a mixing of styles... it’s really interesting and works really well. It rings in our music, which as Pacific Reggae has more harmonies and messaging.” Talent, positivity, uplifting music and cool beats – this is why muso’s of all ages go mad for Katchafire.
The Inaugural Bluff Oyster Bash at Clarence Hotel
An absolute must-do event to get in your calendars for next year; the Bluff Oyster Bash was a roaring success filled with fun and glamour, and all the freshly-shucked oysters you could eat!
What: Bluff Oyster Bash
Where: Clarence Bistro, Tauranga
PHOTOS Pablo Creative
At this inaugural event, guests enjoyed free flow live shucked Bluff Oysters and a selection of seafood finger food along with champagne and entertainment throughout the night. UNO Publisher Mat Tomlinson attended; calling the event an absolute must-do next year.
“It ran through the afternoon well into the evening; everyone was dressed up and there was a real sense of fun and glamour - there must have been over 100 dozen oysters the team were shucking like maniacs, it was amazing!”
Award-winning Israel Randell talks art, new challenges and the bigger picture
“If people ask me [to explain my work], I want to have a conversation. That’s really all art is, a conversation. Sometimes it’s real honest, like, ‘What the hell is that?’ or ‘Why do I hate this work so much?’” That’s the kind of things that artwork brings.”
Through multi-media, moving image and sound, award-winning Tauranga artist Israel Randell articulates the spiritual and unseen. Now, in her new role as curator at Whakatāne Museum & Arts, she wants to help amplify the voices of local talent.
WORDS Maria Hoyle PHOTOS Quinn O’Connell
The question ‘what is art?’ is a tricky one to answer. One person’s masterpiece may be another’s monstrosity, making it hard to reach a consensus. Yet for multi-disciplinary artist Israel Randell, it’s not complicated at all. Art, she says, is a conversation, and as a newly appointed exhibitions curator at Whakatāne Museum & Arts, it’s one she is very much looking forward to having with the local community.
Originally from Hamilton (Tainui, Ngāti Kahungunu) and of Cook Islands descent, the mum-of-one has her work cut out for her when she arrives at her post (the week after talking to UNO). She and the team will be busy preparing for the February exhibition of the winners of the Molly Morpeth Canaday Award: Painting & Drawing, presented by Arts Whakatāne and held at Te Kōputu a te Whanga a Toi – Whakatāne Library & Exhibition Centre. Although that will be Israel’s immediate focus, she talks excitedly about the bigger picture.
“I’m really interested in being embedded in the community, getting to know the artists, and finding out how I can help them to realise their ambitions and be that person who bridges the community and the gallery,” says the Toi Ohomai Bachelor of Creative Industries graduate. “I’m also excited to be learning from my colleagues. Going into any new role, it’s good to be listening.”
Listening will be crucial for her dialogue with local artists too. Some may not see the gallery space as relevant to them – for example, those who may be more focused on selling their work, or those from other disciplines such as dance, theatre or acting.
Is it fair to say that galleries are often seen as no-go zones for certain sections of the community? “Yes,” she says decisively. “A gallery space is definitely always viewed as a white space by people outside looking in.”
So breaking down the boundaries between practices is one way not only to showcase a wider variety of work, but also to change the perception of what and who a gallery is for, of reaching those who aren’t, for whatever reason, engaging with it. “It’s constructive to help different types of creatives,” says Israel. “I think it does start with having a structure that caters to every kind of practice, not just the 2D practice or sculptural practice.”
Israel’s no stranger to having a dialogue across disciplines and amplifying the voices of indigenous artists. She arrives in her new role fresh from a Mana Moana research residency with arts agency Circuit, where she looked at the experimental practices of Māori and Pasifika visual artists, writers, choreographers and musicians to produce a collection of interviews and online content.
Israel’s own work experiments with moving image, multi-media and sound – quite a departure from the large-scale paintings she did as an art student in Auckland. “I took a break, moved to Tauranga and started off again at Toi Ohomai. But I didn’t want my work to be flat on the wall anymore – I wanted to occupy the space between the walls. I wanted to paint with light in space, so I was looking for materials that would let me do that. Lots of painters say all painting is about light and dark. I was interested in using light in a sculptural way to activate space.”
She originally considered working in neon, but it was costly. A classmate suggested wire would be cheaper, so she sourced some on Trade Me and started experimenting with it in the school studio.
Playing with wire and light sounds like a lot of fun, but it was no walk in the park. Israel’s daughter Lola, now two and a half, was just eight months old when Israel started the course. “I was still breastfeeding so I was worried. But I needed something else, a direction or passion, that was separate from my identity as a mother. I needed that for my own mental health and that in turn made me a better mother.”
It also, she believes, made her a better artist. “You go in there with no bullshit, no excuses – you get things done. You don’t have time to fluff around, then go home and work till 2am, because at home it’s all about your child. So I was way more focused. I think that drive elevated my art practice to something it maybe couldn’t have been when I was a single person.”
“I didn’t want my work to be flat on the wall anymore – I wanted to occupy the space between the walls.”
That ‘elevated something’ is a compelling body of work that speaks clearly to ‘maatauranga’ – what she describes as “the whole way of being Māori, the many layers that there are.
“I look a lot to cosmological narratives to explore things that aren’t material,” she says. “I’m interested in actualising the intangible. It’s hard… I don’t know if I’m successful half the time. This year’s body of work has focused on water and the elemental phases it goes through, and the spiritual things they hold for Māori and Pasifika people. I’m interested in exploring things that I can’t see that have been told by generations of elders, and trying to connect with it and make sense of it in my own way.”
Israel might not know if she’s successful half the time, but her work certainly impressed the judges of the 2020 Miles Art Award, presented In March by the Tauranga Art Gallery Toi Tauranga. To her surprise, she landed the Supreme Award for Wahi Ngaro, a compelling installation in which triangles of electroluminescent wire reference whakapapa and an in-between space with infinite potential. It’s a beautiful piece, one you can appreciate without knowing what it represents. Does it bother her when she’s asked to explain her work?
“If people do ask me, I want to have a conversation,” she says. “That’s really all art is, a conversation. The artwork is there to trigger that. Sometimes it’s real honest conversations, like, ‘What the hell is that?’ or ‘Why do I hate this work so much?’” That’s the kind of things that artwork brings.”
And then sometimes the work exists, well, just because. “Sometimes we totally make it because we want to make it. It’s important to let people know that and uncomplicate the way we speak.”
Featured in UNO Issue #51 - subscribe to get yours
The hotspot eatery stoking the embers for local foodies
The opening of Fife Lane is the realization of a nine-year dream for Ryan and Kat Dippie, who along with their passionate team, transformed the space on Mt Maunganui’s Central Parade into an industrial-chic restaurant.
An experience like no other on Central Parade in the Mount.
WORDS KATE UNDERWOOD / PHOTO KENRICK RHYS
The opening of Fife Lane is the realisation of a nine-year dream for Ryan and Kat Dippie, who along with their passionate team, transformed the space on Mt Maunganui’s Central Parade into an industrial-chic restaurant. The hotspot eatery is impressing locals and visitors with everything from Gisborne wagyu scotch with blue cheese butter to Coromandel mussels with saffron cream and plenty of vibrant Central Otago pinot noir.
As avid diners themselves, Ryan and Kat felt there was a significant gap in the area. “If you didn’t want to go over the bridge or right down to the Mount, where could you go?” Kat says. Drawing inspiration from New Zealand restaurant stalwarts like Jervois Steak House and Botswana Butchery, Kat says they wanted to create a quality dining experience that complemented other offerings already in the Bay.
Having spent the last nine years as owners of Rain Bar in Papamoa, Ryan and Kat utilised the expertise and collective knowledge of their dream hospitality team to create Fife Lane. Kitchen manager Robbie Webber, frontof-house Keri Harman and bar manager Scott Hinton were all sent on a two-year research stint in Melbourne, to hone their skills and bring back a wealth of fresh inspiration.
The result is an extensive menu specifically designed to provide food that feels both accessible and remarkable. Opt for the Hawke’s Bay lamb shoulder with minted pea puree which is served with crumbed sweet breads, or – from the steak selection – the under-rated French bavette cut. Smaller plates include tender calamari with miso mayo, and a pork belly with cauliflower purée and feijoa chutney. Among the sides, paprika buttered corn cobs and golden beer-battered onion rings are lining up to be favourites, and, from the sharing section the eye fillet beef Wellington and the seafood paella would be fabulous for a crowd.
Taking inspiration from butchers of the past, a custom-built glass meat locker sits at the heart of the space. This fine looking chill room houses an array of aged meat cuts – from West Coast savannah Angus sirloin to a Wakanui Angus rump. And if you order from the cabinet, you also have the luxury of selecting your own steak knife, presented at the table in a bespoke wooden box.
Wine is Ryan’s thing, and he’s dedicated an entire room to housing their diverse range. With barman Scott, they’ve handselected every bottle, including several vintages from across New Zealand and a sprinkling of international varietals. They have wine glass styles fit for every drop, whether it’s a bright Chablis, a German riesling from Kat’s sommelier friend, a pinot blanc blend from Mt Rosa, or Mumm by the glass.
The extensive cocktail menu – which includes a few interesting twists on classics – and the considered whiskey list are served from an immaculate white-tiled bar, which is an elegant contrast to the dining room’s bold black palette and natural wooden elements. The oversized tables were custom-built to allow enough space to comfortably accommodate mains with plenty of room for sides.
Ryan and Kat’s concept for the sophisticated fit-out came to fruition with the help of designer Stacey Smith of Twentyfivebees. Together, they created spaces suitable for intimate dining, families and larger groups. Ryan’s brother Owen Dippie installed his signature tiki artwork which leads to the charming rear dining room where Owen’s wife, Erin, has lined the wall with striking images of whole fish and scotch fillet steaks.
Alongside kitchen manager Robbie’s 30 years of experience, chef Dan Lockhart helped curate the menu, utilising a rare Spanish Mibrasa oven that takes centre stage in the kitchen. The closed barbecue design uses embers (instead of flame) to add a distinctive hint of charcoal to dry-aged scotch and charred asparagus. There’s also a smokey apple pie for dessert and, if that’s a little heavy, a theatrical mocha-gato dessert cocktail could be for you.
While steak is an obvious focus at Fife Lane, it’s far more than a steak restaurant; with options for the meat or seafood-averse such as gnocchi with Kaimai mushroom, broccoli, garlic butter and Parmesan. Ryan is a charismatic host who’ll happily tell you his favourites on the menu and steer you towards the chef’s specialities. But, back to that steak knife box – being offered a choice of blades to slice the tenderest of cuts is an experience which just doesn’t happen often enough in life.
Two mates with a masterplan for the Mount’s booming music scene
Day and night, there’s always something on the go at multi-functional Mt Maunganui venue Totara St.
Day and night, there’s always something on the go at multi-functional Mt Maunganui venue Totara St.
As Tauranga and the Mount’s population skyrockets, the music and arts scene is growing along with it. The attraction of the city to touring bands isn’t just about the size of the audience, though – it’s also about the fantastic venues at which they can play. The Mount’s Totara St events centre is such a place. By day, it’s a music school, but at night, it morphs into a rock ’n’ roll superstar.
Totara St co-directors Ross Shilling and Jay Munro met almost 10 years ago through a mutual friend. Both share a passion for the music industry – Ross has been in bands, owned venues and worked for years as a sound technician, while Jay had been involved in the promotional aspect of the industry in his hometown of Whangamata, where he juggled making surfboards with promoting bands and acts on the side. Together, they set out to create a venue that incorporated multiple facets of the business and, says Ross: “The masterplan was what we’ve ended up with.”
Realising their vision was no mean feat. According to Ross, “We looked at this place and it seemed almost set up, so we decided to jump in boots and all, and build a venue.”
Patience and elbow grease brought the project to life. The final push was opening for the 2012 Tauranga Jazz Festival, which had booked Totara St to host a poetry reading. Jay says it was “a bit like being on The Block TV show, with things really running down to the wire.”
In retrospect, they’re surprised that the organisers put such faith and support in them, but they proved worthy of the show of confidence, as all was up and running in the nick of time. Except, that is, for the missing toilet doors; Ross and Jay say it was open-plan or nothing for that event!
Walking through Totara St today, it’s plain to see why it’s gone on to become so successful. The music school side of the business is front of house, and the layout perfectly suits its purpose – from the comfy, retro-feel lounge to the rainbow-bright classrooms. A staff of around 13 contract tutors offer lessons on most instruments, and pupils love that they have the opportunity at the end of every term to perform as a band on a professional stage.
The events side of the venue is another thing altogether. Access is through a side entrance that leads into a sleek space with pared-back décor, a mezzanine floor complete with bar, and a huge stage fitted with sound equipment that’d blow the boots off even the most experienced roadie. Considerable investment has been made into this equipment – the set-up boasts a Martin Audio sound system, built-in acoustic panels and a lighting rig that ensure a first-class experience for audiences and bands. Without the hassle or expense of having to haul in their own gear, the process is greatly simplified for performers, adding to Totara St’s appeal.
Totara St has earned its stripes, and today the line-ups here are a heady mix of local and international players. From British acts such as musician Midge Ure and ska band Bad Manners, to Kiwi names such as The Black Seeds, White Chapel Jak and LAB, the list goes on. Ross and Jay have been savvy enough to realise that variety pays dividends, so they offer a variety of genres – entertainment for all sorts of age groups and musical tastes.
Despite their success, the pair aren’t the type to rest on their laurels. They’re currently developing the catering side of the business, the Chur!Coal barbecue and eatery, which allows Totara St to tantilise the tastebuds of 20 to 400 people for parties and all manner of corporate events, from functions to team-building sessions.
Totara St is one well-run business, and one that has a huge appreciation for the community it operates in. Its ability to shapeshift to be as appealing to Millennials as it is to Baby Boomers and band members is amazing – and that’s rock ’n’ roll baby.
A dash of the special sauce.
British-born chef Ian Harrison is in his happy place at Tauranga’s newest Italian eatery.
New restaurant Sugo serves Italian food at its finest – fancy-ish but wholly fuss-free.
When Ian Harrison says Tauranga’s new eatery, Sugo, is his happy place, it’s a comment to savour. He’s opened 19 restaurants and hotels on behalf of others, five of them in two years as an executive chef, and cooked his way around the world for 20-plus years working with chefs of high repute and at Michelin-starred restaurants. Until recently, his dream was to own an intimate fine-dining restaurant, but now he’s toned it down a tad – and he couldn’t be happier. He suspects New Zealand has rubbed off on him.
British-born Ian is chef and co-owner of Sugo, which became a tasty addition to Tauranga’s eating scene in early November. “It’s contemporary, seasonal, fresh and a nod to Italy, but it’s also no fuss,” he says. “I now know I’ll never open that fine-dining restaurant I used to dream about. I just want good, fresh food in a relaxed setting. I think I’ve become a Kiwi!”
Ian came to New Zealand for eight months, 10 years ago. He fell in love with the country – and one of its inhabitants, whom he’s since wed. Five years were spent in Auckland then it was on to the Bay of Plenty, where he was executive chef at Alpino and Clarence. At Alpino, he sharpened his skills in Italian cuisine; at Clarence he fine-tuned his European-Kiwi tools. “Those combined, brought me to Sugo,” he says.
On Wharf Street, Sugo is hard to miss. The facade of the Italian-inspired eatery is green, white lights and planters hang overhead, and red umbrellas shelter tables topped with terracotta plant pots. There’s an abundance of décor wow indoors, where a variety of seating options cater for 60 to 70. Alfresco dining numbers (when the Wharf Street upgrade is completed) will sit at 50.
Sugo’s tagline is “Italian inspired” and Ian believes anyone who’s been to Italy will taste the connection. Ian, who preserves and ferments as well as cooks, enthuses over seasonal and fresh food, and says pasta and antipasti are stars, as are unsung heroes in the meat world. ‘Sugo’ means ‘sauce’ and there’ll be plenty of that – he’s a dab hand at making them and they’re a key element in Italian cooking.
Instead of fussing excessively over presentation and the addition of numerous ingredients, Ian says he’d rather spend time finding suppliers (he has about 19) who offer top-notch products. “I want to source the best ingredients I can find, do as little as possible to them, then deliver so the products can sing. He doesn’t see the need for too many ingredients per dish, either, nor an extensive menu.
Ian and business partners Josh Fitzgerald and Warren and Megan Lippi-Smith have ensured Sugo dining is also relatively affordable – most mains are $30 and nothing’s over $35. A lunch menu will be added in February, perfect for those working in the CBD. Oh, and free of charge are dog biscuits made on-site for visiting pooches.
“I’m cooking good food, enjoying myself and making my mum and dad proud,” says Ian. “This place reminds me why I got into doing what I do.”