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June 21, 2023 - No Comments!

Surf, Turf and Smoke, Monsieur!

Mount Maunganui is home to the country’s tastiest toasted sandwich, with Freeport with Cleaver & Co taking top honours in the Great NZ Toastie Takeover 2023.

Talented young chef Brooke Moore has won the hotly contested title - and snagged bragging rights for the North for the second time only in the competition’s history - with her impressive creation Surf, Turf & Smoke, Monsieur!

A standout for competition judges, Moore’s winning toastie featured housemade smoked lamb pastrami, smoked prawns, mozzarella, smoked cheddar sauce and McClure's Sweet & Spicy Pickles, sandwiched between locally-made BreadHead miso tahini sourdough and served with smoked aioli and pickle juice gel.

toastietakeover.com

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April 19, 2023 - No Comments!

Say cheese! Search on for NZ’s top toastie

Ready to titillate tastebuds around the country, the annual Great NZ Toastie Takeover is back for 2023 and kicking it up a gear, with a record number of toasties on offer from Kororāreka to Invercargill.

A firm feature on the culinary calendar, this annual celebration of the humble toasted sandwich keeps growing, with a record 185 eateries participating for 2023 – an increase on last year’s competition which saw a massive 140,000 toasted sandwiches consumed.

Open to all New Zealand eateries, this year’s participants range from sandwich specialists, to fine dining restaurants, breweries and food trucks, with a vegan fast food chain, a subterranean cocktail bar, Wellington Airport, the Bluebridge Cook Strait ferry and even a retirement village in the mix.

toastietakeover.com

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March 13, 2023 - No Comments!

Tony’s Easter treats

In egg-citing news for lemon meringue fans, Tony’s Chocolonely has released a new limited edition Milk Chocolate Lemon Meringue Bar just in time for Easter. With a crackable ‘egg in a bar’ inside, this mouth-watering combination of flavours includes Fairtrade milk chocolate, crunchy meringue pieces - made from free range eggs of course, and a hint of zesty lemon sour.

Also back after last year’s sell-out introduction, Tony’s Chocolonely Egg-stra Special Chocolate Eggs come in a brightly packaged egg carton made of recyclable cardboard. In five tempting flavours, you'll find these 12 delectable mini morsels un-egg-qually divided in the carton to represent existing inequalities within the chocolate industry.

cookandnelson

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October 24, 2022 - No Comments!

Duo Eatery’s all day dining

Chic new Birkenhead café Duo Eatery now has even more to offer North Shore locals, with a new dinner offering for the evening crowd.

Run by  Jordan Macdonald, ex Culprit and Lowbrow, and wife Sarah, a former Masterchef contestant and chef at Woodpecker Hill, Culprit and Fed Deli, the cafe on historic Hinemoa Street opened quietly in March for breakfast and lunch.

Now open three nights a week, dishes include a standout savoury donut filled with creamed paua and horseradish mayo; a whole oyster lamb shoulder, pressed and braised for 24 hours and served with red pepper, harissa, cauliflower puree and a fresh herb salad; and a pretty plate of bone marrow with parsley, caper and sourdough that looks almost too good to eat.

duoeatery.co.nz

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August 31, 2022 - No Comments!

Tokki brings fresh take on Korean

Opening this week, 26-seater Tokki is a new eatery in Milford offering authentic Korean dishes from chef Jason Kim - ex Sidart, Cassia, The Grove, Clooney and most recently Gochu. Bringing his fresh take on Korean fare to the Shore, North Shore locals can expect a more subtle, elegant menu including metre-long flat noodles, beef short ribs with black garlic jus and white kimchi, and crispy chicken wing stuffed with prawn and tofu.

tokki.co.nz

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August 30, 2022 - No Comments!

Auckland chef takes top prize at Lee Kum Kee chefs challenge

Aspiring Auckland chef Julius Caesar has taken out top place at the Lee Kum Kee New Zealand Developing Chefs Challenge 2022.

A senior chef de partie at Ponsonby Road Bistro, Caesar competed alongside three other young chefs at the final event held in Auckland this week.

Open to all chefs under the age of 40 either working or training in New Zealand, the competition saw entrants submit a Chinese or Chinese-inspired dish and video online, using a minimum of three Lee Kum Kee sauces or condiments.

Taking home a $3,000 cash prize and the title of 2022 Lee Kum Kee New Zealand Developing Chef, the judges described Caesar as a “talented chef with a mature palette and a big future”.

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April 30, 2021 - No Comments!

Say hola to flavour with Farrah’s!

Taking the hard work out of your next Mexican night, Farrah’s Mexican is shaking it up with a fresh new look and bold new flavours. The refreshed range includes two new taco kits  - Smoky Chipotle and Hickory BBQ. Just follow the recipe on the back of the pack and add fresh ingredients for a fast and tasty dinner.

Or if freestyling is more your thing, keep Farrah’s Flame Baked Tortillas and Spice Mixes on hand for easy, flavourful meals that can be knocked up in no time. Check out the Farrah’s website for loads more recipe inspiration, and say hola to flavour with Farrah’s!

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May 1, 2020 - No Comments!

Wendy’s sets benchmark under level 3

For anyone who missed the news this week, longstanding Sauce Shop client and burger chain Wendy's is a shining example of how to operate under level 3; drive thru payments made via payWave placed on table and orders also placed on table, with windows closed to ensure no person-to-person contact, even contact tracing for every order. Staff keeping 1 metre apart. Uber drivers asked to sanitize their hands and maintain physical distancing. Great work Wendy's

Read here for more

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February 18, 2020 - No Comments!

Stylish stay for Arts Festival

The feast of theatre, dance, circus, cabaret, music and visual arts that is Auckland Arts Festival takes place 11-29 March, and Four Points by Sheraton Auckland has attractive package options for festivalgoers wanting a stylish stay in the heart of Auckland’s arts district.

Located on Queen Street and just a short walk from festival venues the Aotea Centre, Auckland Town Hall and Q Theatre, Four Points Auckland is the ideal base from which to kick back, relax and enjoy Auckland’s arts and entertainment scene.

For more information on package options, head here, and for more on the festival, head here.

 

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October 24, 2019 - No Comments!

An icon reborn

Moving with the times, local fashion favourite Max is undergoing a significant transformation at the hands of new owners Barkers menswear.

Starting this week, customers will see whole new ranges hit stores including a fully revamped main line, a Liberty Fabrics collab, resort and the first drop of Elementary, featuring relaxed timeliness silhouettes in organic cotton, linen and other natural materials.

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