It's been hard to ignore the accolades coming out of this area this week, with both food and brewing awards happening - and Matakana locals grabbing up some of the action.

8-Wired Brewing in Warkworth scooped the pool with 12 awards out of 13 entered! Great news for them since the terrible accident at the brewery in the first week of September, when one of their giant kettles exploded, putting two of their team in hospital with serious burns. Latest news is that they are recovering well, but it'll be a slow and careful process...

The Sawmill Brewing Company also had a large presence at the awards, with their Chocolate Stout winning gold, and other beers pulling in a host of silvers and bronzes too. Their packaging also won - that multi-coloured box of Pilsner cans is certainly a hit with us.

Incidentally, the new Sawmill Brewery build is going great guns on Matakana Rd, just past the Matakana Country Park. The roof is on the main building, and a glorious cylindrical wooden edifice is going up beside it... however, it's not a giant beer barrel, but a hi-tech water tank. They'll be sharing the space with the Whangaripo Buffalo Cheese people - their beautiful water buffalo are already in the paddocks nearby, watching the build with interest!

New owners of the Cider Shed on SH1 north of Warkworth, the Forbidden Brewing Company, had a delightful welcome-to-the-area present after their hectic move (30,000 litres of cider on the road from Long Bay!). They've only won best cider in NZ at the Brewing Awards - congratulations, guys. They're keen to show off their prize-winning brew, so get on over there and help them celebrate. 

Over at the NZ Food Awards, the Lovely Little Food Company (we are addicted to their I Love Pies range) won the Frozen Category for their Really Good Sausage Rolls - can't wait to try some. The meat is free-range, the pastry is their usual amazing sour cream-style crispy goodness and they have no dodgy bits in them at all. Hooray! These girls are not actually Matakana locals, but we feel they are, since their gorgeous pies are always at the Matakana Markets of a Saturday - for special prices, too. 

I'm sure those sausage rolls would love a bit of chilli sauce - and who knew? The last item on our awards roundup: after buying a very tasty green chilli sauce recently, I liked it so much I googled it - Culley's Tijuana. And found out that NZ has recently won best in the world in three categories at the VERY prestigious World Hot Sauce Awards - in Louisiana, no less. Full story here. Chilli-heads take note. We are on the map.

Dads. How great are they? They bring home the bacon (mostly), sort out that lawnmower (sometimes), go nuts on the football sidelines (usually) and they crack really bad jokes. What's not to love? Sadly, Father's Day has many dutiful offspring - and wives - scratching their heads for a gift. Why are they so hard to buy for? 

Well, in fact it's easy really - it's got to be food related, since we all know that the way a dad's heart is through his wee tummy.

Our first idea (and yes, we're quite passionate about this) is a TGW bloke's cooking class voucher! Our industrial steel kitchen will have your dad feeling like he's in the ultimate man-cave. TGW chef Mark will bring forth a prize-winning meal from him that he never knew he could produce. Four hours will fly by as the group discusses the menu, cooks and then sits down to eat in the fresh new TGW dining room. Only $140 for skills that will endure - this is an added bonus for mums as well, of course. Get a group together!

Next on the list for the dad who has everything is a refillable glass beer flagon. These are now the must-have accessory for any bloke - they're funky, sustainable and look uber-cool. Lucky for us, the Sawmill Brewery does a fab one - and there are two sizes: the Growler and the Squealer. Just take your flagon to either the Sawmill Brewery or the Vintry (or Jervois Cellars if you're in Auckland) to get it refilled with a generous amount of an icy cold beer of your choice. 

Finally - an obvious one for Matakana-ites - but this is also those from further afield who are visiting: a trip to the Matakana Farmer's Market on Saturday to choose a bespoke basket of mouth-watering goodies for the dad in your life. Choose from Whangaripo buffalo cheeses, smoked salmon, Italian sausages, oysters, nut butters, chutneys and pies. You'll even be able to buy the basket or stylish vintage wooden box to put it all in! Some French pastries for brekky in bed and you're 'set like a jelly' - as my Dad used to say. 

Raw food seems like it's here to stay. Thousands of people are discovering the health benefits of eating raw, and there are some folk turning it into an art form. And after a trip to Matakana markets where we sampled some new Raw Eats products, we're sold, too. 

Rachael Drinnan, the founder of Raw Eats, lives with her family (partner Chris and their three small children) in the beautiful Whangaripo Valley, halfway between Matakana and Wellsford. We caught up with her and asked about her fledgling business. 
 
What products are you making exactly?
I currently make decadent cheesecakes, slices and balls (all raw, gluten free, dairy free, no refined sugars and vegan). I'm also looking to make beautiful raw salads and wraps come summertime.

What gave you the idea of starting Raw Eats? 
I entered the Whangaripo Valley Wild Food Festival last year, and made a raw coconut and wild blackberry cheesecake... and it was an absolute hit!  It got tremendous feedback from the punters, so I thought - why not start a new little venture for myself? 

After some research, I came across Little Bird Unbakery and really wanted to go and try some of their beautiful food. So my mum and I went down to their newish premises near Britomart - it was fabulous, the food was amazing and I was inspired. I thought "this is totally me, I can do this!"

I love the fact that when eating these delicious morsels I'm putting unbaked goodness into my body. I love seeing peoples faces when I tell them it's all raw, with no refined sugars, no nasty flours and chock full of superfoods - they simply cannot believe how something that looks so gorgeous and tastes amazing is healthy for you! 

Where do you source your ingredients? 
All my ingredients are sourced from local stores, and once spring and summer finally get here, I'll try to source as local as possible, especially for the raw salads. The main ingredient (and the most expensive for the cheesecakes) is raw cashews, so of course it's difficult to source these locally.

What feedback have you had?
It's been amazing - I was going into the unknown when presenting my unbaked goodness to the community and was a little unsure of how my new venture would go - but I've had nothing but praise and positive comments about my products! It's definitely encouraged me to continue what I am currently doing and think big about the future.

You've just started selling at Matakana Market - is there any other way people can get hold of your products?
Yes, I'm currently selling at the 'top' Market [outside the old Cream of Matakana], and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. I only go if the weather is sunny and have babysitters at the ready to mind my three little ones. However I'm more than happy to take orders for full cheesecakes or slice blocks and come to an arrangement for pick up or delivery!

For orders, or more info, contact Rachael on 
09 425 9755 or 021 922 447
Email  rachris0@gmail.com

What a lead-up we had to getting TGW to the Food Show 2015! There were weeks of planning around what we wanted our stand to look like to best represent Matakana as a premium food destination. We got some of our fantastic local food producers on board, and we showcased their delectable comestibles to 36,000 people. 

Matakana Smokehouse salmon, Carew Kitchen almond milk, Heron's Flight verjuice and grape juice, Salumeria Fontana sausages, Matakana Nut Butters and Matakana Olive Oil strutted their stuff throughout the show. It became very clear to us that people are really interested in local, fresh, sustainable food that's created with passion.

The Matakana Farmers Market stand brought the true flavour of the markets to the Food Show. A cornucopia of fresh fruit, vegetables and micro greens really highlighted this region as the go-to place for lush produce. 

We had some pretty exciting visitors too – Ray McVinnie of Masterchef, Tony Price who was a Masterchef runner up, Sachie Nomura of Sachies Kitchen, Alan Brown of the Complete Kiwi Pizza Book. Not one to miss an opportunity for a selfie, Kathryn grabbed as many of her chef heroes as she could, scoring closeups with Simon Gault, Sid Sahrawat and Brett McGregor!

All our producer partners were popular but the scrums around the smoked salmon on Sunday were rather extraordinary. Lee Sutherland of Matakana Smokehouse has such an incredible product. 

The point of difference for his smoked salmon is the nigella seeds he uses. Nigella is an ancient seed which dates back to Medieval times and beyond - they were found in Tutankhamen's tomb! 

Nigella seeds have been enjoying a rock-star moment recently, hailed as being able to cure anything from cancer to a broken leg. However, it's the oniony, peppery flavour Lee is after, and it's proving to be the people's choice, even more so than the more traditional brown sugar or coconut sugar cures he uses. 

Lee also makes an exceptional gravadlax, which is layered with basil, coriander, dill, coconut sugar, limes and sea salt, vaccuum packed and refrigerated for two weeks. Score this tangy gorgeousness slathered on kumara buns, with cream cheese and capers at the Matakana Farmers Markets on Saturdays - direct from the man himself. 

Last but not least are his smoked mushrooms. Need we say more? Get down to Matakana Farmers Market on Saturdays to buy all of these Smokehouse products from Lee - also available at Scarecrow Cafe in the city, Naturally Organic in Albany, or IE Produce in Takapuna. 

Lee is a perfect example of what passion can do in creating amazing artisan products. This salmon really does spoil you for any other version. Call him on 0800 100 614 for further information. And see you at the Markets!

There’s a challenging and very exciting week ahead for The Gourmet Within. Our first ever appearance at the Auckland Food Show – and we’re taking a bunch of our favourite Matakana artisan food products, and their producers, with us.

Salumeria Fontana’s multiple award-winning sausages, Heron’s Flight Matakana grape juice and verjuice, Carew Kitchen’s almond milk, Matakana Smokehouse’s Akaroa smoked salmon, Matakana Nut Butters and Mahurangi Coast Olive Oil will all be sharing the big stall with us.

We’ll be right beside Matakana Coast Tourism, who will also be hosting a bunch of local foodie A-listers including Brick Bay, Plume Restaurant, the Matakana Pub, the Leigh Sawmill Café, Mahurangi Oysters, Matakana Tours and of course, the Matakana Farmers Market.

So – the area will be well represented and we’d love your support! There are a bunch of foodie giveaways and some serious Food Show savings vouchers on multiple products. Chef Mark will be cooking up tasty snacks utilising the delectable comestibles of their stall partners - come on over and get your taste buds involved.

See you there!

 

 

 

We're very excited here at The Gourmet Within. Our inaugural blog post! It's been a long time in the planning. We're aiming to bring you all sorts of things you need to know (and possibly a few you don't) about the foodie scene in and around the Matakana area and further afield as well. And of course, we'll keep you informed about what's happening at The Gourmet Within.

We've spread our yummy net from Puhoi to Pakiri - there are loads of artisan food producers here, whose wares we are looking forward to sampling and keeping you informed about. We'll also keep track of gourmet events including, of course, our own regular and delicious food experiences. Cookery classes for any style and palate, corporate team-building fun (make it as competitive as you like!) – and soon, private fine dining as well. 

Our chef, Mark Griffiths, has a wealth of experience in the industry. He's been cooking all his life – from cruise ships in his (slightly misspent) youth, to owning his own restaurant, to spending the past 16 years teaching the advanced cookery courses at Auckland University of Technology, Mark's done it all. 

He lives just up the road from TGW in Matakana, with his partner Carmel, who runs the show behind the scenes. They also run a gorgeous bed and breakfast surrounded by vineyards in Matakana (a foodie haven north of Auckland). They've raised their two sons here, who also lend a hand at TGW from time to time. 

As a couple Mark and Carmel are steeped in the food industry and involved at ground level in every local event. Community is hugely important to them and they are passionate about helping both high-end local producers and kitchen-table entrepreneurs get their products to market.

Kathryn Jansen has a background in food technology and is a committed health-nut. Her paleo wraps are to die for! She helps out in the kitchen with Mark and designs and runs TGW's corporate side, where her trademark wry sense of humour and general naughtiness come in handy.

Finally there's Kathy Hunter, online gofer. A Matakana local, she has a writing background, loves chooks and her vege garden and is prone to dithering over whether to cook Nigel or Nigella on any given evening. 

So - it's begun. Come back soon for more.