Exciting times ahead at SkyCity As the New Zealand International Convention Centre prepares to welcome international delegates, The Grill shapes up with the best of New Zealand produce across its seasonal menus, and Metita also welcomes diners with award-winning Pacific cuisine. Cassia’s new menu reflects the season with vibrant new dishes added and seasonal twists to their most-loved favourites. skycityauckland.co.nz

Nonya kuih made simpler If you love Connie Clarkson’s pineapple tarts  and want yours to have that pro look, you can get the moulds from HomeBakes. Its range of baking utensils includes tins for chiffon cake and moulds for different Malaysian kuih such as kuih loyang (honeycomb or rose cookies), moon cake moulds, bun stamps and biscuit presses. homebakes.co.nz

50-50 PROMOTES WOMEN WINEMAKERS

Helen Turnbull of Kāpiti restaurant 50-50 has revamped her wine offering to deliberately feature a higher number of wines made by women. Now diners who choose to pair the 6- or 9-course menu with wine will be treated to a selection that reflects the industry where female winemakers now lead more than 20% of the country’s top wineries. Jannine Rickards, who runs Huntress Wines and has been a winemaker for more than 20 years, says initiatives like 50-50’s wine list help strengthen the industry for future generations. “When venues champion wines from female makers, they show diners the breadth and depth of talent in our industry and help normalise women’s presence across all areas of wine. I also love that the list supports smaller producers and offers real diversity. Helen’s pairings always hit the mark.” 50-50.co.nz

EASTER CLASSICS AT THE PANTRY

The Pantry at Park Hyatt Auckland reimagines Easter with two returning favourites from executive pastry chef Callum Liddicoat and his team. First a brioche hot-cross doughnut infused with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, black pepper, cardamom and cloves, filled with vanilla or caramel custard. Also a fragrant hot cross bun wreath. The hot cross bun wreath is a celebration of flavour, enriched with rum‐soaked raisins, currants, sultanas and citrus peel, then lifted with warm notes of cardamom, tonka bean and cinnamon. Finished with the classic cross, the wreath is brushed with a citrus‐spiced rum glaze. Order at hyattpantry.co.nz

WINNING WINES

When Wine Spectator announced its Top 100 Wines of 2025, we were proud to see five New Zealand wines on the list. At #20 was Rimapere Single Vineyard Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024, #33 was Loveblock Marlborough TEE Sauvignon Blanc 2023, at #44 Burn Cottage Central Otago Moonlight Race Pinot Noir 2023, at #62 te Pā Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024 and #74 was Marisco Marlborough The Ned Pinot Gris 2024. Loveblock TEE is a groundbreaking wine from Erica and Kim Crawford, the first wine in the world to use tannin from green tea in place of sulphites, traditionally used as a preservative.

DIARY OF A CARROT

If it sounds absurd, that’s because artist Yvonne Todd delights in skewing the familiar into the ridiculous, all through the lens of food. Diary of a Carrot is a food-themed exhibition blending a range of media into a quirky commentary on the act of eating. It includes works from Yvonne’s new AI-generated series, Sullen 1880s Nibblers (2025), which epitomise the Yvonne Todd take on food – oddball, disturbing, humorous, visually rich, metaphoric and connecting with a range of sources and references from the artist’s personal archive. The exhibition is at The Arts House Trust at Pah Homestead, Auckland until 22 March 2026.

Malay cooking is a harmony of sweet, sour, salty, creamy, umami and spice, and our extract from The Malay Cook by Ranie Saidi brings these all together in a collection of flavour-packed recipes that highlight the diversity of this fascinating cuisine.

WE KNOW IT’S SUMMER WHEN…

…Aryeh Piha throws open its doors. The award-winning restaurant is well into its full summer mode, with chef Lucas Parkinson preparing a menu rich in sustainably sourced kaimoana and hyper-local produce. Options include a 2-, 3- or 5-course set menu, the ‘Story of New Zealand Cuisine 8-course tasting menu and a separate Sun Deck menu for walk-ins. As Lucas says, “The real joy is seeing locals and visitors return to Piha to share great food and good times with us.” Get there quickly to enjoy items such as the wild-shot venison tartare (pictured), as the summer season ends on 21 April 2026, when the team transitions to Aryeh Hiber for winter. restaurantaryeh.com

Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland Museum presents Te Taunga: Recipes and Stories. A cookbook created with community groups from the Cook Islands, Sudan, Ma’ohi Nui, India/Fiji, Ukraine, Solomon Islands and Brazil, it looks at whānau, culture and history through the lens of food and cooking. aucklandmuseum.com

THE REAL BEEF

The team behind Danbri Farm has long recognised a growing demand for meat raised with integrity. Its cattle are raised regeneratively on Northland pasture, with a strong focus on animal welfare, low-stress handling and ethical on-farm harvest. Now its Angus beef will be more accessible to customers as it enters into a retail partnership with two outstanding butchers: Grey Lynn Butchers and Warkworth Butchery. Deborah Pead of Danbri Farm says, “This means that customers can choose the cuts they want, when they want them, guided by butchers who genuinely understand our animals, our process and our standards. This shift also allows us to focus on what we do best, raising exceptional Angus cattle, while trusted butchery partners take care of retail service and cut selection.” danbrifarm.co.nz

Congratulations to bean-to-bar chocolate maker Foundry Chocolate, which won a total of seven medals at the global Academy of Chocolate Awards 2025, judged against more than 1400 entries from around the world. Foundry Chocolate was awarded a Gold in the ‘Plain Dark Chocolate Bar’ category, for its Korosim Microlots, Solomon Islands 70% dark chocolate bar. All the products that Foundry entered were winners, with four Silver medals and two Bronzes for its single origin craft chocolate. foundrychocolate.co.nz