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WINE & DINE AU G U S T 2 0 1 8

ISSUE 53

SWEET TREATS

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FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD

R E S U LT

t s e B of

ARD

B eer ta st i n g guide inside

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CAPITAL

MADE IN WELLINGTON

CAPITAL TA L E S O F T H E C I T Y

WINE & DINE AU G U S T 2 0 1 8

ISSUE 53

SWEET TREATS

$4.90 PITCHER PERFECT

FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD

R E S U LT

Bofes

ARD

B ee r ta st i n g guide inside

t’s August and I think this issue could be loosely described as a Best Of issue, with a focus on burgers and beer and food in general. We have renewed our long-running Best of Wellington campaign and were blown away with the response from voters. Already we are making notes about fine tuning for the next year’s awards. Thank you voters. In this issue we release the Best Of food category results. A mix of old favourites and newcomers are showing up, making for fascinating reading. Results from the categories other than food will be announced in September. Around town the feverish month of sampling burgers for Wellington On A Plate gets under way. Our food writers Nicci and Jordan Shearer have used their culinary skills to the utmost to create our very own Capital burger. Or burgers – in true competitive Master Chef style, they have come up with two different burgers to try. Do let us know which you prefer. We also have for you the results from our biggest ever annual national beer tasting. Convened by Steph Coutts, the panel tasted their way through a record 182 beers. Our thanks to the folk at Heyday Beer Co who hosted the day, and the capable Capital team of Griff Bristed, Lauren Andersen and Tod Harfield who ensured the day ran smoothly. If you are starting to feel a twinge of indigestion at so much rich fare, we have all our regular less edible features for you to feast on as well: houses, books, babies, fish and much much more. See you in September.

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C O N TA C T U S Phone +64 4 385 1426 Email editor@capitalmag.co.nz Website www.capitalmag.co.nz Facebook facebook.com/CapitalMagazineWellington Twitter @CapitalMagWelly Instagram @capitalmag Post Box 9202, Marion Square, Wellington 6141 Deliveries 31–41 Pirie St, Mt Victoria, Wellington, 6011 ISSN 2324-4836 Produced by Capital Publishing Ltd

PRINTED IN WELLINGTON

Alison Franks Editor editor@capitalmag.co.nz This publication uses vegetable based inks, and FSC® certified papers produced from responsible sources, manufactured under ISO14001 Environmental Management Systems

The opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Although all material is checked for accuracy, no liability is assumed by the publisher for any losses due to the use of material in this magazine. Copyright ©. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form without the prior written permission of Capital Publishing Ltd.

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CONTRIBUTORS

Staff Managing editor Alison Franks

FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS

editor@capitalmag.co.nz

Campaign coordinators Lauren Andersen lauren@capitalmag.co.nz Haleigh Trower haleigh@capitalmag.co.nz Lauren Edwards laurenedwards@capitalmag.co.nz Lyndsey O'Reilly lyndsey@capitalmag.co.nz General factotum John Briste d

john@capitalmag.co.nz

Art director Shalee Fitzsimmons shalee@capitalmag.co.nz Designer Luke Browne

design@capitalmag.co.nz

Editorial assistant Leilani Baker

hello@capitalmag.co.nz

Accounts Tod Harfield

accounts@capitalmag.co.nz

T O D HA R F I E L D Ac c ount s Head of our accounts department of one, Tod has been at Capital since its inception. As well as balancing spreadsheets, he enjoys dark beer and walking up steep hills – a handy hobby in Wellington.

O S C A R T HOM A S D e si g n i ntern Oscar is a graphic designer, filmmaker, photographer and university dropout. He is currently a graphic designer for NZ Police and an intern at Capital. He's available to be stalked on Instagram at @osco.me.

Stockists Pick up your Capital in New World, Countdown and Pak’n’Save supermarkets, Moore Wilson's, Unity Books, Commonsense Organics, Magnetix, City Cards & Mags, Take Note, Whitcoulls, Wellington Airport, Interislander and other discerning region-wide outlets. Ask for Capital magazine by name. Distribution: john@capitalmag.co.nz.

Submissions We welcome freelance art, photo and story submissions. However we cannot reply personally to unsuccessful pitches.

FRANCESCA EMMS Writer

JORAM ADAMS Ph oto g r aph er

Francesca is a Wellington-born, Wairaraparaised writer. Most of her work is for magazines and websites but she also writes scripts and stories for film, theatre and radio. Francesca has a Masters from the IILM, enjoys tap dancing and gets car sick really easily.

Growing up, Joram wanted to be a super hero, then a cyclist, and then an engineer. He never quite got round to any of those, so settled for being someone who just loves to create. Wellington has been his home for the last 17 years. You can check out his Instagram at @joram_adams.

GERMAN FILM FESTIVAL 2018

WELLINGTON / 28 AUG–1 SEPT AUCKLAND / 4–9 SEPT DUNEDIN / 15–17 SEPT CHRISTCHURCH / 21–23 SEPT NELSON / 22 SEPT NEW PLYMOUTH / 25–30 SEPT www.goethe.de/nz

Sprache. Kultur. Deutschland.

CONTENTS

10 LETTERS 12 CHATTER 14 NEWS BRIEFS 16 BY THE NUMBERS 18 NEW PRODUCTS 20 TALES OF THE CITY 22 CULTURE

Bofes

PL ANT POWERED Leilani Baker meets a plant-based body builder

LET â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S HEAR IT FOR THE GIRLS From farm to fork, the life of a lady lamb

ARD

SWEET TO OTH

BEST OF AWARDS

Local foodies dish on their top treats

Best Food and Beverage categories announced

NO FEXICANS ALLOWED Viva Mexico is the real deal

BEER NECESSITIES Our annual beer tasting brings you the best brews

CONTENTS

SAINTS AND SYMBOLS

SHEARERS' TA B L E

Meet the ladies at Kirsten Sutherlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house

A double helping of burger bliss

61 62

FISHY BUSINESS EDIBLES

RE-VERSE

IT'S ONLY NATURAL WINE Complex or just yuk? Joelle Thomson discusses going au naturel

Hera Linsday Bird introduces Georgie Porgie by Freya Daly Sadgrove

GU T INSTINCT 70 FASHION 74 BY THE BOOK

86 TORQUE TALK 88 WELLY ANGEL 91 BABY, BABY 94 CALENDAR

Novelist Isa Pearl Ritchie and the divinity of digestion

GROUPIES What do a dairy farmer, a chef and professor of Chinese history have in common?

LETTERS

CARS AND CULTURE Hey Team! Just wanted to send a bit of fan mail on the Porsche article that was in Capital mag. I love the cultural and historical references of Italy and Germany. It is nice to see the Cayman get some spotlight over the 911. My only criticism that really got to me is the pronunciation comment in the very beginning as this will be taken as gospel by uninformed readers. It is indeed pronounced Por-sha, you can Google a video that Porsche as a brand released to clear up the air on the matter. Anyways, thanks for the read and have a great day! I can’t wait to read more. Warren A, Wellington (name and address supplied) MORE HOUSES WANTED I loved your house issue (#51), all the houses were interesting. I liked the story about Susie Toogood and her house. That is some style. She has never used plastic bags for her customers, not just a recent change (p 35). But my favourite was the couple who came home from Manhattan to live up the Kapiti Coast, (p 46). That was a beautiful house. More please. House lover, Karori, (abridged) TAKE CARE OF THE TAMARIKI I loved the story about the Naenae Computer Clubhouse in your May issue (#51 p 96) – the Council is doing some amazing things to level the playing fields for tamariki in the Hutt’s poorer suburbs and this is one initiative. Joy, Communications, Lower Hutt City Council (abridged) WEATHERING WINTER I think your Winter issue (#52) is one of your best yet. Your magazine continues to surprise me, with the variety of stories and images that you manage to put together each month. Well done and thank you. Sue Smith, Manawatu GURFERS GO FOR IT I am a surfer of more than 30 years and was really pleased to see the story in your latest issue (#52) about the girls’ surfing group who meet at Lyall Bay to encourage women to go surfing. It’s a great idea and as someone who has found surfing to be among the best experiences of my life, I can only hope more women do take it up. Surfie, Titahi Bay (abridged)

Send letters to editor@captalmag.co.nz with the subject line Letters to Ed

FLY FROM WELLINGTON FAST-FORWARD TO THE WORLD

Singapore Airlines makes your journey from Wellington feel shorter than ever with a seamless connection through Singapore, en route to over 130 destinations on our network. Along the way, savour the finest international cuisine and wine, choose from over 1,000 entertainment options, and enjoy the award-winning inflight service that makes you feel at home. To book, visit singaporeair.com or contact your travel agent.

RD E R S E C TCI H OA N THT EE A

INK INC.

TO BE BLUNT Wellington Museum has collaborated with Auckland Museum and Blunt umbrellas to produce a special women’s suffrage umbrella. Designed by Museums Wellington graphic designer Sarah Maxey, it features Kate Sheppard’s signature from the successful 1893 petition presented to Parliament and a special breed of white camellia flower called the Kate Sheppard. Only 1000 umbrellas were made (500 for Wellington, 500 for Auckland) and more than 50 walked out Wellington Museum’s doors when sales opened on 2 July. There were limited stocks available as we went to print, so be quick.

ASHLEIGH TAN Why did you choose the design? I chose the flower design of a gypsophila and lavender. Lavender is my family’s favourite flower and gypsophila is my favourite. I designed the tattoo myself – after years of drawing on myself, it just seemed natural.

WIND AT YOUR BACK

Family, for or against? Family were 200% against it; Asian parents ya know – strict as hell.

With sports being treated as businesses these days, and players treated as expendable commodities with a fast-approaching use-by date, it’s nice to see a little loyalty from time to time. Two of Wellington’s favourite players, Ardie Savea and Jordie Barrett, have both said that they will never play against the Hurricanes. They have both committed to a one-year deal that runs until the end of 2019. This means that they will see out the World Cup in Japan next year before weighing up their options, as any sensible businessperson would do.

Art or rebellion? I’d say both. Tattoos are a way to express my art but it was very much a rebellious act seeing as my parents didn’t know about it. Where is the tattoo and why? The tattoo is on my left forearm and it sits beside some scars from past events as a sort of reminder.

C HAT T E R

WELLY WORDS WHALEY-WORD Walking along Oriental Parade last month, a Wellyworder spotted a group of people taking photos of what she assumed was a shipping container, perhaps on fire. Uninterested, she continued on her way. Arriving at work she was shown social media snaps from minutes earlier, and was devastated to discover she’d walked right by the Matariki whale frolicking in the harbour.

FASHION FUR-PAS A Welly-worder attending a fashion show was tickled when a cat popped out from nowhere and proceeded to walk the runway. Gives a new definition to ‘catwalk’.

FETCHING ETCHING

WALK THE PLANK A performing drag queen, complete with pirate ship headdress, took an unfortunate tumble on her way offstage. A bystander commented quickly and simply – ‘shipwrecked.’

STAR TREATMENT Symphony goers were charmed when Macedonian pianist Simon Trpčeski received the customary presentation bouquet and gave it to a pregnant member of the strings section. When he gestured to his tummy, to explain the reason for the gift, a wise young symphony-goer was overheard whispering, ‘That must be who’s feeding him while he’s here.’ We sure hope the NZSO isn’t billeting out international superstars.

IT'S COOL TO KORERO Whānau, he aha tātou e kai ai? Okay guys, what are we gonna eat?

Lower Hutt’s Jacqui Colley (above) has won the 2018 Parkin Drawing Prize for her work Long Echo. Measuring 2.4 metres by 1.2 metres, her work is a drawing etched on aluminium using acid and black oil pigment. She beat 462 other artists to take out the top prize and $20,000. Three other works by Wellingtonians received highly-commended prizes worth $500: Tim Larkin’s I Don't Share (One Hundred Metres Blue), Duncan Anderson’s One Morning Break and Gary Peters’ 24 Drawings. The Parkin Drawing Prize exhibition, New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts Gallery, until 19 August.

WINNING WITH SWIMMING Last month the annual Swimming New Zealand awards went down in Auckland and Wellington swimmers did extremely well. Lewis Clareburt, who recently won bronze at the Commonwealth Games in the men’s 400m medley, was named international swimmer of the year. Emma Robinson was named domestic swimmer of the year and Gary Hollywood, Lewis’ coach, became coach of the year. Lewis, Emma and Gary are all from Capital Swim Club in Wellington. So now you know where to send your kids for swimming lessons.

NEWS BRIEFS

T H R E E - PA R T HA R MON Y Plans for a National Centre of Music in Wellington’s Civic Square have been boosted by a $4-million New Zealand Lottery Grant. The collaboration is between Victoria University of Wellington, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Wellington City Council. Justin Lester, the Mayor of Wellington, says, ‘Civic Square has recently been gifted the te reo name Te Ngākau, which means the heart, and this national music centre will indeed make the heart sing.’ Kerry Prendergast, former Wellington mayor, is leading the fundraising campaign.

L E T T H E R E B E L IG H T

WA ST E N O T

AC R O S S T H E O C E A N

Upper Hutt is one of the first cities in New Zealand to complete their upgrade to LED street lighting, with some 3,800 fittings now removed and replaced. LED lights provide brighter and more natural light, which improves visibility, safety, and security. They also use up to 65% less power and will cost up to 70% less to maintain. The work was originally to be completed around 2025, but support from NZTA meant Upper Hutt City Council could expedite the rollout.

Three Wellington schools are the first to become Wellington Waste Heroes. A new waste education programme, run by Wellington City Council, empowers students to ‘take action to change your school and community’s waste behaviour!’ Hampton Hill School in Tawa, St Brigid’s School in Johnsonville and Crofton Downs Primary School are taking part in the pilot programme over terms three and four this year. WCC’s Waste Minimisation Manager Meagan Miller says she’s keen to sign up schools for the new year as well.

An exhibition of oceanic art, encompassing the Pacific region from New Guinea to Easter Island, Hawaii to New Zealand, will be open at London’s Royal Academy of Arts next month. The UK’s first major show to explore Oceanic art, Oceania, has been co-curated by Victoria University of Wellington’s Senior Lecturer in Art History, Dr Peter Brunt. Highlights of the exhibition include the 14thcentury wooden Kaitaia carving, excavated in 1920, one of the oldest objects known to have been found in New Zealand.

NEWS BRIEFS

SOUTHERN S U B WAY Sea creatures, birds and ships are livening up the walking and biking tunnel beneath the airport runway linking Rongotai and Miramar. Senior Rongotai College students have helped award-winning muralist Sheyne Tuffery and Weta Workshop artists to design murals that represent the area’s history and its connections to the sea. Tuffery began painting the mural in July and, weather permitting, will finish it in August. The murals are part of an upgrade of the ‘subway’, including better lighting, security cameras, and eventually links to new bike lanes and footpaths.

N UM B E R O N E

M I X E D TA P E

JUGGERNAUT RUMBLES ON

Toru Fetū Kindergarten in Porirua won the Excellence in Engaging / Atahāpara Award at the 5th annual Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards held last month. The judging panel said that Toru Fetū ‘has created a community hub with integrated services for families. This is an outstanding model of engagement across nations.’ The prize includes $20,000, and professional development opportunities.

Who knew there was a Tape Art Convention in Berlin? Hutt residents Erica Duthie and Struan Ashby – who make temporary public-art installations as ‘Tape Art New Zealand’ – were among 20 tape artists from 10 countries invited to send a work to Berlin in July. For the Hutt Winter Festival (16–18 August), they’re assembling a community ‘labyrinth’, resembling a large, intricate mat with swirly ‘paths’. Duct tape holds together a patchwork of 65 artworks made in community workshops from recycled PVC billboards. The work can be reassembled for other events.

As the Super rugby season is concluding in August (at time of writing the Hurricanes were preparing for a playoff match against the Chiefs) the ITM domestic competition begins. On August 19 at Westpac Stadium the Wellington Lions take on Otago in their respective season openers. Last year Wellington were convincing winners of the Championship, and will be in the Premiership.

129 Willis Street BurgerLiquor.co.nz 11:30 – Late Everyday

BN Y ETWH E P RNOUDMUBCETRSS

Diets Ovovegetarian

We’ve all heard about vegetarians and vegans but how about the following diets that start with a vegetable base...

Weird and wonderful diets

just add eggs

Cabbage Soup low calorie – kinda, mostly just eating cabbage soup, woo

Pescetarian

Pollotarian

Kangatarian

fish of the day please

a sprinkling of poultry but no mammals

grill up some kangaroo, yes really. Apparently it’s environmentally friendly as Joey isn’t a drain on water supplies (unlike cattle) and he doesn’t fart much.

Dukan

Ketogenic

Monotrophic

Elemental

four phases – high protein and limited carbohydrates

high fat and low carb

eating one food item or type of food exclusively for a period

medical liquid only diet

said to help in the treatment of refractory epilepsy

not to be mistaken for Emmental cheese

1000 calories 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100

Take it away

Variables like metabolism, levels of physical activity and age aside, women need roughly 2,000 calories and men 2,500 calories per day.

Ailments abetted by overeating

360

600

840

750

920

Chicken Chow Mein

Chicken korma

Fish and chips

Half a standard pizza

Big Mac combo

17%

33%

186,000

100,000

of all deaths in NZ can be attributed to high cholesterol

of the adult population have type 2 diabetes

of deaths in New Zealand are caused by cardiovascular disease

people live with heart disease

number of people the Ministry of Health predicts have undiagnosed type 2 diabetes

Compiled by Craig Beardsworth 16 16

NEW PRODUCTS

12 11 9

Matcha made in h e a ve n

1. Pure Home Stewart dining chair, $795, McKenzie & Willis 2. Sri Lankan spice dark chocolate, $4, Trade Aid 3. Nadaburg loaf, $5.80, The Bakery Basket 4. Bullnose ‘16 syrah, $74.90, Te Mata Estate 5. Rosewater and orange melting moment, $4, Havana Brothers Bakehouse 6. Mud Round teacup and saucer, $99, Porcelain Lounge 7. Rivsalt gift pack, $69, The White Room Gallery 8. Montfoort fresh syrup waffles, $8.20, The Dutch Shop 9. V8 vegan burger, $12.50, BurgerFuel 10. Super Deluxe beans, 250g $8.69, Havana Coffee 11. The Huxtaburger book – The art & science of the perfect burger, $35, Unity Books 12. Pandan & lime syrup 500ml, $19.50, Six Barrel Soda

ArtZone ART HAS A NEW HOME

W W W. A R T Z O N E . C O . N Z

TA L E S O F T H E C I T Y

S h ow me the hangi W R I T T E N BY SA R A H CAT H E R A L L

CAFE

READING

HOME

WATCHING

Clark’s at the library

Tangata Whenua: An Illustrated History

Mount Cook

A Handmaid’s Tale on Netflix

Monique Fiso is sharing Māori cusine with the world.

hen Monique Fiso launched her Māori cuisine pop-up, Hiakai, two years ago, the MāoriSamoan chef couldn’t have picked a better time. Te reo classes have long waiting lists, Māori artists and film makers are in hot demand, and indigenous culture is undergoing a renaissance. That’s great when it comes to launching a business and feeding customers her Māori cuisine at pop-ups here and around the globe. However, the rub is that the 30-year-old chef doesn’t get much down-time. A typical day for her starts at 6am, and she doesn’t usually get to bed before midnight. When she isn’t cooking at food events or her pop-ups, she spends evenings writing her Māori cuisine cookbook which comes out next year. When she chatted to Capital, Fiso had just returned from a week-long food festival in Hobart, Australia, where she cooked a hāngi in the dark at the winter festival. She was also preparing to open her first restaurant, Hiakai, on Wallace Street, Mount Cook, not far from where she lives. Growing up in Porirua, Fiso began her cooking career at Martin Bosley’s former restaurant on Oriental Parade. At 21, she shifted to New York, rising from kitchen newby to sous chef at Michelin-starred restaurant Public in a matter of months. In 2016, Fiso moved home to New Zealand, keen to escape the frenetic pace of New York. To date, Hiakai, which translates as hungry, has been a pop-up restaurant, through which Fiso has been both feeding diners and educating them about Māori food

and cooking techniques. She creates menus with morsels like kawakawa sorbet, kumara cooked in ash and greenlipped mussels served with creamy kina sauce. ‘There had been attempts at Māori cuisine in the past, but not at the level we do it. But now, I’m seeing so many different pop-ups and collaborations. It’s pretty crazy and cool,’ says Fiso, who has studied Māori medicine and plants to help inform her cuisine. Fiso prefers cooking and creating dishes to doing the admin. She spent months looking for a site for her new restaurant, and contemplated setting up Hiakai in Auckland as she couldn’t find a suitable site here. ‘Up there I could find all these amazing spaces and I was being shown these absolute shockers here. But I really felt that if I was going to be in a big city, then I may as well be somewhere like Melbourne. Wellington’s home, and I’m a real Wellington person so I was so keen to set it up here, and then this place came along.’ It’s fitting that it will be located in Mount Cook, as Fiso thinks it will suit being nestled in a neighbourhood rather than the CBD. ‘It needs to be its own thing, with its own vibe. It wouldn’t work on Courtenay Place or Cuba Street.’ What does she do when she is away from her expanding business? Fiso hasn’t had a holiday since 2011. She tries to take a couple of hours off on a Sunday afternoon to visit her seven nieces and nephews in Porirua. ‘I’m just really busy right now. I hope that in the next couple of years I’ll be able to wind things back a bit.’ 21

CULTURE

LARGER T HA N L I F E

Anne Estelle Rice, Portrait of Katherine Mansfield, 1918, Collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Twice the height and three times as wide as humans, Big Girl Puppets represent women of different ethnicities to celebrate diversity in Aotearoa. They’re made from renewable/ recycled materials by The Big Girls collective (it’s nothing to do with weight). Imagine one woman walking underneath the puppet, and sticks propping up its ‘arms’. Wellington Museum exhibits Big Girls until 11 August, when the puppets will leave at 6pm for a public waterfront procession, Big Girls On Parade: Shine a Light On Your Rights, celebrating women’s suffrage. The collective will run lantern-making workshops around Wellington beforehand.

LEAPING AHEAD

GO OD LUCK CHO OSING

2017 Toi Whakaari graduate Te Puawaitanga Winterburn, who spent her teenage years in Otaki, plays one of five wahine in Auckland-based Red Leap Theatre’s production Kororāreka: The Ballad of Maggie Flynn (28–31 August, Hannah Playhouse). It’s about a fictional Irish convict who becomes a whaling-ship captain, a Māori chief’s captive, then a madam/publican. Winterburn, who spent time in LA last year, recently played the lead role in a Taki Rua play performed only in te reo.

We’re considering starting an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of all the foreign-film festivals popping up. This year we’ve already had French, African and Polish film festivals; this month we have the German Film Festival (29 August to 1 September) showing films from Germany, Austria and Switzerland; and later in September, we get the Oceania and Spanish film festivals. In November, it’s time for the Latin American, Italian and Dutch film festivals. What’s up next? Perhaps a Russian film festival?

OLD AND NEW Grammy Award-winning musician Augustin Hadelich (above), who has been compared to Golden Age violinists, makes his debut with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra at Beethoven & Brahms (Michael Fowler Centre, 18 August). Hadelich will play Beethoven’s only Violin Concerto, which will be followed by Brahms’ Symphony No. 2. On 24 August, Edo de Waart conducts the NZSO in Stravinsky and Rachmaninov.

2 AUGUST – 22 OCTOBER 2018 New Zealand Portrait Gallery, Shed 11, Queens Wharf, Wellington

CHRIS AND KATHY PARKIN

CULTURE

ARTISTIC AMUSEMENTS To mark the 125th anniversary of women's suffrage in New Zealand, City Gallery presents work by a female artist from the latest country to give women the vote. Arwa Alneami’s Never Never Land features surreptitious photos and videos of women enjoying an amusement park in Saudi Arabia, despite strict rules against screaming and wardrobe malfunctions. Curator Moya Lawson says Alneami takes on a feminist cause in a clever, not-in-your-face way. ‘She can’t speak out against the status quo. Instead she’s taken a universal leisure activity and played on it. She’s used satire to disarm the regime.’ From 11 August.

BRIGHT YOUNG THING Voted the 11th-most-eligible woman in Scotland, playwright, actress and musician Morna Young is the second recipient of a playwright-in-residence exchange between Playmarket New Zealand and Scottish arts organisations. Working from Toi Poneke Arts Centre, she’s writing a play exploring human connections to landscape, memory and immigrant culture; BATS Theatre hosts a reading before she leaves on 22 August.

POWDER YOUR WIG

POTLUCK

At 18th-century aristocratic banquets in Europe, six to eight musicians performed Tafelmusik (‘table music’) by composers including their promising peer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Italy’s Ensemble Zefiro, who play with ‘trademark jaunty swagger’, are being brought to Wellington for the first time by Chamber Music New Zealand (Michael Fowler Centre, 10 August), to perform Tafelmusik by Mozart, Telemann, Fasch, Handel and Haydn on woodwind period instruments.

If you take up the chance to work with a ceramic artist to make a clay pot at Expressions Whirinaki, they promise it’ll be nothing like that famous scene in the film Ghost. The workshop (19 August) is part of the 59th national exhibition of the Ceramics Association of New Zealand (11 August to 23 September), which displays work by 50-plus ceramic artists. Otaki’s Jennifer Turnbull exhibits her blue, deliberately-imperfect ‘Nevis’ series of vases and bowls (above), while Wellington potter Aimee McLeod exhibits three sculptural pieces.

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CULTURE

Calling time

Mansfieldathon

By Sarah Lang

He won’t go as far as calling it an obsession, but Wellington filmmaker Tony Hiles admits that his ten-documentary series about his artist friend Michael Smither has dominated his past decade. Each is a cinematic diary of Smither’s work (including painting, composing and singing) between ages 70 and 80, his changing emotions and pivotal points in his life. The New Zealand International Film Festival shows one of these docos each year as a ‘lunchtime serial’; this year’s 39-minute film Michael Smither: Of Crimson Joy (7 and 8 August) covers Smither’s abandonment of jihadist themes to return to large portraits of himself and friends. ‘I had the idea when Michael was retiring from the dealer/gallery circuit to spend his last decade of work finishing paintings for himself,’ Hiles says. ‘He thought the series was a good idea but we said “if it doesn’t work out, that’s fine”.’ Hiles only films Smither about four times for each documentary, but there’s a lot of planning, phonecalls and editing. How will Hiles feel when the project ends? ‘A sense of relief, I think. Being ready to move on.’ They’ve been friends for more than 40 years, and working together since the 1980s.

See two locks of Katherine Mansfield’s chestnut-brown hair at the exhibition Death & Desire: Hair in the Turnbull Collections, which displays hair that came to the Alexander Turnbull Library by chance – often among personal possessions, or folded in the pages of a letter or diary. The exhibition is part of one-off festival KM130 (22 July to 22 October), which celebrates the 130th anniversary of Mansfield’s birth with a city-wide carnival of nearly 30 events. It was the brainwave of Jaenine Parkinson, director of the NZ Portrait Gallery, which has long planned its current exhibition Katherine Mansfield: A Portrait (artistic renderings of Mansfield including paintings, illustration, sculpture). When Parkinson heard about the Turnbull exhibition – and two Circa plays about Mansfield – she phoned other arts organisations who were keen to join the Mansfield-athon. ‘There was a snowball effect,’ says Parkinson. There is an exhibition and birthday party at Katherine Mansfield House, a Thorndon walking tour, Ngā Taonga film screenings, plus performances, readings and talks (including one about Mansfield’s fashion sense). ‘We’re all looking at Mansfield’s legacy and continuing relevance to New Zealand, not just in literature but inspiring creative endeavours from art to fashion. For her time, Katherine was a punk.’

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11 August – 4 November 2018

City Gallery is part of Experience Wellington. Principal Funder: Wellington City Council. image Arwa Alneami Never Never Land 2014

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CHAIN REACTION

CHALLENGE YOURSELF!

SUZANNE VEGA THE OPERA HOUSE

Chain Reaction is a contemporary installation by 22 hand weavers who approached this project as a challenge to work using collaboration, communication, consideration and co-operation. The woven pieces are viewed in sequence as one continuous piece of art. The Professional Weavers Network spans weavers of excellence from around New Zealand.

US singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega’s longawaited return to NZ includes a very special concert at Wellington’s Opera House this month. Vega has released gems like Luka, Solitude Standing, Tom’s Diner, and Marlene On The Wall, helping generate seven million albums to date. Special Guest: Mel Parsons. Tickets at Ticketmaster.co.nz

Experience this extraordinary re-creation of the trenches at Quinn’s Post – what it was like for Anzac troops at Gallipoli. This Sir Peter Jackson designed sensory experience is open at The Great War Exhibition. Not suitable for all – life on the front line 103 years ago was not comfortable! Open Daily 9am–6pm. Admission and Trench charges apply.

5 August – 19 September 20 Mahara Place, Waikanae maharagallery.org.nz

Wed August 8th The Opera House, 111 Manners St, Wellington plus1.co.nz

Dominion Museum Building Buckle Street, Wellington (04) 978 2500 greatwarexhibition.nz

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A curated range of designer ends & mill overruns. 15 Garrett Street Te Aro, Wellington thefabricstore.co.nz @wearethefabricstore

MENUS AVAILABLE TO VIEW & RESERVATIONS NOW BEING TAKEN FOR PRESHOW EXPRESS DINNERS & CHRISTMAS GROUP BOOKINGS

11 EGMONT ST. EGMONTSTREET.CO.NZ 04 801 6891 Dinner 5 nights - Breakfast & lunch 7 days 27 egmontsteatery egmontst.eatery

Plant powered Written by Leilani Baker Photo by Bex McGill Body-builders are thought to be protein-eating machines, chowing down on large quantities of meat, eggs and milk, along with various supplements. But one of Wellington’s top body-builders is supplement free and lives on a whole-food plant-based diet. John Dearaza, New Zealand International Federation of Body-building’s 2016 Wellington Men’s overall Champion, admits he used to eat six eggs and one kilogram of chicken each day. But this changed after he met his wife. An aspiring nutritionist, Ahava had recently switched to a plant-based, oil-free lifestyle after being vegetarian for 24 years. A whole-food plant-based diet is similar to veganism, where animal products are removed from the diet. However, all processed foods are also removed, including oreos, hot-chips and other snacks which vegans can eat. This diet is usually adopted for health reasons and, while many feel they don’t need to, followers may still occasionally eat animal proteins. Upon hearing the words vegan or plant-based many people roll their eyes, and only a year ago John felt the same way. But through extensive research he discovered he could get more than enough protein from beans, grains, and vegetables. This research also indicated toxins in animal products, leading John to gradually cut down on them. For 10 months John has been trialling the plant-based life. ‘It’s a process’ he says. A usual supermarket shop will fill their trolley with vegetables, black rice, red potatoes, sprouts, and John’s favourite, wholegrain pancakes. To improve muscle definition, John avoids high-fat foods like avocado, nuts and oils. There is one thing John is adamant about. Since being plant-based he has never felt better. The 40 year old personal trainer sees 8 to 10 clients a day and also manages to squeeze in more than eight trainings a week. ‘Somehow I run circles around my younger clients and can lift just as heavy as I used to.’ The Wellington Body-Building Championships will be held in Lower Hutt on September 8. Due to injury, John won’t be competing, but he looks forward to the International Natural Body-building competition in Taupo early next year.

Visa Wellington On A Plate Burger 2018

Park Kitchen 6 park road, Miramar @parkkitchenmiramar /parkkitchennz

Korean fried chicken with kimchi slaw in a steamed bun with fries. Paired with Garage Project Mango Milkshake Nitro IPA.

F E AT U R E

Let’s hear it for the g irls A collaboration between farmers and butchers has Francesca Emms salivating as she finds out what’s so special about Grass Fed Girls.

o two days are the same for farmers Dion Kilmister and Ali Scott. ‘Although there is one common theme and it’s always go go go,’ says Ali. The couple have blocks in the Wairarapa and also lease the farm at Belmont Regional Park. ‘Our farm business is made up of 25,000 stock units over three main farms and four smaller finishing farms from Lower Hutt to Dannevirke,’ says Ali. They’ve also recently purchased a beef finishing farm on the Pahiatua Track ‘which we now call home.’ Managers on each farm execute day-to-day plans and move and care for the stock. Ali calls these employees ‘key drivers’ in the running of the business. Dion comes from a long line of farmers and has always lived the farm life. Ali’s background is marketing and sales. They met six years ago and Ali moved from Wellington to join Dion on the farm, quite a change for the self-confessed city-slicker. ‘The only thing that is horrible about our job is working in driving rain. It’s the only time I wish I was somewhere else,’ says Ali, ‘but other than that little grumble we are very, very lucky to have such a wonderful lifestyle on the farm.’ Since early 2017, the couple have been working with Ken Wilson Meats (the procurement arm of Preston’s), to create something special for lamb lovers – Grass Fed Girls. The product was launched early this year and has already received a gold medal at the Outstanding New Zealand Food Producers Awards. Grass Fed Girls are, as the label implies, all female. ‘I believe we are the only company offering a gender-difference lamb,’ says communications manager Tania Thomas. Male sheep get testosterone at a certain age, same as people, and this makes the males stronger. Their muscle fibres become a little leaner and thicker, so the meat is a little tougher. Females have a more mellow and balanced flavour due to their oestrogen levels. Their muscles are a little softer and less lean, so their meat’s more tender. The breed is important too. The girls’ mothers are a Texel-Romney cross breed, bred for the marbling quality of the meat, and their fathers are Charollais, originating from the same French region as Charollais cattle and bred for their muscle size. ‘Grass Fed Girls can be likened to the

(female) lamb version of Wagyu Beef,’ says Tania. The lambs enjoy picturesque views, the shelter of the Belmont bunkers and natural vegetation in their early life. After they reach a certain age or weight they’re transferred to finishing fields in the Wairarapa. Here they fatten up on a chicory-clover mix. Once they’re ‘finished’, Dion hand-selects the best girls, every week, to be sent to the Preston’s processing plant in Ngauranga. The carcasses are transferred to Preston's Master Butchers who chop the lamb into various cuts for chefs and meat connoisseurs alike. It’s a true farm-to-fork process, something the whole Grass Fed Girls team is proud of. Hamish Preston, the general manager, says, ‘We are not just passionate about the farm to fork process, but in top quality meat in general. We have specifically targeted these lambs because they are local AND the best quality around.’ Farming to a target number each week is a big challenge, and many variables can very quickly change outcomes. ‘Foreseeing these changes is critical,’ says Ali, ‘Dion is very good at trusting his gut instinct and making changes quickly to accommodate.’ They’ve had to restructure their growing and finishing policy in order to deliver the right numbers of animals at the right times. Dion says to deliver contracted numbers, they have to manage grass curves and chicory supply carefully. Ali and Dion are involved in every aspect of the girl’s lives, from scanning, shearing and pregnancy testing to paperwork, protocols and general compliance. Ali is a bit tied to the office. ‘In farming now, there is a lot of paperwork,’ but otherwise ‘we are in the paddock at Bideford or Masterton draughting stock for the coming week.’ Or they are fixing fences, coordinating fertiliser plans or meeting suppliers. ‘We love working this way. It is a lot of extra work, but it’s worthwhile to know that our award-winning lamb we are so proud of producing gets to be in New Zealand restaurants and New Zealand family homes,’ says Ali. ‘They know exactly where it’s come from and who has produced it. It’s important to us that as much of our lamb as possible goes into New Zealand mouths.’

F E AT U R E

S we e t tooth Your taste buds (and your dentistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bank) will thank us for bringing together the best sweet treats in Wellington. Our three experts give their top five recommendations for satisfying a sweet tooth. Bios by Francesca Emms Portrait photography by Anna Briggs Food photography by Brittany Harrison

F E AT U R E

Sam Di nsda l e

am Dinsdale grew up in a household where the kitchen was the main focus. ‘My mum taught me to cook and my nana taught me to bake,’ she says. At 16 she decided she wanted to be a chef, ‘so I finished school and went for it.’ Taking up a job offer from Gordon Ramsay, Sam went to London in 2006 and gave it her all. ‘I used to call it “running up the mountain”. You start work early, and you literally run until late at night. You barely stop to breathe. I love the passion that comes with being a chef.’ A decade later she ticked two life goals off her list: gaining British citizenship/dual nationality and winning a Michelin star. Then she realised she wanted to come home and work on her per-

sonal development. ‘I felt like the time had come to finish up in London and come home and be with my friends and family.’ Sam loves Wellington and is ‘so happy to be back.’ This month she’ll experience her very first WOAP. ‘I love how everybody is snapping up tickets and talking about it and choosing which burgers they want to try. It’s really exciting.’ While in London Sam strived to 'work hard, be the best and make something outstanding at all times.’ She says she’s realised that the pressure of being perfect and unique all the time is exhausting. These days she asks herself, 'Do I love this? Yes? Ok let’s do it.’

Instagram: @dinswithdins

F E AT U R E

DULCE DE LECHE SEMIFREDDO WITH ESPRESSO CRUMBS $15.50 Capitol Restaurant, 10 Kent Terrace, Mount Victoria This is seriously luscious. Semifreddo is always a winner after dinner for me. It satiates the sweet hankering without crossing the line into nausea. This dessert, currently on the menu, is the best combo of sweet, creamy and refreshing, and the crumbs really give it an edge. The dulce de leche is moreish, and this is definitely a must try.

HONEY ANZAC BISCUITS $5 per 200g The Regal Shortbread Company, Thorndon Farmers Market, Hill St, Thorndon

CARAMEL SLICE $5 The Lab at Victoria University, Easterfield Building, 21 Kelburn Parade Oh my stars. Best caramel slice ever! It is basically 90% caramel, with the base and top merely acting as tools to hold the caramel while it is being devoured. It’s super rich and I am fully prepared to take responsibility for my greediness and wallow in the sugar crash afterwards.

Anita Vogt loves baking and it shows through her Anzac biscuits. They have that important balance of crisp and chewy. I tried the original but was taken with the honey version – it was fragrant and original without straying too far from the classic. It’s best not to restrain yourself to one, dunked in tea or eaten straight.

JASMINE & CO CONUT BUBBLE TEA $6 Noahs Ark Tea House, Manners St and Reading Cinemas stores Sometimes I like a bit of texture in my liquids. Soup is one option but bubble tea is always my option. Jasmine tea base with milk, finished with coconut, is everything I want in bubble tea – not too sweet, and wonderfully perfumed with tapioca balls. I enjoy wandering around Cuba St nursing this absolute delight and absentmindedly chewing on the tapioca.

PA S S I O N F R U I T F R I A N D $6 Gipsy Kitchen, 4 Glamis Ave, Strathmore Park Friands should be rich, soft centred, and crispedged and this one ticks all the boxes. With the delicious sting of passionfruit swirled through the mix, I love this little delight. Also it is moreish and easy to get through. I am all in for this friand. I want at least two.

A l ana & Vi cki Ca p ita lea ts

ictoria Bostan and Alana Hepburn met during their first year at Victoria University when they happened to be in the same hall of residence. Both from Whangarei, they had never met before moving to Wellington. They both took an interest in trying out all the cool cafes of Wellington but by August 2015, they were ‘clogging up our own ’grams’ with so many food pictures they decided to make a dedicated, shared food account – Capitaleats. ‘We looked to see if there were any similar accounts at the time and it wasn’t really a thing that people were doing back then, not in Wellington or New Zealand anyway.’ Three years and close

to 14,000 followers later they’re still going strong. Asked about their ‘food philosophy’, they quote Luciano Pavarotti: ‘One of the very best things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.’ They admit they’re constantly thinking about their next meal. ‘We try and get to the gym as much as we can – we have to balance out all the food we’re eating somehow!’ Wellington On A Plate is a busy time for the foodie duo. ‘It’s easy to get carried away and overwhelmed by all the different burgers, cocktails and events. This year we’re going to try and be a little more selective about the places we go to.’

Instagram: @capitaleats

F E AT U R E

GELISSIMO Y U Z U G E L AT O $5 Yoshi Sushi and Bento, Press Hall, 78 Willis St This unusual, award winning gelato made by Gelissimo and served at Yoshi Sushi & Bento is one of our favourite Asian inspired sweet treats. This gelato is so special that Yoshi is one of the only places you’ll be able to find it in the capital. With a salted caramel aftertaste, it’s best served with their green tea mochi.

M AT C HA O R E O S $5 Milk Crate, 35 Ghuznee St, Te Aro, Oreos are one of our guilty pleasures at the best of times. Pair the classic chocolate biscuit with a creamy matcha filling and you’ve got an absolute winner. Bridget and the team at Milk Crate have a constant rotation of different and delicious cabinet treats, making Milk Crate one of Wellington’s best kept secrets.

LITTLE DOUGH CO DONUTS $5 – $5.50 Customs by Coffee Supreme & Ekor Bookshop & Cafe Our favourite donuts in Wellington are hands down those from Little Dough Co. Every Thursday through Sunday, two new flavours are released – a glazed option and a filled option, and they promptly sell out. Past favourites include lemon meringue, orange fennel sugar, hot cross donut and the marshmallow glazed donut.

PUREWEI MACARONS $2.80 each Origami, 158 Cuba St, Te Aro Happiness is two meringue based biscuits sandwiched together by a sweet buttercream filling. The PureWei macarons found at Moore Wilsons and Origami are some of our favourites. With a variety of flavours to choose from such as salted caramel, rose, mint & lime, chocolate hazelnut, coffee and vanilla, they always nail the filling to biscuit ratio.

CINNAMON BRIO CHE $5 Floriditas, 161 Cuba St, Te Aro A still-warm-from-the-oven cinnamon brioche is one of our guilty pleasures. Floriditas is a Wellington icon and so are their brioches. These baked treats are incredibly moreish and we like to enjoy ours with a hot chocolate and their homemade marshmallow, because we don’t do things by halves.

Vi cki You ng Vi c k i E a ts

hen Vicki Young was growing, up cakes were an integral part of coming together with family and friends. Her passion for baking only grew at university. While studying for her Honours degree in Chinese and criminology Vicki was often guilty of ‘procrasti-baking’. Just over a year ago she decided to take cake-making seriously and that’s how Vicki Eats – a custom cake business – came to be. ‘To me they're more than cakes,’ says Vicki. ‘They've been well thought out with the recipient (and their ideas) in mind. They’re a vessel for edible art, encompassing the meaning of celebration. I love how every cake is unique and different for each client.’ Vicki Eats is about ‘custom cakes designed for you, with you’ and collaboration is important. ‘Whether it

is collaborating with your supplier, the client, or the brief it's all about the sense of community that a good ol’ plate of tucka can bring,’ says Vicki. The self-taught baker doesn’t consider herself a pro (yet – she’s currently studying patisserie to develop her technical skills and widen her knowledge) but she’s happy to share some pro-tips from previous cake situations. ‘Always ensure your cake has proper structural support, your car has aircon if you are travelling with said cake, and that you always, always carry emergency buttercream on you – better living everyone!’ Vicki is particularly excited about the desserts at this year’s WOAP and plans to indulge her sweet tooth.

Instagram: @vickieats

F E AT U R E

BRIOCHE $4.50 Starta Bread Kitchen, Left Bank Lane, Te Aro If I could choose one type of dough for life, it’d be brioche. Catherine Adams takes great care in her work, making the flavours and textures in her products shine – from comforting poached quince to light crunchy pearls with dreamy vanilla cream. There’s always a different flavour brioche in the cabinet so swing by and surprise your sweet tooth.

MARIE ANTOINETTE Around $10–14 for cabinet treats Louis Sergeant, 146 Featherston St I’m in awe of the gorgeous cabinet of indulgent treats at Louis Sergeant. My favourite is the Marie Antoinette. I love crème brulee, and this dessert is that and much more, delicately flavoured with French rosé, berry and vanilla. Did you know you can also order it in cake form?! Some people claim she proclaimed ‘Let them eat cake,’ after all.

C U S T A R D L A VA BUNS/LIU SHA BAO Yum Cha $6.60 for 3 pieces Night $8.00 for 3 pieces Dragons, 25 Tory St, Te Aro Growing up, I loved eating these at family yum cha outings. Liu Sha literally means flowing sand in Chinese. To describe it in words is almost impossible except to say it is like a Chinese ‘salted caramel’: a hot sweet and salty egg yolk custard that oozes out of a soft steaming bao. Protip: you’ve got to eat ‘em quick! L I M E P O S S E T, OLIVE OIL SPONGE, L A V E N D E R G I N J E L L Y, SORREL $14 Shepherd, 1/5 Eva St, Te Aro Shepherd is a food magician. I love all their dessert combinations: the play between savoury and sweet boundaries, combinations you have never come across or thought would go together, but they do, and do so well. It never ceases to amaze my tastebuds. I feel giddy, like a child tasting delicious things for the first time, when I’m there.

DA R K C H O C O L AT E P E A N U T BU T T E R S OF T SE RV E $10 Mr Go’s, 59 Taranaki Street, Te Aro This ultimate chocolate and peanut butter combo is taken to another level with Fix & Fogg’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter, freshly churned into a silky soft serve with crunchy peanut brittle, served in a classic sundae glass. I could happily eat all of this after a delicious dinner and beer here, and I won’t judge if you can too.

BEST OF WINNERS

Best of We l l i n g t o n W R I T T E N BY L E I L A N I BA K E R P H OTO G R A P H Y BY B R I T TA N Y H A R R I S O N

Voting has closed, the results have been collated

t s e B of

and we now know who is, officially, the best. Capital’s Best Of Awards have made a triumphant return after five years on hiatus. Thank you to the thousands of people who voted, and congratulations to all the nominees. Winners of the ‘Best Of’ Food and Beverage categories are announced right here in our special food issue, and the rest of the winners will be revealed next month. So without further ado, the winner is…

Most popular category

Total of questions answered

Best Cafe

72,800

Most places nominated in a category

Total establishements voted for

75 restaurants in Best Thai

773

ARD

BEST OF WINNERS

Best pizza Pizza Pomodoro Owners of the best pizzeria in Wellington, Massimo and Sandra Tolve say they have a 'passion for pizza'. Originally from Naples, where pizza is an art form, they’re now on Leeds Street selling fresh Neapolitan style pizzas. Baked at 450 degrees in a traditional woodfired oven imported from Naples, they take just 60–90 seconds to cook. Wellington locals have been treating themselves to Pomodoro’s Margherita pizzas for the past 18 years and it looks like they’re still a crowd favourite. Runner-up: To m m y M i l l i o n s

Best fish & chips

Best burgers

Best bar

The Chippery

Ekim

Goldings Free Dive

With both their Mount Vic and Thorndon stores receiving many nominations, The Chippery claims the title of Wellington’s best fish and chips. Childhood friends Grant Robinson and Stephen Piper teamed up with Dale Keith to launch the Mount Vic restaurant over five years ago. Two years later, Richard Samways came on board to launch the Thorndon restaurant. Their best-seller is fresh market fish cooked in Vienna lager from local brewer Tinker Tailor.

From humble beginnings as a food truck in Newtown, Ekim now serve from their grafittied bus on Cuba Street. Owner Mike Marsland has been involved in hospitality since he began as a trainee chef in 1980. All his burgers are named after family members, and he’s currently working on a burger for fussy children named after his son Leroy.

Punching well above its weight, the small bar in Chews Lane wins best bar. The neon lights and wall decor of Goldings Free Dive match their quirky drink selection, including items such as Kereru Feijoa Weisse, a feijoaflavoured sour wheat ale. Teaming up with neighbours Pizza Pomodoro, they also serve authentic Neopolitan pizza. Owner Sean Golding is no stranger to Best Of awards, co-owning best service winner Shepherd across the lane.

Runner-up: Burger Liquor

Runner-up: Salt & Batter

Runner-up: CGR Merchants

BEST OF WINNERS

Best barista Dave Lamason from Lamason Brew Bar What was once a run-down toilet block is now home to Wellington’s best barista Dave Lamason. Dave set up Lamason Brew Bar after returning from Sydney where he learnt latte art and developed an appreciation for beautiful looking coffee. Wellingtonians love the experience of dining with Dave as he treats customers like a flatmate coming home. Keeping it in the family, Dave’s brew of choice is People’s Coffee, founded by brother Matt Lamason. Dave believes it’s a mixture of good company and a beautiful cuppa that keeps people coming back. Runner-up: Frank Hse fro m Fra n ks Coffe e

Best coffee

Best cafe or restaurant

Best service

H a va n a Coffe e

Seashore Cabaret

Shepherd

For 30-years Havana Coffee has been keeping Wellingtonians ticking. Owner and caffeine visionary Geoff Marsland opened New Zealand’s first espresso bar, Midnight Expresso, which he closely followed with Deluxe café and Havana. He teamed up with roasters Joe Stoddart, Lucas Robotham and Roger Cook to deliver the best coffee in town. The rich, spicy, sweet taste of Cubano Real Trade is a personal favourite amongst Havana staff.

School dropout Matt Wilson, who opened a café at the age of 17, teamed up with ‘queen of the café world’ Freya Atkinson to create the best café in Wellington: Seashore Cabaret. The waterfront café in Petone is always pumping (there’s usually a queue to get in) and treats residents to coffee which is roasted on site paired with sweet views and good food. Matt was also part of the group who founded Maranui, the runner-up for this category.

The winners of our Best Service Award share a love of good food and a commitment to fresh ethical ingredients. At Shepherd, opened by Shepherd Elliott and Sean Golding in 2016, their ever changing menu has featured surprises such as ants from Christchurch’s edible insect company Anteater. With a zero-waste policy they put the planet, as well as their customers, first.

Ru n n e r - u p : Pe o p l e's Co ffe e

Runner-up: Maranui

Ru n n e r - u p : P refa b

BEST OF WINNERS

Best cheap eat Little Penang The Capital is famous for its cheap eats and with so many to choose from, competition in this category was fierce. In the end it was Little Penang that came out on top. Originating from the little Malaysian island of Penang, its owners, Keith Cheah and Tee & Mary Phee, opened the restaurant seven years ago with a passion for authentic food. The restaurant started as a small takeaway selling Malaysian street food and expanded from there. Their menu reflects the melting pot of ethnicities in Penang, including Malay, Chinese, and Indian. Their Char Koay Teow − rice noodles with fried prawns, Chinese pork sausages, chives and bean sprouts − is a favourite among customers. But staff struggle to pick their favourites, saying it’s like asking which is their favourite child! Runner-up: KK Malaysian

Best Yum Cha

Best vegetarian

Best Japanese

Dragons

The Botanist

Ta t s u s h i

Voted the best Yum Cha in Wellington, this Tory St gem owned by the Tang and Wang families has been serving sell-out dishes to locals for 11 years. Favourites include Dim Sim, Coconut Buns, Lava Custard Buns and Peking Duck. Several generations have helped manage the restaurant, and the family now own many restaurants including The Dumpling Company and Seaview-Takeaways.

This plant-based cafe & restaurant treats its diners to the best vegetarian and vegan cuisine in town with beautiful views of Lyall Bay on the side. The cafe is the third joint hospitality business of co-owners and sisters Lydia Suggate and Maria Boyle. The Botantist is known for their vegan substitutes, such as facon, and the pair’s favourite dish; the Royale with Cheese – a vegan burger with vegan cheese and a vegan ‘meat’ patty.

In one of our closest categories, Tatsushi came out on top of our best Japanese category. Named after owner Tatsushi Mikuni, who brought his expertise to Wellington after working as a sushi chef in Tokyo for 16 years, Tatsushi has been serving fresh, hand-made, traditional Japanese food since 2012. Their Sashimi, Squid Sunomono salad and Chazuke-Sopu are hard to beat.

Runner-up: Grand Century

Ru n n e r - u p : Au nt y M e n a ’s

Ru n n e r - u p : Ka z u

BEST OF WINNERS

Best Mexican

Best food truck

Best Indian

Vi va M ex i co

The Greek Fo o d Tr u c k

Planet Spice

With a clear-cut win, Sophie and George have taken out best food truck. The Greek couple bring authentic souvlaki and baklava to the streets and win the hearts and stomachs of locals with their fresh ingredients. Their favourite spots include Taranaki Street, The Occasional Brewer, and Harbourside Markets and their favourite dishes are the veggie souvlaki and the grilled halloumi.

Husband and wife Gavu and Hasu Patel opened Planet Spice in 1997 and have since been praised by food critics and locals. They can now add Wellington’s best Indian cuisine to their titles. With a mix of traditional and non-traditional dishes, including favourites like Butter Chicken, Rogan Josh and Kerala Duck, there’s something for everyone. The traditional clay tandoori oven and Indian chefs bring their much-loved family recipes to the streets of Newtown.

Two childhood friends are behind the best Mexican in the capital. Antonio Gonzalez and David de Orta Jimenez, originally from Iztapalapa, Mexico, bring recipes from grandmothers Doña Lupe and Doña Rosa to the heart of Wellington. Locals love their food so much they’ve expanded to three locations. Their specialty quesadillas, tacos, and stuffed jalapenos are now served at Cuba Mall, Newtown, and Petone. See page 48 for more details. Ru n n e r - u p : M ex i co

Runner-up: Th e H u n g r y M o n key

Runner-up: Great India

Best Thai

Best Turkish

Best Chinese

Phu Thai Esarn

Kilim

KC C a fe

As well as festive red walls and fairy lights, Phu Thai Esarn offers the capital’s best Thai cuisine. Esarn is the north-eastern region of Thailand, and when dining at Phu Thai Esarn you’ll feel far from New Zealand. The owners, Chat and Kittima Wissawapaisal, serve authentic northeastern Thai dishes including whole blue cod with herbs and Thai style home-made sauce, and a classic Pad Thai. All available on Deliver Easy.

Wellingtonians love Kilim Turkish Cafe. Their two restaurants, located in Petone and Manners St, claim the title of best Turkish food in Wellington. Owner Cengiz Altinkaya adds a personal touch to family recipes passed down from his mother, serving authentic Turkish dishes and handmade Turkish pita. BYO or try the Turkish coffee. If you fancy a night in, Kilim is also on Deliver Easy.

Their big red sign says it all: ‘Best Roast Duck in Town’. But their duck isn’t the only thing impressing customers. KC Cafe is home to the best Chinese in the city, with authentic Chinese food served in generous portions. Deep fried squid, dumplings, and wonton noodle soup are among the many favourites.

Ru n n e r - u p : Ca fe La z

Runner-up: Aroy

Runner-up: Rega l

BEST OF WINNERS

Best bakery B a ke r G ra m e rcy Nestled away in Berhampore is the winner of best bakery. Gramercy opened in 2014, supplying bread to many cafes including Nikau Café, Rinski Korsakov, and Adelaide Trading Company. Crowd-pleasers include sourdoughs and their popular ham and gruyere croissants. Self-taught baker and owner James Whyte says they’re usually sold out by 10.30am every day, so you’ll need to be early if you want to try his favourite pain de champagne. Ru n n e r - u p : Le e d s St B a ke r y

Best fine dining

Best beer

Best hot chocolate

Logan Brown

Garage Project

Scopa

Launching a business on a Black Friday is inauspicious, but since Logan Brown opened on Friday 13 December 1996 they’ve been raking in the kudos. They now add another win to their CV having grabbed the title of Best Fine Dining. Behind the famous red doors they serve dishes from their acclaimed menu including rich mains and decadent desserts.

Founded by brothers Pete & Ian Gillespie and childhood friend Jos Ruffell, this brewery had a very humble beginning. In 2011 the trio moved into a derelict petrol station which they called the Garage and started what is now known as Garage Project. A few years later Garage Project is the most popular brew in the city, its range of beer including a Creamy Milk Chocolate flavour.

Scopa officially makes the best hot chocolate in town. Using real Italian chocolate, the Gusto Cioccolato has been keeping the hands and tummies of locals happy since Scopa opened in 2006. Leonard & Lorenzo Bresolin, co-owners with Simon Niblett, say the secret to their success came from their father Remiro who arrived from Venice in the 70s and set hospitality standards with his well known II Casino restaurant.

Runner-up: Parrot Dog

R u n n e r - u p : We l l i n g t o n Chocolate Factory

Runner-up: Ortega

FUNCTIONS & EVENTS

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No Fexicans a llowed P H OTO G R A P H Y BY J O R A M A DA M S

The founders of restaurants Viva Mexico draw on their grandmothers’ recipes in their adopted country. They talk to Sarah Lang.

hen Antonio Gonzalez and David de Orta Jimenez were boys in the close-knit borough of Iztapalapa, Mexico City, their grandmothers Doña Lupe and Doña Rosa were close friends. David’s father and Antonio’s mother had grown up together. Their extended families often shared meals, especially during Las Posadas, a 400-year-old, nine-day-long nativity celebration. Each night at dusk, during the festival two people dressed as Mary and Joseph led a procession of adults carrying religious figures and candles, and children dressed as angels and shepherds. The couple went from house to house asking for a lodging (posada) until they were finally welcomed in. Then it was time to eat: enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas for starters. Antonio and David moved to Wellington in 2001 and 2008 respectively, and visit Mexico about once every two years. ‘I miss my family and my country, but you learn to live with it,’ Antonio says. He tells me about his younger brother, a successful producer who brought music bands into Mexico. He was kidnapped, his bank accounts were emptied, then he was killed. Antonio doubts the police even looked for the murderers. ‘I like that New Zealand is safe, isn’t corrupt, and you actually see where your taxes go.’ Their grandmothers' recipes – and those of David’s chef mother – inspire the simple, tasty food at Viva Mexico, the pair’s three Wellington restaurants. ‘We’re the first Mexican owners of a Mexican

restaurant in New Zealand,’ Antonio says. ‘And I’m the first chef from Mexico in Wellington. I want Viva Mexico to be the best and most authentic Mexican restaurants in New Zealand.’ Antonio, who is very frank, has a distinctly street style with his cargo pants, hoops inside stretched earlobes, and baseball cap. David is slightly more reserved. Both men have tattoos on their arms, representing their heritage and religion. In 2010, the duo opened their first, flagship restaurant in Cuba Mall’s Left Bank arcade. The tiny eatery attracted a loyal following; one Canadian guy has come in every Friday for years. In 2013, they met Chilean chef Luis Alberto Guerrero at Amigo's Chilean Restaurant in Newtown, and he became a business partner. That year the trio opened a Viva Mexico outlet in Newtown, with a bus for a kitchen and another for customers, but it proved too cold in winter for customers. So they moved to Riddiford Street. A year ago, they opened their Petone restaurant, with its vibrant decor. ‘Mexicans have no fear of colour,’ says Antonio. ‘I was once an industrial designer, so I did the fitout myself.’ Three months later, they reopened the formerly tired Left Bank restaurant as a stylish taqueria (serving only tacos) with orange barstools, and tequila bottles hanging upside down from a wooden pallet. It’s now open 12–2pm and 5pm–12am.

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The trio rotate between the restaurants as head chefs, and share the profits. They plan more restaurants in Wellington (and eventually, other towns). Next up is a taqueria in the 'Eighteen Willis' foodcourt when it opens next year; they’ll share a kitchen with Luis’ Chilean eatery. Like Left Bank, Willis will have a fast turnaround for the office crowd, while you’re encouraged to linger at Newtown and Petone (open 12–9pm). The pair call ‘faux-Mexican’ restaurants the ‘Fexicans’. ‘We have an advantage,’ David says. ‘We grew up with the flavours.’ Viva Mexico’s food is largely corn-based: enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas (with vegetarian and vegan options). There are also soups, stews, breakfast-style meals, desserts, imported Mexican beers, and tequila. There are no nachos – that’s not traditional Mexican food, they say – and only soft, fresh, folded tacos, not hard shells. Viva Mexico caters for all the Mexican Embassy’s events, and attends The Food Show and festivals like WOMAD and CubaDupa. This month, Viva Mexico is part of Wellington on a Plate for the first time, offering a different burger at each restaurant.

Antonio moved to Wellington because his then-partner, a New Zealander, wanted their family of five to come home. Antonio became head chef for a well-known Mexican restaurant that wouldn't let him make the recipes more authentic. Kiwis like sweet not spicy, he was told. He didn’t believe it. Visiting Mexico in 2007, Antonio caught up with David, then a US-based chef who was interested in New Zealand. When New Zealand granted workingholiday visas to Mexicans, David got one and joined the same restaurant as Antonio. When David next visited Mexico, a friend lent them enough to start Left Bank. ‘We’re doing well,’ Antonio says. ‘But we’re doing this less for money, more for pride and to show people our cuisine and our country.’ They like talking to interested customers about Mexico – especially its civilisation before the Spanish arrived. When David got married in January, he wore a Mexican-cowboy outfit. ‘Mexico’s not all “ándale, ándale” and sombreros,’ Antonio says. ‘We’re proud to be Mexican.’

Fine print, small print, or “mouseprint” is less noticeable print smaller than the more obvious larger print it accompanies that advertises or otherwise describes or partially describes a commercial product or service.[1] The larger print that is used in conjunction with fine print by the merchant often has the effect of deceiving the consumer into believing the offer is more advantageous than it really is, via a legal technicality which requires full disclosure of all (even unfavorable) terms or conditions, but does not specify the manner (size, typeface, coloring, etc.) of disclosure. There is strong evidence that suggests the fine print is not read by the majority of consumers.[2]Fine print may say the opposite of what the larger print says. For example, if the larger print says “pre-approved” the fine print might say “subject to approval.” [3] Especially in pharmaceutical advertisements, fine print may accompany a warning message, but this message is often neutralized by the more eye-catching positive images and pleasant background music (eye candy). Sometimes television advertisements flash text fine print in camouflagic colors, and for notoriously brief periods of time, making it difficult or impossible for the viewer to rea Fine print, small print, or “mouseprint” is less noticeable print smaller than the more obvious larger print it accompanies that advertises or otherwise describes or partially describes a commercial product or service.[1] The larger print that is used in conjunction with fine print by the merchant often has the effect of deceiving the consumer into believing the offer is more advantageous than it really is, via a legal technicality which requires full disclosure of all (even unfavorable) terms or conditions, but does not specify the manner (size, typeface, coloring, etc.) of disclosure. There is strong evidence that suggests the fine print is not read by the majority of consumers.[2]Fine print may say the opposite of what the larger print says. For example, if the larger print says “pre-approved” the fine print might say “subject to approval.” [3] Especially in pharmaceutical advertisements, fine print may accompany a warning message, but this message is often neutralized by the more eye-catching positive images and pleasant background music (eye candy). Sometimes television a colors, and for notoriously brief periods of time, making it difficult or impossible for the viewer to rea Fine print, small print, or “mouseprint” is less noticeable print smaller than the more obvious larger print it accompanies that advertises or otherwise describes or partially describes a commercial product or service.[1] The larger print that is used in conjunction with fine print by the merchant often has the effect of deceiving the consumer into believing the offer is more advantageous than it really is, via a legal technicality which requires full disclosure of all (even unfavorable) terms or conditions, but does not specify the manner (size, typeface, coloring, etc.) of disclosure. There is strong evidence that suggests the fine print is not read by the majority of consumers.[2]Fine print may say the opposite of what the larger print says. For example, if the larger print says “pre-approved” the fine print might say “subject to approval.” [3] Especially in pharmaceutical advertisements, fine print may accompany a warning message, but this message is often neutralized by the more eye-catching positive images and pleasant background music (eye candy). Sometimes television advertisements flash text fine print in camouflagic colors, and for notoriously brief periods of time, making it difficult or impossible for the viewer to reaine print, small print, or “mouseprint” is less noticeable print smaller than the more obvious larger print it accompanies that advertises or otherwise describes or partially describes a commercial product or service.[1] The larger print that is used in conjunction with fine print by the merchant often has the effect of deceiving the consumer into believing the offer is more advantageous than it really is, via a legal technicality which requires full disclosure of all (even unfavorable) terms or conditions, but does not specify the manner (size, typeface, coloring, etc.) of disclosure. There is strong evidence that suggests the fine print is not read by the majority of consumers.[2]Fine print may say the opposite of what the larger print says. For example, if the larger print says “pre-approved” the fine print might say “subject to approval.” [3] Especially in pharmaceutical advertisements, fine print may accompany a warning message, but this message is often neutralized by the more eye-catching positive images and pleasant background music (eye candy). Sometimes television advertisements flash text fine print in camouflagic colors, and for notoriously brief periods of time, making it difficult or impossible for the viewer to rea Fine print, small print, or “mouseprint” is less noticeable print smaller than the more obvious larger print it accompanies that advertises or otherwise describes or partially describes a commercial product or service.[1] The larger print that is used in conjunction with fine print by the merchant often has the effect of deceiving the consumer into believing the offer is more advantageous than it really is, via a legal technicality which requires full disclosure of all (even unfavorable) terms or conditions, but does not specify the manner (size, typeface, coloring, etc.) of disclosure. There is strong evidence that suggests the fine print is not read by the majority of consumers.[2] Fine print may say the opposite of what the larger print says. For example, if the larger print says “pre-approved” the fine print might say “subject to approval.” [3] Especially in pharmaceutical advertisements, fine print may accompany a warning message, but this message is often neutralized by the more eye-catching positive images and pleasant background music (eye candy). Sometimes television a colors, and for notoriously brief periods of time, making it difficult or impossible for the viewer to rea Fine print, small print, or “mouseprint” is less noticeable print smaller than the more obvious larger print it accompanies that advertises or otherwise describes or partially describes a commercial product or service.[1] The larger print that is used in conjunction with fine print by the merchant often has the effect of deceiving the consumer into believing the offer is more advantageous than it really is, via a legal technicality which requires full disclosure of all (even unfavorable) terms or conditions, but does not specify the manner (size, typeface, coloring, etc.) of disclosure. There is strong evidence that suggests the fine print is not read by the majority of consumers.[2]Fine print may say the opposite of what the larger print says. For example, if the larger print says “pre-approved” the fine print might say “subject to approval.” [3] Especially in pharmaceutical advertisements, fine print may accompany a warning message, but this message is often neutralized by the more eye-catching positive images and pleasant background music (eye candy). Sometimes television advertisements flash text fine print in camouflagic colors, and for notoriously brief periods of time, making it difficult or impossible for the viewer to rea

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F E AT U R E

Special tasting guide

Beer Necessities CO N V E N E D BY ST E P H A N I E CO U T TS T H A N KS TO H E Y DAY B E E R CO, C U BA ST R E E T

F E AT U R E

Our annual beer tasting, observing and charting the development of craft beer throughout New Zealand, has been running for more than a decade and continues to grow in both the variety and sheer number of entries. This year our expert panel, led by Stephanie Coutts, tasted a record 182 beers.

his year I’ve taken over convening Beer Necessities from Kieran HaslettMoore, who is busy with his awardwinning brewery, North End Brewing in Waikanae. Kieran has long been a mentor and a friend, so it’s a good fit but a hard act to follow. Kieran’s not the only busy brewer, with recent reports suggesting that sales of independent and crafted beer are growing in the midst of a decline in beer drinking overall. More of us are looking for beer that is flavourful and interesting. The move to ‘interesting’ beer was reflected in the wide range of beer styles judged this year. Pale Ales, APAs and IPAs still dominated in the overall number of entries, but the 182 beers included Pacific Ales, a whole bunch of fruited and spiced kettle sours, Saisons, Brown Ales, Red Ales, Porters, Stouts, and Belgian-style

ales with their distinct yeast characters – just to name a few. All three barrel-aged sours entered received a four out of five from our judges. Two other barrel-influenced beers received fives and were true standouts. There are lots of bourbon barrels out there, as they can only be used once for bourbon itself. And it dominates. I’d like to give a big thanks to the judges. They were looking for fault-free beers that they could happily recommend as quality drops to both the seasoned beer drinker and those looking for something new. And what a list they’ve come up with. The five-star beers were considered most excellent by our judges. But, I’d recommend that you try all the beers that rated a mention. Stephanie Coutts, Convener of the panel

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The judging panel

Emma Bell

Jono Galuszka

Phil Cook

Stephanie Coutts

Nisha Pullan

Annika Naschitzki

Kieran HaslettMoore

Emma brews for Kererū Brewing Company and has worked in beer in Canada. She has a background in broadcasting, craves salty snacks and loves bright hair.

Jono is a Beer Writer of the Year and a correspondent for The Crafty Pint. He’s a judge for the New World Beer and Cider awards and The Malthouse West Coast IPA Challenge.

Phil was New Zealand’s first Beer Writer of the Year (beerdiary. nz) and is a ‘beertender’. He doesn’t like beer snobs and wants more Brown Ales.

Steph owns Craft Beer College and is a Certified Cicerone. She was first described as a ‘beer drinker around town’ in this magazine!

Nisha is a Certified Cicerone and is training under the Beer Judge Certification Program. She has worked in bars, breweries, and at Regional Wines and Spirits. She’s also a home brewer.

Annika is the owner of Tiamana and a maker of all kinds of booze. She’s in the midst of setting up a new micro-brewery, fermentery and distillery.

Kieran is Head Brewer at North End Brewing. He has judged multiple beer awards, and lived and worked in beer just about forever.

Did AnYone here order A truckloAd of hops? Our latest release, arriving at a supermarket or bottle store near you.

The six pack

Here they are. Our top six beers, as picked by our tasting panel.

Fork Brewing Tainted Love

Duncan’s Brewery New Zealand Pilsner

Fork Brewing has recently achieved an impressive feat at their brew pub on Bond St, Te Aro. They filled 42 taps with their own beer. This beer is a great one to start with if you pay them a visit. It’s a passionfruit and juniper kettle sour that was first brewed in collaboration with Gigantic Brewing from Portland. Head brewer Kelly Ryan has pumped up all the ingredients to create a beer described as elegant by our judges. It expertly balances sweetness, sourness and spice.

Duncan’s Brewing Company is located on the Kapiti Coast. Owned and operated by brewer George Duncan, the brewery has stepped it up over the past year or so and has been winning awards, for beers including this New Zealand Pilsner. The judges described the beer as bright and sparkling. It was true to the New Zealand pilsner style with mineral and lemon-lime hop aromas.

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Liberty Brewing Co Oh Brother Pale Ale

Choice Bros Sun Machine Spiced Saison

North End Brewing Cuvèe de Moor

Emerson's Brewing Co Darkest Descent

Liberty Brewing Company, now from Helensville in Auckland, has grown from its inception as a spin-off from Jo and Christina Wood’s online homebrew supply store. Liberty is known for nailing hoppy styles of beer. The judges described Oh Brother as being everything you might want in a pale ale. The beer pours a bright amber colour with a solid head. It packs a hoppy punch with pineapple aroma but has the perfect malt balance.

Choice Bros brewery is at Husk, on Ghunzee St, Te Aro. They do great food and interesting beer, and this beer is no exception to that. It is a saison, a farmhouse style that isn’t brewed enough in New Zealand. This beer is brewed with wormwood, coriander, anise, clove and fennel, and reflects Head Brewer Kerry Gray’s interest in absinthe although these flavours don’t dominate. The beer had the traditional, spicy saison notes on the aroma, a rounded mouth feel and earthy, citrus notes.

North End Brewing in Waikanae has had a barrel programme since its early days. It is carefully tended by head brewer Kieran Haslett-Moore. This beer has spent time mulling on Moroccan fruits and dark sugars in the kettle, then further developing in pinot barrels. It impressed the judges with its red-brown hue, bold sweet and sour character that is vinous and acetic, yet the beer is lush and deceptively drinkable at 13%.

Emerson’s in Dunedin continue to produce a wide array of beers, from the easy drinking to those like this – a beer to be shared and savoured. An imperial stout that has spent eight months in pinot barrels and has hints of funky brettanomyces (a formerly wild yeast) on the aroma. It has a dark chocolate and anise flavour profile and is rich and slightly tangy. The front of the label doesn’t tell you about the barrel-aging. It should. It is certainly evident (and yum).

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The rest 3 4

Hefe

M cLeod’s Brewery Longboarder Lager The judges all found some winelike grapey character in this beer from McLeod’s in Waipu. It was clean and spritzy, with a fine bead of carbonation. D ouble Vision Brewing Smooth Operator Not a traditional pale lager, but a cream ale brewed with vanilla and honey from Double Vision, currently of Brooklyn but soon to be of Miramar. The vanilla is evident on the aroma and the palate.

Hefe are known for their bubble gum and banana aromas which come from the yeast, and a smooth mouth feel from the wheat malt proteins. T uatara Brewing Weiz Guy This beer, from Tuatara in Paraparaumu, pours with a big, solid head and gives off strong banana-like aromas. It has a well-rounded mouth feel and slightly soapy finish.

Pale lagers

New Zealand Pilsner This is a style we can call our own. New Zealand pilsners should have a mineral character, sometimes described as diesel or burnt rubber, and a tropical fruitiness from our hops. iberty Brewing Co L Halo A straw-coloured beer with a clean, white head, this had both the diesel-like and the fruity character expected from the style.

in the UK) by Heyday Beer Co, on Upper Cuba St, Te Aro. F ork Brewing Burton Ernie A strong ale that pours an amber-red colour, with malt biscuit characters on the aroma and chocolate and toffee on the palate.

American Amber and Brown Ales Amber Ales generally have a caramel malt character, while Brown Ales will add some chocolate to the mix. Hop levels vary but should always be in balance. ortune Favours Brewery F The Oregonian True to style with some caramel malt aroma and sweetness on the palate, which slightly dominate the all-American hops. This beer is from Fortune Favours in Leeds St, Te Aro. H eyDay Brewing The Tempest Pouring slightly hazy, the beer has a cocoa aroma. It has some warming sweetness balanced against resinous hops.

The pale lager style is straightforward and the beer should be crystal clear with light biscuit malt characters and low levels of hopping.

Pale Ales

British Ales

arrotDog P Brewery Lager Wellington favourites Parrot Dog, in Lyall Bay, have produced an easy-going beer that pours with a deep golden colour and gives off some biscuity and fruity aromas.

British ales have a focus on balance and drinkability, regardless of the alcohol content. There are a number of Britsh ale styles, and quite a lot of variability within the styles.

Pale ales should have a solid malt backbone to balance out a decent whack of hops. Those defining themselves as American Pale Ales (APAs) should generally have some citrus aromas.

H op Federation Lager Hints of sulphur to begin, followed by straw-like aromas. This beer, from Hop Federation in Riwaka, is one to knock back on a warm summer’s day.

HeyDay Brewery Royal Tea Light body, with a slightly grainy malt character and some fruity esters from the addition of tea. Brewed with a traditional Fuller’s yeast (from the Fuller’s brewery

F ortune Favours Brewery The Naturalist This beer was at the lighter end of the pale ales judged, but was well-balanced and refreshing with a pithy, lemon-sherbet hop character.

Brave Brewing Bottle Rocket Brave Brewing in Hastings has produced a good-looking pale ale that has a solid malt base to balance out citrus and resinous American hops. D uncan’s Brewing Pale Ale Another Duncan’s beer featuring clean, tropical fruit and citrus aromas. The beer is dry and has a bitter finish. B ach Brewing Billfish APA The hops in this beer are American, Australian and Kiwi. It is dank and catty, and finishes bitter on the palate. Bach Brewing Driftwood Session Pale Ale Described as a session beer but packing a punch at 5%, with sweaty hop characters and a clean malt base. Three Sisters Brewery Rain in the Face The husband and wife team at Three Sisters from Oakura have produced a bright, clean beer with tropical fruit salad aromas. H eyDay Brewery Horizon APA A well-constructed and balanced beer, with some fruity sweet malts balancing out a light, herbal hop aroma. Epic Brewing Thunder APA In true Epic style, this beer packs a resinous, catty American hop aroma. It needs a touch more body to round out the bitter finish.

XPA Overseas, XPAs usually sit somewhere between an American Pale Ale (APA) and IPA, but here in New Zealand they are often lighter in style and designed as a refreshing drop to showcase our local hops.

B ach Brewing All Day XPA Designed for drinking more than one, this beer has a short head, light body and fruity citrus and pineapple aromas. S awmill Brewery eXtra Pale Ale This light-bodied beer from Sawmill in Matakana was described by the judges as having a citrus tang and a lightly bitter finish.

New England IPA Cloudy with big juicy hop aromas, these beers have low levels of bitterness and are best drunk fresh off tap. C hoice Bros Hazy Cosmic Jive A collaboration with Jason Bathgate from McLeod’s, the beer is hazy and has big, juicy tropical fruit aromas.

IPAs IPAs generally have high levels of hop aroma and bitterness, with a big malty background to provide some balance. They’re a favourite, with 20 entries in this category. B ach Brewing Beyond the Clouds Another winning, hoppy beer from Bach Brewing that pours deep yellow and has a whack of US hop character with resinous and fruit salad aromas. M cLeod’s Brewing Great Migration IPA The judges weren’t convinced this was ‘big’ enough for an IPA but the beer has great balance and tropical notes from the hops.

Tuatara Brewing Prince of Ales Brewed as a red IPA this beer has a nutty aroma. It is lean on the palate with low to moderate bitterness.

E merson’s Brewery RED This beer had oaky, vanillin characters and wine-like notes, with hints of dark, dried fruits and a light acidity.

Rauchbier This is a smoky, deep-ambercoloured lager. It should be clean, and have a toasty rich malt character that balances the smoke.

Spiced beer

Sour styles We had a range of sour styles entered this year, many with fruit and spice additions along with the acids and bacteria that give them a tart acidity. Choice Bros Strung Out on Lasers This beer is gloriously pink in colour and comes with a hit of raspberry on the aroma. It has a dry and slightly tart finish (and is excellently paired with gin). Whistling Sisters Brewery Rooty Tooty This beer from Whistling Sisters on Ghunzee St, Te Aro, presents a lovely rose gold colour. With an aroma of ginger and galangal, it has a rich mouthfeel, and ginger and woody notes. 8 Wired Brewery Hippy Berliner Cucumber This is an effervescent, white gold beer brewed with cucumber that is subtle but evident on both the aroma and in the taste. A refreshing drop from 8 Wired in Warkworth. 8 Wired Brewery Feijoa Sour 2017 This is the third vintage of this sour, which is sherbet, and has a huge feijoa aroma and flavour. It is sour and spicy. 8 Wired Brewery Fist Full of Cherries This beer pours a ruby-red colour. It has aromas of cherries and the almond-coconut character of cherry pips. It’s fruity and tart.

The beer should harmonise with its added ingredients and consumers should read the label to know what they are buying! Wigram Brewery Spruce Beer This beer from Wigram in Christchurch is a perennial Capital favourite and is interesting and well balanced with kola and chai-like spices on the aroma and palate.

ree Sisters Th Brewery Rauchbier Brewed for a Hot Rod show, to be reminiscent of burnt rubber, this beer has manuka smoke and a savoury smoked fish character. igram Ace W Smokey Porter Not quite a rauchbier, but smoky on the finish nonetheless. This beer has a rich mocha character and a medium body.

Dark beer Belgian The Belgians brew a huge range of beer styles, and many are known for their interesting yeast characters and their ABV.

There were a range of darks entered this year; porters, stouts and their ‘Imperial’ versions. These beers are made with dark malt. The ‘Imperial’ means they’re bigger and boozier.

T uatara Brewing Sanctus A twist on the Ardennes, brewed with apricots. The beer pours hazy pale gold, has spicy notes on the aroma and hints of apricot sweetness to taste.

Emerson’s Brewing London Porter A New Zealand classic, this is a dark brown beer that pours with a light tan head. It’s medium bodied with fruity and roasty notes.

Tuatara Brewing Tripel Barrel Pale amber, this beer pours with a firm head and has a juicy flavour of spice and stonefruit. The mouth feel is rich and lingering.

Wigram Brewery Czar Imperial Stout The beer pours dark brown and with a solid head. It has coffee and roasted notes on both the aroma and palate.

ereru Brewing K Night Spirit At 12%, this beer from Kereru in Upper Hutt packs a punch and has been aged in bourbon barrels that were also used for whiskey. It is rich and boozy with a big chocolate hit.

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FISHY BUSINESS

Sea horse Name: Big-belly seahorse or pot-bellied seahorse Māori name: Manaia

Feeds on: Sea horses eat small crustaceans, and fish eggs and larvae, which they find among the seaweed or in the plankton, sucking them into their mouths as if using a drinking straw. Larger food, such as shrimps, may be broken into pieces by repeated feeding strikes before ingestion.

Scientific name: Hippocampus abdominalis Looks like: A classic seahorse shape with an impressive protruding belly and a tube-like snout. A big-belly seahorse grows up to about 30cm long and are usually yellow or brown with darker spots on the body and the bands on its tail − but body shape, snout length, presence or absence of head filaments and colour are highly variable even among individuals from the same brood (a catalogue of 120 seahorse names has been whittled down to about 32 known species but the exact number remains undetermined, largely because of this variation).

Catch: Do not catch. Cook: Do not cook. Did you know? Spawning happens year round but peaks in spring and early autumn with female seahorses depositing their eggs in a pouch on the male’s belly, where he fertilises and broods them, and looks after them till they hatch. There are some incredible images of this process online, including in the wonderfully written seahorse feature by Chris Woods in New Zealand Geographic which is well worth a Google.

Habitat: Manaia live in harbours, bays and on sheltered reefs, and are usually found entwined around seaweed. If you know where to look you might spot them on a dive in some of the more sheltered spots in our harbour. They can also be found inside the Tapu Te Ranga Marine Reserve, which was opened 10 years ago this month. NIWA principal scientist Malcom Francis tells us they’re very hard to spot and most people will look straight past them without noticing, but if you’re very keen you might see them out and about on a night dive.

If it were human it would be: We asked Malcolm Francis about this because we know how much scientists love to anthropomorphise animals (ha!)… and he said the upright demeanour and slow grace of the sea horse reminds him of a stately old man. The pot belly lends itself nicely to this image, too – though we suggest that personalitywise, the male seahorse is more of the Clarke Gayford, modern stay-at-home-Dad variety.

EDIBLES

SUPPORT LO CAL? D E N A DA . Since 1975 Nada Bakery has been creating products for Wellingtonians, originally from a store in Hataitai. Now they are offering a home delivery service called Bakery Basket, based in Tawa. You order online, they deliver fresh baking to your door. Nada are doing their best to be good Samaritans in the community. They donate their excess to local charities, all of their flour is milled in Wellington, and their vegetables and packaging are also sourced here. Their baking includes both sweet and savoury.

TOASTED IN MARTINBOROUGH Tickets to the 27th Toast Martinborough are now on sale. This year nine vineyards will be participating. Tickets for the iconic Martinborough event which will take place on Sunday November 18 cost $78.50. It is a day-long festival of wine and food, which last year included chefs from the likes of Capitol restaurant and Shed 5.

BIO-GROW WAY 2 GO

REDIFOODS

Well known in our Capital, the Wellington Chocolate Factory has become the first bean-to-bar chocolate factory in New Zealand to receive an organic certification through BioGrow. Bean to bar means that WCF has manufactured all the way from origin-sourced beans to chocolate bar, rather than the more common process of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;couvertureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, which means purchasing industrially produced chocolate and melting it down to work with.

Mediterranean Foods now have ready-made meals, which can be purchased to take away and refrigerate or freeze then cook at your leisure. The options available include dishes such as Lasagne Bolognaise, Mac and Four Cheese, Fennel Sausages with Lentils, and Chicken Casserole 'hunter style'. These meals are made and packaged in house at the trattoria, and vary in size.

Biscuit Boxes GF, vegan and low sugar options. Available from our online store. Delivery Nationwide dustedanddelicious.co.nz/shop Phone: 04 471 0121

EDIBLES

C A R N I VOROU S Usually we view it as a positive thing when we Kiwis punch above our weight. However in this case we are actually eating our weight in meat every year and it may not be so positive. The average New Zealander eats 72.2kg of meat per annum, putting them among the highest consumers of meat on earth. A study recently published in Science Journal claims that the single most effective way to reduce one’s environmental impact is to stop using and consuming animal products.

WINTER WARMER

DO THE CANCAN

THE TRUTH

During the months of winter Caffe L’affare has a lunch special on every Thursday – you can order a hearty slow cooked meal with either a glass of wine or Parrotdog beer for $22.00. This will be available each day until it runs out. In August there are obviously four different dishes, and an advance hint from the chef suggests they will be red-winebraised venison with polenta, and braised pork with prunes and peas.

Beloved French Patisserie The French Cancan is opening a new spot in Riddiford Street in Newtown. Owner/operator Sophie thinks it should be open in early August. Its baker, Sophie’s husband Eric,has been awarded two Michelin stars in a previous role in Paris. The French Cancan has a devoted following of both French expats and locals.

In Russian Pravda means ‘truth’. Wellington’s Pravda Café and Grill is aiming to show people the truth about differences in beef with a series of sporadic dining events. The next one, on September 1, is a five-course meal designed to highlight the differences between grain-fed and grassfed beef. The final dinner, on October 27, is dedicated to Wagyu beef. Executive chef Gareth Stewart says, 'This dinner series is a chance to teach diners about different aspects of top-quality cuts'. A winemaker and beef expert will host each dinner. For tickets email info@pravdacafe.co.nz

Whitebait New Zealand cuisine from land & sea 1 Clyde Quay Wharf 385-8555 white-bait.nz

DINNER

DEGUSTATION

FUNCTIONS

S H E A R E R S ' TA B L E

Capita l quackle and pop BY N I K K I & J O R DA N S H E A R E R

isa Wellington on a Plate (WOAP) is one of our favourite fortnights in the Wellington food scene. So many restaurants, cafes and venues get on board with this regionwide takeover. There are amazing events and pop-ups, not to mention Burger Wellington. During this month it is compulsory for the Shearer family to try as many burgers as

INGREDIENTS 150ml white wine vinegar 50ml water 4 tbsp white sugar 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced 70g macadamias 10g butter 2 tbsp white sugar ½ tsp salt ½ tsp dried chilli flakes 1 cup shredded cabbage 1 tbsp finely chopped chives ¼ cup freeze-dried mandarins (roughly broken) 2 tbsp mayonnaise 2 duck breasts ¼ cup flour 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice 1 tsp salt 1 egg, whisked ½ cup panko breadcrumbs 1 tsp activated charcoal 2 tsp Dijon mustard 2 sesame burger buns 2 slices Emmental raw milk cheese 2 tsp popping candy

Beer Match: Garage Project – Pernicious Yuzu Weed

possible. So we thought we would unofficially get on board with this Burger Challenge and create for you our WOAP Capital Burger. This became so competitive that we had a ‘burgeroff ’ between us, resulting in the creation of a Moussaka Burger and a Capital Quackle and Pop, matched with Garage Project beers. And here they are…

METHOD

Makes 2 burgers 1.

In a small pot, bring white wine vinegar, water and white sugar to the boil, and boil until sugar is dissolved. 2. While hot, pour over sliced fennel and leave to pickle for at least 1 hour. 3. In a dry pan, dry roast macadamias until golden. Add butter and melt, tossing macadamias. Add sugar, salt and chilli flakes, and cook on a med-high heat for 1–2 minutes until the sugar is a golden caramel, stirring constantly, careful that the sugar doesn’t burn. Pour onto some greaseproof paper and leave to set. Once cooled, roughly chop. 4. Make a slaw, by adding together cabbage, chives, freeze-dried mandarins, mayo and 2–3 tbsp of the chopped chilli macadamias. 5. Carefully remove skin from the duck breast. On a medium-low pan, place skin, outer side down. Cook for a good 15 minutes, rendering fat, and pushing skin down to ensure it is consistently golden. 6. Turn skin over, and continue to cook, pressing down until both sides are golden and crispy. Remove quackling from pan and place in oven at 100oC to continue to crisp while you cook the duck. Reserve duck fat in pan for cooking the breasts. Place duck breasts between two sheets of clingwrap and gently pound with a rolling pin until even in thickness. 7. Set out 3 bowls. Place flour, Chinese 5 spice and salt in one, egg in second, and panko crumbs mixed with activated charcoal in the third. 8. Spread 1 tsp dijon mustard over one side of each breast. Coat each breast in flour mix, then egg, then crumbs. 9. Reheat duck fat in pan. Cook schnitzels for 3-4 minutes on each side (depending on your liking). 10. Cut burger buns in half and butter. Gently heat buns in oven, lightly melting Emmental cheese on the bottom half of the burgers. 11. To assemble burgers: Top bottom of buns with duck schnitzel, quackling (you can roughly chop this if you prefer), pickled fennel, and a generous handful of slaw. 12. Sprinkle 1 tsp of popping candy over the slaw of each burger. Top with bun!

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S H E A R E R S ' TA B L E

Moussa ka burger BY N I K K I & J O R DA N S H E A R E R

INGREDIENTS 500g lamb mince 1 zucchini, grated (squeeze out excess water) ½ red onion, finely diced 1½ tsp allspice 1½ tsp cinnamon 1 egg, lightly beaten 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed salt and pepper 50g unsalted butter 3–4 tbsp flour 1 cup milk 1 tsp grated nutmeg Handful grated cheddar cheese salt and pepper 4 slices eggplant 1 egg, beaten ¼ cup flour ½ cup panko breadcrumbs (we used Culley’s rosemary, chilli, garlic crumb) ½ cup rice bran oil 1 agria potato, peeled and sliced very thinly with a potato peeler 4 buns of your choice, sliced in half 1 zucchini shaved thinly lengthways using a peeler tomato relish (store bought or homemade)

METHOD

Makes 4 burgers 1. 2.

3. 4. 5. 6.

7. 8.

Combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl and mix together with your hands. Using wet hands, mould into 4–6 patties (size depends on the size of your bun). Set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan, over medium heat. When melted, whisk in the flour for a couple of minutes. Slowly add the milk and whisk until the sauce begins to thicken. Season and add the cheese, continuing to stir. If the sauce becomes too thick then add more milk. The béchamel sauce is ready when it is of a thick, pouring consistency. Set aside. Set out 3 bowls. Place flour and salt in one, egg in second, and panko crumbs in the third. Coat each eggplant slice in flour, then coat in egg, then cover in crumb. Set aside. Heat the oil in a frypan over medium heat and fry the potato until crisp and golden. Drain and set aside. In a large frypan heat extra oil and cook the meat patties over a medium heat until browned on the outside and cooked through. Keep warm in the oven while you assemble the burger. Over medium heat fry the eggplant until crisp and golden, using the same oil as the potatoes. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in the oven. Brush the underside of the top half of the bun with oil and lightly toast in a pan.

ASSEMBLY

Beer match: Garage Project – Bourbon Baltic

Place the bottom half of the bun on a serving plate, spread generously with tomato relish. 10. Top with the meat pattie, and the eggplant, then place 3 or 4 bunched strips of the zucchini on top of the eggplant slice. 11. Warm the béchamel sauce then pour over the burger, letting it drip down the sides. 12. Top with the potato crisps and bun.

LIQUID NEWS

It’s only natura l wine BY J O E L L E T H O M S O N

Natural wine is controversial, confusing and unconventional but also extremely popular.

very industry has its dirty little secrets and when it comes to wine, some of these secrets are now turning up in unconventionally shaped, clear glass wine bottles and labelled ‘natural’. We are talking about reductive flavours (pronounced earthiness at best, Rotorua at worst) and brettanomyces (a yeast that can get out of control and smell like damp cardboard). These characters were once widely agreed to be faults in wine but they are sometimes championed as complexity, particularly in some natural wines. There is no agreed definition of natural wine, but this trend is spreading like wildfire. And sometimes it tastes good. Other times, not so much. Some say a wine is natural if it is sulphur-free, organic, or unfined and unfiltered. Others say it represents adventurous winemaking that pushes conventional boundaries. Others still say it’s lazy winemaking that flouts convention at its peril and results in unreliable flavour variation. In short ‘natural’ wine can be complex and interesting but it can also be controversial and confusing. Recently I sent an email to 10 winemakers, importers and distributors, asking them what makes a wine ‘natural’. Eight of the 10 agreed that wine labelled ‘natural’ should be made from grapes grown organically. They also said that organic wine – like any organic produce – must be certified by an independent organisation such as Bio-Gro NZ. Independent certification guarantees that no synthetic chemicals are sprayed on the grapes (or the ground) used to make the wine. These include manufactured fertilisers, herbicides, pesticides, fungicides and insecticides – chemicals that few, if any, of us want to consume. Eight of the 10 wine professionals also agreed that natural wine tends to be made without commercially produced yeasts. This means that wild or vineyardcultivated yeasts should be used to ferment wines described as ‘natural’. A growing number of New Zealand winemakers are cultivating their own yeasts (from

yeasts found in their vineyards) to ferment their wines, regardless of whether or not they make natural wine. New research by scientists at the University of Auckland shows that wild yeast strains tend to result in wines with lower levels of alcohol than commercial yeast. This is viewed as a big tick for obvious reasons. Wild or vineyard-cultivated yeasts also tend to impart more savoury and earthy flavours, which can be enhanced by leaving wines on lees after fermentation. Lees are the decomposing yeast cells left over from fermentation. As they break down, lees release mannoproteins, which add savoury flavours and protect wine from oxidation. A win-win. Two other features of natural wine-making are skin contact and lack of fining and filtering. This means that natural wines often appear orange in colour (from skin contact) and cloudy (the floaty bits haven’t been removed). Most high-volume, low-priced wines are fined and filtered so they appear clean, clear and visually bright. Many of the world’s great wines are not fined or filtered because their makers want them to express all the flavours they developed when being made. Natural wine often has little or no added sulphur dioxide to prevent oxidation; but since sulphur dioxide is a natural by-product of fermentation, it is misleading to describe any wine as completely sulphur free because sulphur dioxide is produced during fermentation, although traces remaining are relatively negligible, unless it has been added. Natural wines are an interesting category but the word ‘natural’ runs the risk of doing a disservice to many well made wines with a long track record of minimal human input. I must confess the word natural raises a red flag in my mind because it suggests that wines not categorised as ‘natural’ are in some way less good and this is not necessarily true. Natural wine is a popular trend but it’s important to remember that the best wines on earth are made with very little human input – every great winemaker I know follows the principle: 'The less I do to the grapes, the better the wine will be.’

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Deferring style decisions BY M EGA N B L E N K A R N E

t’s August, which for the optimists among us means it’s time to start dreaming about new bits and bobs we might like to add to our wardrobes. This exercise got me thinking about some of the terrible purchasing decisions I’ve made in the past, and in turn, a few looks I think we should all just try to avoid in 2018. The Western trend: as depicted in my jazzy boots above. This look kicked off at Dior and has valiantly attempted to filter down to the high street via boots and blouses. I know you think cowboy boots will look totally cute with a sundress, but let’s think this through – if it’s warm enough for a sundress, it’s too warm for boots. Let’s all agree that this look is best left in music videos of fresh-faced American teens singing direct to camera, last seen in a pre-iPhone era. Off-the-shoulder tops: I own one of these, so this criticism comes from a place of true understanding (and regret). Let’s be honest with ourselves: they ride up, and it’s annoying pulling them back down every five minutes. We live in a country that I would describe as unfortunately close to a hole in the ozone layer, so getting more skin out and about for burning isn’t clever. And if you work in a professional setting, you can’t wear them to work, limiting you to two days a week of potential wear. Two days that you’ll spend ruing your decision to wear an off-the-shoulder top.

Cycle shorts for anyone who is not cycling: Instagram would have us believe that cycle shorts with an oversized shirt and those little narrow sunglasses is an entirely reasonable look to bust out on a sunny afternoon. I just do not believe that much lycra in such close proximity to your crotch on a hot day is what you want. Apparently, real cycle pants for racing have a padded seat, which I could support as an option if you are in fact cycling. Otherwise, think of your health. Wicker bags: you would think that we had slid backwards in technology, judging by the number of woven wicker bags that hit the market last year. I get it, they create a sweet, slightly twee picnic-y summer vibe. I’m very confident this is a shortlived trend, so don’t invest in one of these this year or you’ll end up guiltily shoving it to the back of the wardrobe and buying something new next year. (Instead, save up a bit and buy a classic bag option from one of the many awesome New Zealand companies out there.) My key piece of advice, gleaned from many, many regretted purchases over the years, is to not get too excited or experimental in August. Only buy things that you know gel with your current style; and remember – better to defer the decision and miss out, than to buy an entirely ridiculous printed slip dress featuring giraffes and cherries that you will subsequently never, ever wear. Trust me – I speak of what I know.

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Cozy c u sto m s Bow down to the shrine of comfort. Function reigns supreme with our cozy picks to get you through the rest of Winter.

8 7

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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

Soft pocket shirt by Mela Purdie, $383, Zebrano Adapt Coat, denim, $439, Kowtow Wool cable stockings in terracotta, $45, Mooma Autumn silk and wool scarf, $65, Trade Aid Crop crew cardigan standard issue, $240, Harry's Chimi Kiwi sunglasses, $165, Harry's Green and tan duffel bag, $180, Trade Aid Boyfriend top in tan natural stripe, $89, Kowtow Burt's Bees 100% natural lipsticks, $22, The White Room Gallery Verity dress (available in various colours), $207, Made It Jett Beau Coops, $399, I Love Paris

BY THE BOOK

E V E RY W H E R E YO U L O O K Fancy some pizza with your poetry? On Friday 24 August, Victoria University hosts ‘Talking Back to The Canon’, which involves creating poems from words found in anthropology texts, then creating a pop-up display of the poems, followed by pizza. It’s part of Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day (#NZPoetryDay), which sees 120plus events take place countrywide in bookshops, bars, cafes, schools, universities, theatres, and community centres. Expect to see poetry on public transport, posters, even footpaths. Submissions for the National Online Poetry Competition close 17 August, plus there are student competitions.

NOT SLOWING D OWN

CAPITAL DESIGN

BREAKING OUT

Great-grandmother Dame Fiona Kidman has written fiction, non-fiction, short stories, poetry and plays – and has been a scriptwriter, radio producer, journalist and librarian. Her new novel This Mortal Boy (Penguin, $38.99) is about Irishman Albert Black: the second-to-last person executed in New Zealand, back in 1955. Was it murder, manslaughter or self-defence? Described as a social historian, Kidman is an ambassador to Te Auaha New Zealand Institute of Applied Creativity.

Wellington designers did well at the 2018 PANZ Book Design Awards announced last month. In-demand, multi-disciplinary Raumati designers Vida and Luke Kelly designed Aotearoa: The New Zealand Story – written and illustrated by Gavin Bishop – which won the Scholastic NZ Award for Best Children’s Book. Wellington typographic/graphic artist Sarah Maxey designed the cover of the slipcase edition of Allen Curnow Biography and Poems, which won the Upstart Press Award for Best Non-Illustrated Book.

Known for its literary fiction, academic non-fiction and poetry, Victoria University Press is doing something different by publishing We Can Make a Life ($35), a moving memoir by young Wellington writer Chessie Henry. Out early August, it covers Chessie’s unusual childhood in rural Canterbury and Tokelau, and focuses on the breakdown of her father Chris Henry, an overworked rural GP who crawled through the burning CTV building to rescue people.

BY THE BOOK

Re-verse I N T R O D U C E D BY H E R A L I N D S AY B I R D

I wanna kiss you and make you cry obviously I find you dangerously unsentimental in fact I worry that you might be harbouring a small violence in your daily life such as such as muttering insults at the elderly or writing scathing reviews of high school plays or like discreetly growing a tumour out of revenge I require you to learn from my softness otherwise I will accidentally learn your hardness ah you can’t talk about boys and hardness without thinking about you know and you have a really nice you know but that’s not the issue at hand so to speak not right now anyway come to my house later come to my house and I will put your issue in my hand it’s not exactly a problem that you don’t love me it’s just surprising : look at me I’m startlingly lovely not visually so much as theoretically I took a lot of cheap advice and now I love myself too much it offends the elderly and it bores the young and you it does something to you but you don’t like having things done to you so I stop doing it I just hover at your bedroom door not doing it Georgie Porgie by Freya Daly Sadgrove Published with permission

IN BRIEF I have been obsessed with Freya Daly Sadgrove’s poetry ever since she was a student in one of my writing classes, and we got drunk out the back of the church and she played me a song on the organ. She hasn’t published a collection yet, but it’s only a matter of time, and when she does it’s going to ruin everyone’s life.

BREAKDOWN

Hera Lindsay Bird is a poet from Wellington. Her first collection Hera Lindsay Bird was published from Victoria University Press in 2016, and her chapbook Pamper Me to Hell & Back came out with The Poetry Business in 2018.

I love Freya’s poetry for her disgusting sense of humour, her sharp emotional pivots and her simple but deadly honesty. There are so many good lines in this poem, like ‘discreetly growing tumour out of revenge’ and ‘I took a lot of cheap advice and now I love myself too much,’ but her sharp and self-deprecating sense of humour is always offset by vulnerability, like a delicious creamy pasta filled with razor-

blades. My favourite lines in this poem, which I return to again and again are ‘I require you to learn from my softness otherwise/I will accidentally learn from your hardness.' How good and true this is, and how much I wish I could beam this poem back through time to my early twenties, although like all good lines in poetry, they are eternally relevant. And then to turn on her heels and make a dick joke out of it. I am like a cartoon chef, endlessly kissing my fingers. Anyone with half a brain can torture language until it comes out sounding highbrow and dripping with gravitas, but it’s a special kind of generosity to be able to say something so true and warm, and make it seem effortless. You can read some of Freya’s other poems in Mimicry and The Spinoff, but if you can, go and see her live. She’s the funniest live poet I’ve ever seen, and is worth it for the stage banter alone.

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BY THE BOOK

Gut instinct P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A N N A B R I G G S

Novelist Isa Pearl Ritchie talks to Sarah Lang about how our views about food can border on the religious – and how she deals with her own illnesses.

sa Pearl Ritchie, 34, was unwell for many years. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome). Depression. Anxiety. Insomnia. Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Food intolerances. To help improve her digestive symptoms and her overall health, she tried various elimination and reintroduction diets including lowFODMAP, which was difficult as it excludes lots of foods including legumes and many vegetables. ‘After excluding certain foods, when I did eat them I reacted worse to them. So I reintroduced different foods really slowly – and now I eat everything. Though I try not to eat much crap, because then I feel horrible.’ Since age 12, Isa has had Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), which currently has no cure and can only be managed, mainly by pacing yourself. ‘I couldn’t do lots of things. I had periods of time where I couldn’t get out of bed.’ Isa was a solo mother for many years to daughter Tesla (now 10). ‘When my daughter was young, I felt exhausted and guilty because I couldn’t play with her much.’ The ME has come and gone. ‘I have a bout of it then get better. I’m vigilant because it’s a delicate balance: eating, sunlight, exercise. But the main factor for me is stress.’ Isa, who now has another partner, manages her intermittent anxiety and depression better. ‘We have this false dichotomy between physical and mental illness, although the mind is part of the body. Let’s talk about mental illness as a physical thing.’ And, as a character in her novel asks, why isn’t nutrition part of mental-health treatment? ‘People are starting to talk about that, but doctors are dominant in our healthcare model and they don’t learn much about nutrition.’

Food and mental illness are dominant themes in Isa’s absorbing novel Fishing for Māui. Set in her hometown Hamilton, it’s told from the perspectives of nine very different narrators (focusing mainly on five characters) from a part-Māori family. Michael is getting in touch with his Māori heritage, smoking marijuana and eating pies. His vegan girlfriend Evie breaks into battery farms to set hens free. Michael’s nine-year-old sister Rosa feels neglected by her busy mother, Valerie: an overworked, slightly-overweight GP who eats low-fat food. Valerie’s other daughter, Elena, is heavily pregnant and obsessively blogging about unprocessed, fullfat and fermented foods. Here’s Elena in full flight: ‘Now people are on a diet of processed crap, soy, corn flour and canola, white bread and white sugar. We're clearly going to devolve if we carry on this way.’ Isa says her own changing views on food don’t mirror that of one single character, though she admits they’re closest to Elena’s. ‘Food has changed so much over the last century,’ Isa says, ‘but our biology has changed so little and our bodies haven’t adapted to all this processed food.’ Isa eats meat, but isn’t anti-vegan or anti-vegetarian like some of her characters. ‘It’s interesting that tensions come out over different perspectives on food. It’s almost a religious thing.’ Is Isa religious? ‘I come from a family of atheists and personally believe that people make religions out of all sorts of things, including atheism. Religion has too many rules for me, but I have my own weird views. I like Jungian synchronicity, the collective unconscious, analysing your dreams.’ As the novel progresses, it focuses more on Michael, who is treated in a mental-health unit for psychosis. ‘I wasn’t crazy; everything else

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BY THE BOOK

In 2011, while studying, she began Fishing for Māui. She has kept the setting of Hamilton in 2011/2012, with mentions of iPods and the Occupy movement. Hamilton, she says, isn’t the boring bogan town that’s often the butt of jokes, with increasingly arty and alternative subcultures. ‘I like it more now than I used to,’ she jokes. Three years ago, she moved to Wellington (where she had often visited her father) for a policy-analyst job at the Ministry for Primary Industries, and is now a policy adviser at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. All that time, she’s been intermittently writing and rewriting the novel. ‘My writing process is like gardening: often there’s nothing above the surface, and lots of composting time.’ Isa has self-published Fishing for Māui under her imprint Te Aroha Press. ‘Te Aroha is my Māori name, given to me by my adopted grandmother [a family friend] when I was 12. Many writers are self-publishing nowadays because the publishing industry is in disarray – dismantled by Amazon and so on. I did approach some publishers, who said this is good but not right for us now. Even then, I had this ideological issue with not necessarily the owning of my work but of owning information.’ Hers is the second novel ever to be published under a Creative Commons Aotearoa licence (meaning others can copy and distribute her work – provided they credit her, and on specified conditions). In 2012, Isa self-published her first novel The Seekers’ Garden as a paperback and e-book, selling online only as she knew little about the industry. This time, publishing consultant Karen McKenzie (the book’s publicist) gave Isa useful information about how to find her own designer, typesetter, printer, and distributor. Isa, who is working on a third novel, is excited and nervous about publishing Fishing for Māui. ‘I hope people see it’s about sharing different ways of being in and seeing the world. There’s no one right view.’

was,’ he says. The novel was initially sparked by Isa’s observation of a family member’s experience of psychosis. ‘I talked to that person afterwards and their experience was so different from what everyone else thought it was. There’s shame around psychosis, because you “lose” your mind. People see psychosis as dangerous. They probably think of psycho-killers.’ In the book, Michael says racism in New Zealand is ‘tucked away in the corner of everyone’s vision. Some don’t want to see it’. Isa largely agrees. ‘Many people don’t believe there is racism in New Zealand and there is. It’s changing, but racism is so subtle and embedded that it’s often hard to spot.’ Isa, whose parents split when she was young, has a Māori stepfather. ‘I’m Pakeha by ancestry but my family is Māori, including four younger half-brothers and a step-sister my age.’ Te reo is her first language, and she went to kohanga reo (Māori early-childhoodeducation centres) and, initially, kura kaupapa (Māori-language immersion schools). In mainstream schooling, she struggled with English literacy. ‘Several teachers said I wasn't creative.’ At the University of Waikato, she did a sociology Master’s degree on different discourses about nutrition. Moving to Raglan, she spent four years doing an anthropology PhD on food sovereignty through the lens of small-scale local food providers in Raglan, to explore food’s complex interconnectedness with social and political values and practices, and wealth and poverty. ‘Being picky about what we eat is a largely privileged thing.’ Now she can call herself Dr Ritchie. Isa comes from a long line of academics. Her great-grandparents were well-known Wellington ethnographers Ernest and Pearl Ritchie (hence Isa’s middle name) – and Ernest’s brother was historian J C Beaglehole. Meanwhile Isa’s maternal grandparents James and Jane Ritchie were Waikato University professors, and her mother Jenny is an earlychildhood researcher. Isa decided against a career in ‘exhausting’ academia.

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Sa ints and symbols BY SA R A H CAT H E R A L L P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A N N A B R I G G S

Kirsten Sutherland is a textile artist, a boutique owner, a collector, and an adventurer. All these parts of the 47-year-old’s life and personality are showcased in her two-storey villa high in Kelburn.

hen she bought the home eight years ago, Kirsten fell in love with its rambling rooms, high stud, and sweeping views of Wellington’s twinkling lights in the distance. It sits in a row of similar two-storey villas on Central Terrace, and Kirsten suspects they were all built about the same time. Now they sit like grand ladies overlooking the city. Since it was built in the 1910s, the Kelburn house has been converted into flats and turned into two separate homes, being returned to its former state around the 1980s. When Kirsten bought it, the interior walls were all painted different shades of green, and one of her first decorating manoeuvres was to repaint them. At some point the ceilings in some rooms were lowered, and the kitchen still has a lower stud than the rest of the house − something Kirsten would like to eventually change. Asked to describe her interior style, she says: ‘Eclectic, colourful, and sentimental.’ Most of the art, furniture and objects in the house have a story behind them, or a reason for being there. Some examples of Kirsten’s textile art, which employs symbolism and religious iconography, are dotted through her house. As in her newly opened boutique-cum-gallery, St Fabiola in Lombard Lane, Kirsten carefully curates her home and it is clearly the space of a woman with an artistic bent.

The entrance and wide hallway could easily pass for an art gallery. One wall is covered with Madonna and child iconography, with crosses next to pictures Kirsten has picked up over the years from secondhand stores, or in her travels through Africa and South America. One of her favourite pieces is a portrait of the Madonna and child she found in Ethiopia. ‘When I started having babies, I started getting into the Madonna. The symbol became something I could relate to. To me, she upholds motherhood.’ While Kirsten grew up a Catholic, she is no longer a practising one but is drawn to the church’s iconography. St Fabiola is named after the patron saint of divorced women. Four years ago, Kirsten and her family − daughters Grace, 16, and Freda, 13 − spent a year living in the Seychelles. Kirsten took her digital textile machine with her, and used the heat and beauty of the African island as inspiration for her embroidered fabric pieces. She returned with a collection of textile works boasting the colours of the place and its local religious and folk iconography, such as a portrait of a woman with a ‘fro (afro) and heavy earrings in a round frame. One of these limited edition works hangs on the entrance wall in a dark circular frame. Further down the hallway in her home, embroidered lightboxes Kirsten has created

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glow with the faces of women in her life represented as saints − her sister, Holly, a nurse, is Saint Margaret, the patron saint of nurses, while her mother is Saint Dorothea, the patron saint of flowers. Kirsten’s favourite room is easily her bedroom in the downstairs bedroom wing. The large room has a view of the city through a bay window. Hanging above her bed are paintings of the Central Otago landscape she has collected over the years. ‘Central Otago is my spiritual homeland. My maternal grandmother’s great grandparents were goldminers and original settlers of Cromwell.’ The bed is covered in a mustard woollen fabric featuring rows of moths, which Kirsten designed and had woven. The moth appears in another of her favourite rooms − the upstairs bathroom, which Kirsten has decorated in a style of a powder room. She kept the pink caroma sanitaryware to give the room a slightly retro vibe, and papered it with wallpaper from her favourite textile design company Timorous Beasties, in Scotland. The textured pattern is chevrons of tiny moth wings running in zig zags, in various colours. The moth is one of Kirsten’s favourite symbols − she even has a moth tattooed on her lower arm. ‘Moths represent departed spirits, and the moth also means liberation.’ The kitchen is virtually untouched, but it is an inviting space and the hub of the house,

with pieces that Kirsten has collected during her travels, such as voodoo dolls, dotted on shelves. Near the kitchen table, a Karl Maughan painting hangs on a wall above two green velvet chairs. Two art works by fashion designer and best friend Adrian Hailwood hang on the opposite wall. The Auckland designer was her witness at her February wedding to craft brewer Bruce Turner. In her living room, a Fiona Pardington photograph has pride of place above the mantelpiece. Several of Kirsten’s own circular framed embroidery works surround the Pardington piece. First picking up a needle at Otago Girls High School where she began studying embroidery, Kirsten studied design at Wellington Polytechnic (now Massey University).‘I love the precision of embroidery and the intense colours of threads.’ The living room has oversized couches, velvet curtains, and an old-fashioned gas fire. It also features a retro bar in one bay window. It’s here that Kirsten likes to throw a good party. Kirsten’s home reflects her beliefs about style and decorating − that gems can be found in secondhand shops and by trawling through sites like Trade Me, and that a comfortable, eclectic style doesn’t need to be pricey. When asked where she bought her oversized velvet chair and matching stool, she replies: ‘Freedom!’.

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Alfisti rejoice W R I T T E N BY RO G E R WA L K E R P H OTO G R A P H Y BY LU K E B ROW N E

I am not a stranger to this famous brand.

ore than 30 years ago, I bought my first Alfa, a red Sprint coupe which I took delivery of in London, and then drove via Italy through what was then Yugoslavia. I guess this was a shared game of ‘let’s kill the tourists’, because the crappy Yugoslav roads were crawling with filthy black trucks whose drivers waved you to pass on blind corners, knowing there was another of their kind coming the other way. It was great fun. At the Greek border there was another problem. The nice customs officer said that if I didn’t pay him US$500, he would confiscate the car. As I had become very fond of it, I paid up. Back home and 10 years later I bought a second Alfa. It was a black Sprint Veloce, which never left our shores, but nonetheless I managed to have lots of comparable adventures in it. My third Alfa was a 164 four-door sedan (by this time I had begat children) which I ordered with English specifications from the factory. The plan was to have another tootle around Europe but plans changed, and I had it posted out to New Zealand. It was as satisfying as and performed just as well as the coupes. I remember one time when my sister-in-law was a passenger on a family trip from Wellington to New Plymouth. She had emphasised that she needed to get to the destination as quickly as possible, for an important meeting. North of Bulls, she looked over my shoulder at the speedometer, which was reading 110. She said ‘I’m sure the authorities won’t mind you travelling at five ks more.’ I told her the speedometer was in actually in miles per hour. Not a peep from her for the rest of the journey. After a few years I was distracted by a pretty sports car for sale, and I traded the 164 on it. Three years later, the 164 appeared in the Alfa showroom. It winked at me every time I drove past. Finally I went in and announced to the dealer that I would like to re-marry my car. And so I did, in a civil ceremony. It was only when the children had grown up and left home did my car and I finally separate. I still regret that day. And now, here in the present day, I am behind the wheel of an Alfa SUV, the newly released Stelvio, much more sophisticated than I am used to in an Alfa. The red colour was the same (sorry readers, that one had been sold by the time we came back with the big camera, so we photographed its silver brother).

It has front and rear parking sensors, auto lights and wipers, Apple Carplay and Android Auto. It has a power tailgate and a safety-tech suite covering autonomous emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring. Purists might say this car is likely to be as popular amongst the Alfisti as a dog in a cat show. I completely disagree. The myriad of bells and whistles, the controls, and the sophisticated safety features are simply a part of the evolution of modern cars, and only add to the primary driving pleasure that the brand represents. The interior has leather upholstery, is beautiful to behold and beautifully built. Three Stelvio models are on offer in New Zealand, all with 8-speed auto and Alfa’s Q4 all-wheel drive, which normally sends most of the power to the rear, with 50% going to the front when required. The ‘entry level’ turbo petrol, priced at $82,990, comes with a 148kw 4-cylinder 2.0 litre turbo-charged engine. My test car was the not very much dearer 2.2 litre 154kw turbo diesel version, with an optional doubleglazed roof and giant 19-inch 5-hole cloverleaf wheels (don’t know why wheels are not metric dimensioned) shod of course with best Italian rubber. The current ‘top of the line’ Ti version is $17,000.00 more. It has a 206kw twin-turbo petrol with optional clever active suspension, delivering additional adjustability to the car’s damping via solenoid valves inside each shock absorber, altering the hydraulic flow on the run. It also has heated seats and a heated steering wheel, adaptive cruise control and a 10-speaker sound system. The Stelio is a close match in size to the BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Jaguar F-Pace. Fundamentally though, the Stelvio looks like Monica Belluci and goes like Usain Bolt. It’s a Guilia on steroids, named after the intestinal 75-hairpin alpine route through the Stelvio pass linking Italy with Switzerland. If this is not enough excitement, later on this year a track-smashing, fire-breathing Stelvia Quadrifoglia version is to be released in New Zealand. It has a twinturbo Ferrari sourced V6 petrol motor. It will probably be the fastest mid-size SUV in the world. Alfisti have no need to worry.

W E L LY A NG E L

W h a t wo u l d D e i r d r e d o? STEP BROTHERS My partner who is 43, has a child of eight, and doesn’t want any more children. She is a nice enough child, I don’t know her very well but am very keen for us to have a baby. How do I persuade my partner that it is important to me? I am 36 years old. Anon, Mt Victoria This is between you and your partner. I can understand your wish, and a nine-year age difference is fine (two of my children are that far apart), but your partner needs to be happy too and s/he needs to decide soon. Maybe the timeline is the concern? Talk it through and be prepared to be mutually committed to the result. Good luck with whatever your decision is − go forward together.

LIFE LESSONS I don’t know if I should be saving for travel, or give up on that and focus on saving for a house? Also, apparently I’m already supposed to be saving for retirement. Where do I even begin? Overwhelmed, Karori Not enough information to even start on this. You should probably get organised, make lists and do all three. They are not mutually exclusive but do something. Now.

SPORTS FREAK My husband insists that our children must pursue a summer and a winter sport. He doesn’t mind what it is but says they must have two sports. Neither of our children are in the least interested in sports and neither am I. I don’t think it ought to be compulsory. What do you think? Twisted, Thorndon Well I do think activity is good and being part of a team or group is very good for children. Learning to be part of a team and the give and take involved is a pretty essential life skill. Sport does provide this, but choirs, productions, dance , and other sports like golf or rowing should be part of the discussion. As Kiwis we maybe have a rather restricted definition of sport. Be as open as possible and let the children help make the decisions – then be sure to follow through and commit. Learning to get through the tough patches is important.

FAIRY TALE ENDING ? I have a great friend who has been a great support to me when my father died and other family issues. He now lives in another town. My friends have often told me he is keen about me. I have realised

I miss him and I think I am in love with him. How do I change it from friendship to romance? M Williams, Strathmore. Visit him and test it out! Find an excuse to visit his town. Maybe there is a romance there or maybe this is simply a romantic notion but you won’t find out in two different places!

PRO-TIP My boss is generally a great guy. But he sometimes makes fun of me and it makes me really uncomfortable. I used to laugh to keep it nice, but now I’m just too tired of it. Should I say something or just ignore him? Anon, Johnsonville Set up a meeting. Keep it calm and professional − he is your boss – and tell him how you feel. Give him a non-public space. Try to simply state your feelings, and don’t get embroiled in defending yourself. What is the worst that can happen? You leave and find a job where you are happy; and maybe it will all improve.

If you’ve got a burning question for Deirdre, email angel@capitalmag.co.nz with Capital Angel in the subject line.

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High equality BY M E LO DY T H O M A S

oday’s column is brought to you by my hangover − which started off this morning as the hungry, fogbrained but generally good-natured kind and has slowly transformed into the light-sensitive, intensely irritable variety. It’s 5pm. I know what you’re thinking − just a couple more hours to go until bedtime. Except I’m due to be making sense on the radio at 9:30pm, and the peak of my conversational ability today was when the check-in guy at the Jetstar counter asked if I had anything dangerous in my bag and I replied, 'dangerously good fashion.' It’s not looking good. I’m in the process of wrapping up the second season of BANG!, the sex and relationship podcast I make when not writing for Capital. It’s been a full on few months of full-time work, with six-day work weeks for at least half of it. As tends to happen when you desperately need to be at your best I’ve been plagued by illness, including a gastro bug through which I still had to record narration, pausing between takes to run to the toilets and spew. There were times when I felt like the amount of work I had to do was absolutely insurmountable, that I was failing at my job, at being a partner, a mother, a friend, a sister. And through it all, there was my amazing husband providing relentless reassurance and picking up all the slack at home. Anyone who knows my husband will laugh at the idea of him as the kind and patient saint. He’s a little sh-- whose favourite pastimes aside from fishing are winding up the people around him and making up his own terrible jokes (his best one to date: What do you say when you see a decapitated morepork? Bloody owl! ). And he’s an incredible father. The whole time I’ve been working he’s been at home with the two-year-old, dealing with his tantrums and comforting him when he misses Mumma, doing the daily school pick-ups and a whole crapload of dishes, and dealing every day to a washing mountain.

When I went away this weekend for work I received photos of crystal lollypops they’d all made from the home science experiment book and pink iced cupcakes (never mind he used baking soda instead of powder). And when I called to say that I felt guilty for not being home he scolded me like he always does, and demanded I go do my thing. When I was little my Mum was elected to the Porirua City council. She had four kids but she worked very hard, and I remember feeling a huge amount of pride when I saw her face on a billboard or watched her lead a meeting in the council chambers. Dad worked hard too, as a park ranger on the land we lived on, nurturing plants, leading groups of Scouts and Brownies on bush walks and keeping the property in good shape. They shared the load at home − in fact Dad did most of the cooking while Mum baked to fill lunch boxes. I grew up watching both my parents doing work they loved, feeling pretty equally attended to by both of them. And because they modelled it to me I took those expectations into my own relationship. I’ve spent a bit of time in these pages writing about things like emotional labour, gender roles and the unequal division of domestic labour. I write this stuff because research tells us this inequality still exists, that so much of the work that applies to the home still falls on women, and because I have so many friends for whom that is true. But it’s not true for me. And while I know we’re not supposed to congratulate a person for doing what’s basically their fair share of the work, when society expects you to only do so much and you do a whole lot more I think maybe it’s OK to get some extra love for that. So, this column is in part brought to you by my hangover − which has now completed its evolution into the soppy, over-sensitive, loved-up kind. But mostly it’s brought to you by my husband, who is both an absolute ratbag and the best man I’ve ever met. Thank you babe. 91