2014 Masterchef New Zealand winners Kasey and Kārena Bird have travelled the world to bring their dining skills home to create a stunning immersive degustation event at the marae.
The event ‘Maumahara’ includes a six-course dining experience where each meal is accompanied by video clips of childhood memories narrated by Kasey and Kārena’s mum, Atarangi Te Awa-Bird. The event is a business venture with Tauranga-based pop-up and foodie restaurant Kitchen Takeover.
“We’ve done a few of them [degustation] over the years. This has definitely been like a coming of age for us in terms of where we’re at, not only personally but professionally, and Maumahara is definitely from the past, but even our most recent past of where we’ve been”.
Surrounded by their whānau, at the front of house and in the kitchen, the Maketū sisters made the trip down memory lane, from references to beach bonfires and garage parties.
“When we design dining experiences, we want them to be immersive, we want people to come in, and we’ve created a whole different world. We’re able to transport people into different worlds for each of those plates”.
Both pop-ups in Rotorua and Tāmaki Makaurau have been well received, but their event at Te Māhurehure Marae in Auckland was extra special with their connection to the iwi on their mother’s side.
“Being able to host it here at Te Māhurehure with our Aunties and Uncles and cousins, it is like, when all of those things come into place, it is really fulfilling mahi”.
Since winning Masterchef New Zealand, the homegrown chefs have travelled extensively throughout the world, including Asia, South America, Europe, and the Middle East. They’re now passing on all those experiences and knowledge to the next generation of chefs in the whānau.
“My favourite thing about being in a kitchen is when I don’t have a job anymore… so I’ve taught everyone in the kitchen to do everything and they feel empowered and they do a really good job so I can just delegate”.
Kārena and Kasey switch gears to cater for Matariki celebrations this month, and revisit their Kitchen Takeover event in August.
Made with the support of Te Māngai Pāho and New Zealand On Air.
