Kitchen Takeover - Eat Your Memories

‘Food has a way of transporting us back to the past’

Homaro Cantu

Nana’s Sunday roast with all the trimmings, rice bubble square, or the double-scoop hokey pokey ice cream dripping down your arm at the beach. There are some foods that just take you back to your childhood, don’t they? Food memories are some of the most stirring and nostalgic experiences we have. So what happens when you transform them into a fine-dining feast of next-level edible recollections?

Kitchen Takeover, Eat Your Memories, will take you on a taste tangling tour of our fans’ fondest foodie flashbacks. We’ve crowd-sourced ladlefuls of memories from our culinary customers and turned them into a six course delectable degustation, all with a touch of kitsch and a sprinkle of sophistication.

During the course of October and November, we will bite into the best over multiple decades, reinventing Kiwi childhood classics into dishes so memorable they’ll transport you to another time and place. We will also be offering a mealtime experience in the day for the first time too, for all of you who like to set in for a long lunch. Who doesn’t?

Shane Yardley will be back designing a mouth watering menu alongside new kid on the block Rob Forsman. Both have stacks of experience, holding Head Chef roles for some of the best in the business, including Simon Gault and Al Brown. So if you want a slice of the action, buckle up and join us at a secret location for the toothsome time machine ride of your life.

Who is it for?

Wild-at-heart foodies on the hunt for a ‘big city’ style food adventure. Think the intimacy of an East London supper club mixed with the gastronomy of a top Melbourne laneway eatery and the creativity of a Copenhagen restaurant.

What will you eat?

On your plate will be all the classic foods - meat, fish, dairy, sugar. If this isn’t your bag, or you have dietary requirements, try our plant-based alternative menu on the night which covers all the bases. We also offer a gluten free option.

Who is designing the mouth watering menu?

Shane Yardley is a chef with platefuls of experience. Having spent the first part of his career training in some of the world’s most renowned restaurants including the Sanderson and Bistro Largo, he did a long stint as Simon Gault’s right hand man. He has now returned to the fold as a tutor at Toi Ohomai teaching the next generation how to cook like a pro. Career highlights include Head Chef of Euro, Fish, and a guest judge on Masterchef. You’re in for a treat. Alongside him will be new kid on the block Rob Forsman. After seven years as Al Brown’s Head Chef, he knows a thing or two about cooking.

How does it work?

The set menu will be announced when you arrive and guests will be seated on a long table so you get to meet like-minded foodies. In the case of COVID-19 Level 2, we will adhere to all regulations including social distancing.

Where and when will it be?

A secret location in Tauranga. You will be messaged one hour before the event. It will be within a five minute drive of the CBD.