The Foodie Inc

29/03/2026

Who loves a chef collaboration?

Excited to join friends at Black Barn Bistro long lunch collaboration between Executive Chef Regnar Christensen & Peter Gordon on Sunday.

Served as shared plates, each dish was beautifully balanced with some surprising flavour combinations and flowed seamlessly from one course to the next.

We loved that the vegetarian menu was a twist on the main menu, for example:

Salted radish or venison tartare + fermented red pepper dressing + salt & vinegar potato

Eggplant skewer + south asian spices + lemon pickle + baby gem lettuce - the eggplant visually resembled the beef intercostal which was very clever.

A fabulous afternoon, the place was buzzing with conviviality and the service outstanding.

Menus in photos.

13/03/2026

🎉 Six Barrel Soda Co. are celebrating ONE year in Hawke's Bay on Saturday 28 March 🎉

Syrups & drops made with real ingredients like New Zealand citrus, central Otago cherries, organic ginger, organic rose petals, and fair-trade organic cane sugar to make natural drinks that taste and look fabulous.

So it’s time to party 🎉 Come along to meet Matt & Tracy Day, enjoy live music 🎵 lawn games and not forgetting, the award-winning drinks🥤

🗓️ 12-4pm Saturday 28 March
📍 1279 Howard St, Hastings

Register online 🔗 http://sixbarrelsoda.co/celebrate for free entry & two complimentary drink tokens (collect on arrival).

Plus 25% off all cellar door purchases on the day.

🎉 See you there 🎉



AD

08/03/2026

Bake #59 for Good Bi***es Baking without repeating a recipe.

Made Annabel Langbein’s Best Ever Banana Cake as cupcakes… 18 of them plus a mini cake to drop off to a friends Dad so a very generous recipe.

These delightful cupcakes are going Māori Women’s Refuge in Hastings.

Recipe: https://www.langbein.com/recipes/best-ever-banana-cake

06/03/2026

Did you know National Farmers' Market Week kicks off tomorrow, Saturday 7 March?

Outstanding Food Producer Awards 2026 are asking you to vote for your favourite farmers’ market and your favourite NZ food producer, so let’s get voting!

Vote for your favourite NZ Farmers Market & food producer to win a Matakana long weekend! Includes a BYD SEALION 5 & luxury stay. Voting ends 27 March 2026.

01/03/2026

Stunning summer’s 🌺 day in Hawke’s Bay for a visit to Bridge Pa Sculpture Trail held at 🍷 .heretaunga 👩‍🎨

We enjoyed a leisurely 2km meander on the outskirts of the working vineyard and along the stream before a glass of wine at the cellar door.

Trail is open: Wed-Sun 12-4pm
Last day: Sunday 22 March

AD: we were guests of Arts Inc & Paritua Wines. Thanks 🙏 for having us, we had a fabulous afternoon.

27/02/2026

Last night we experienced The Loft at Craggy Range Restaurant, very excited that it was a seafood feast - Reel Good Food - pun intended.

Chef Stephen Finch headed up the ‘kitchen’ in full view of diners and only a few metres from our table, enabling us to watch the chefs at work.

From the special infused vermouth cocktail 🍹 (thanks to our FOH superstar for the recommendation), three seafood courses with beautifully layered flavours, then a deconstructed cheesecake & the divine dark chocolate & Earl Grey fudge, each dish was delivered to tables & explained in detail, often by Stephen himself.

Thank you to Chef and both the kitchen and FOH team for a seamless experience, creating a nice cadence for the evening and finishing my birthday month in style.

Note: Sadly today is the last day for the seafood menu. During March they’re taking a break but if you get the opportunity to experience The Loft - do it - and book well in advance.

just sharing what we love! We were gifted the welcome cocktails 🍹 which was a lovely surprise 🙏

19/02/2026

Looking forward to the Arts Inc. Heretaunga Bridge Pa Sculpture Trail… first time for me! And first visit to Paritua Wines too.

Tickets on sale now. Opens Thursday 26 February but we’re going Sunday 1 March so keep your eyes peeled for another post once we’ve enjoyed the Trail.

19/02/2026

Excited to see Origin Earth NZ will be opening Wednesday 25 February, just around the corner from home. A huge fan of their Pink & White Terraces washed rind cheese and the manuka smoked halloumi.

Origin Earth is a Te Matau-a-Māui, Hawke's Bay based and owner operated boutique dairy company.

11/02/2026

Are you a Chardonnay lover or do you prefer a Pinot Gris?

Tasting flights enable you to explore wine styles & open your tastebuds… you might even discover you enjoy a varietal you didn’t think you would!

My ‘local’ - literally, around the corner - Village Vineyards delivers to wine club members quarterly so last weekend we had the opportunity to taste the flight being delivered in the first box for 2026 & talk with Rhys Evans, the winemaker.

And because we forgot to take a photo of us… a couple of snaps from previous wine flight tastings!

06/02/2026

Absolutely fabulous lunch at Shed 530 Estate Winery on Waitangi Day.

Faultless service & delicious food… thanks for looking after us.

Don’t forget to book… the deck/terrace was chocka!

03/02/2026

Still waiting on homegrown tomatoes 🍅 to ripen so bought 2kg seconds 🍅 for $6 at Hawke's Bay Farmers' Market on Sunday to make Dr Ben’s Chilli 🌶️ Jam 🫙

Now to be patient for 4 weeks before first jar 🫙 is opened!

Recipe: Kylie Newton & Pott Preserves book 📕 The Modern Preserver

31/01/2026

Beautiful morning for a trip to Hawke's Bay Farmers' Market with Fiona & Toffi - Sunday 8:30am - 12:30pm

Enjoyed monsieurmacaron pain au raisin & Firsthand Coffee in the sunshine.

Delighted to get 2kg tomatoes (seconds) for $6… time to make chilli jam and 7 sweetcorn for $5.

River Range Eggs & Bay Blue - Delicious HB Grown Berries too