Driftwood bonfires, melted ice cream, midnight feasts. Incredible edible memories are formed in childhood, which is exactly where Kārena and Kasey Bird and Kitchen Takeover will take you as they explore what it means to grow up in Aotearoa, the flavours that helped shape their tastebuds and the way Te Ao Māori has influenced their lives.

The talented siblings (Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Manawa) will draw on their own childhood memories, growing up in the coastal village of Maketu, to bring diners six courses of edible nostalgia. Their earliest memories are of digging for pipi in the local estuary, and cooking the delicate molluscs on an old cake rack over on open fire on the sand. They will fuse these memories with the envelope-pushing culinary techniques they've amassed in their creative careers, alongside strong family traditions and long-held Māori cooking techniques and flavours.

Bay of Plenty-based Kitchen Takeover is an award-winning culinary collaboration, combining platefuls of creativity and innovation by offering ever-changing, unforgettable edible experiences. Diners come from around the country to experience their secret pop-up restaurants, with the innovators awarded two NZ Event Awards, for Best Lifestyle and Best Arts and Culture Awards, in 2022.

Mauri Ora!

This menu is based on Kārena and Kasey’s life experiences and Te Ao Māori. As such, and to ensure a seamless dining experience for all guests, we are only able to accommodate a vegetarian and gluten free option and must be notified in advance. Unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate any other changes to the menu for this event.