Pickle Week 2021: November 13th-19th 🥒

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Non-Alcoholic Trailblazer Ben Branson on Why It's Time to Seasn Our Drinks

The “Founding Father of Non-Alc” Ben Branson shares why he spent the last six years creating a pair of bitters to shake up how we season our drinks. 

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Coutdown to Toastie Glory: Finalists announced in Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover

From 170 entries to 14 - here are the finalists of the 2024 Great NZ Toastie Takeover.

News – by Rebecca Caughey

How East London has become London’s most vibrant destination

  East London, with its lively and eclectic neighbourhoods, has evolved in recent years into one of London’s most vibrant destinations.  

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Tony's Chocolonely Prices are Going Up - Here's Why

We’re not sugarcoating it. We need to introduce new prices due to globally sky-high cocoa prices.

News – by Rebecca Caughey

The Must Try NON pairings at Gilt this July

These 0% wine pairings at Auckland's Gilt will have you coming back for more this July.

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Search for New Zealand's Top Toastie is Back for 2024

Two months, 170 eateries and one toastie champion to be found.

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Natural Goodness Always: Elevating the Cocktail Experience

More than a pretty face for a cocktail, Peel & Tonic is in a class of its own when it comes to creating elite garnishes with both style and substance.

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Dive into Deliciousness: Why Tony's Chocolonely Makes the Perfect Easter Treat

This Easter, hop beyond the ordinary and discover the delectable difference of Tony's Chocolonely. Crafted with ethical sourcing and bold, unexpected flavours, their chocolate promise an Easter celebration that's both delicious and impactful.

News – by Rebecca Caughey

New ‘Burger Nation' Honours Best Burgers Around NZ

Get ready for the best summer ever burger lovers, with the inaugural Burger Nation 2024.

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Cook & Nelson Conversations 07: Brooke Moore - Freeport with Cleaver & Co

Months on from becoming the youngest chef to take out the Great NZ Toastie Takeover competition, we chat to Mount Maunganui chef Brooke Moore about all things food and inspiration.

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Cook & Nelson Conversations 06: The Two Raw Sisters, Rosa and Margo Flanagan

If they weren't four-time best-selling cookbook authors, app creators, public speakers and entrepreneurs - what would the Two Raw Sisters - aka Rosa and Margo Flanagan be doing with their days? We catch up with to find out. 

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Tony’s Chocolonely and Ben & Jerry’s join forces to make chocolate 100% slave free

The wait is over for Ben & Jerry’s and Tony’s Chocolonely lovers as an indulgent new collab hits Kiwi shelves just in time for summer.

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Q&A: Five questions with True Gum co-founder Peter Juul Regnersgaard

How did True Gum go from being an idea between university friends to an international brand challenging the chewing gum market to be more sustainable? True Gum co-founder Peter Juul Regnersgaard sits down to answer some commonly asked questions.   Q: What were you doing before you started this business? Peter: None of us at True Gum have previously been working with chewing gum or food or anything like that. Previously, we all came out of university here in Copenhagen but have no prior experience with building a food start-up like True Gum has become now. So our background is more traditional, working 9-5 and then suddenly we ventured into this True Gum business because we saw the possibility of doing a plastic-free product.   Q: What were the main challenges you faced developing this product? Peter: There we so many challenges developing this product since we produced everything ourselves. The list is so long. If you think it’s easy to make a chewing gum - it’s not [laughs].   Q: How do you get the super crunchy coating without adding sugar? Peter: As you know might know True Gum is 100% sugar free, that’s because we use zero calorie plant-based sweetners. And these sweetners we use on the inside are the ones we use for the coating.   Q: Where do you source the raw gum from? Peter: That’s a really great question. The big difference between True Gum and regular gum is that we are not using any artificial plastic base, but we are using real gum and tree sap. We are getting it from trees that grow in Central America, coming from different parts of that region. Also pretty important for me to highlight that this is extraction and harvesting is a sustainable process, no trees are cut down, no trees are killed. Actually it gives the local people an incentive to preserve the trees in the Central American rainforest and also gives them a source of income. So, it’s actually quite a good win-win situation. And everything is transported by boat so that’s how we’re getting it to Denmark.    Q: Do you think the sustainable approach will become more popular and will affect other fields? Peter: We think and hope that sustainable chewing gum and plastic free chewing gum will become increasingly popular in the future when we’re also able to make the distribution of true gum chewing gum wider making it even more easier for people to get hold of our plastic free alternative. And I think that some of these plastic free eco trends are obviously rolling across many different food and drinks categories and I think there is room for small players like True Gum to make a difference, and also hopefully inspire some of the bigger companies to start thinking more sustainably about how they produce their products and what ingredients they use.

News – by Rebecca Caughey

The Problem With Plastic In Chewing Gum - True Gum

A Sticky Situation...If you look at any street, chances are you’ll see these marks ...that’s chewing gum. Old chewing gum, and it’s probably been there for years. This gum is the second most common form of litter in the world...and generates around 100,000 tonnes of global waste a year.The microplastics from waste gum can reach the oceans, where sealife can consume it. That way, it makes its way into our food chain.The plastic polymers in this gum are the same as those found in car tyres and plastic bottles. That means the gum can’t biodegrade, so it sticks to our streets forever. We think our world deserves better. SO WHAT IS TRUE GUM DOING TO HELP? Goodbye plastics, hello plants! Well, True Gum are starting at the core, by going 100% plant-based, from their gum to their flavours. Plastic-free, eco-friendly packaging True Gum have also said a big NO THANKS to plastic packaging (the ones traditional gums use). Instead, they use cardboard boxes illustrated using inspiration from their natural ingredients.

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Where to Find Auckland’s Best Non-Alcoholic Cocktails

Love the ritual of cocktail hour, but taking some time off alcohol? We've got your go-to guide for where to find Auckland’s best non-alcoholic cocktails.

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Holy Smoke! Mount Maunganui Sandwich takes top title in Great NZ Toastie Takeover

New Zealand - we have your new Great NZ Toastie Takeover champion for 2023!

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Finalists Found In Hunt For New Zealand's Top Toasted Sandwich

New Zealand is a step closer to discovering the best toasted sandwich in the land with the finalists in the 2023 Great NZ Toastie Takeover revealed. With a whopping 120,000 toasties served up since mid April and the battle for bragging rights heating up, the competition’s 185 entries have now been whittled down to 14 finalists from around the country. Hailing from Auckland, Rotorua, Hamilton, Tauranga, Havelock North, New Plymouth, Wellington, Christchurch, Nelson, Ashburton and Lumsden, this year’s finalists encompass beloved neighbourhood eateries and cafes, a coffee roaster, a diner, a burger bar, several breweries, a tavern and a beer garden. Last year’s Supreme Winner, chef Rich Johns from Rotorua’s Okere Falls Store is once again in the running for the top title with his tantalising toastie, The Pickle Back, but with fierce competition and another round of judging to go, it’s still anyone’s game, say competition organisers. Competition criteria requires participating eateries to create sandwiches that are toasted between two slices of bread and – like all self-respecting toasties – able to be eaten by hand. All toasties also need to contain cheese (or a vegan substitute) and McClure’s Pickles, with all the other ingredients entirely up to the entrants’ imaginations. And what imaginations they have. Proteins on show amongst this year’s finalists include whiskey BBQ glazed smoked brisket, smoked eel, aged beef, ham hock, house-smoked lamb shoulder, lamb pastrami and gabagool (an Italian cured meat), slow roasted beef and Southland lamb. A number have also made inventive use of the McClure’s Pickles range, with a pickle brine sourdough on offer, alongside a pickle brine shot, pickle brine cure, pickle jelly, pickle juice gel and pickle caviar. Delicious cheese blends feature, while some finalists have chosen to extend the toastie experience with Japanese togarishi spiced spud skins and twice cooked chips seasoned with rosemary and garlic sea salt, and tempting dippers like French onion dipping sauce and housemade pickle hot sauce. Head judge Kerry Tyack says this year’s entries have been top notch, presenting his team of 40-plus judges around the country with an extremely tough task. “The team assessed many, many standouts in this year’s entries, and right around the country they’ve been wowed by the innovation on show, the new and unexpected ingredients and flavour combinations, and the effort being put into producing exciting, mouth-watering toasties. “In all regions, scores were close, with many contenders up for the finalist spots. Those who are on the list, which has increased to 14 for the first time, represent the best of the best. “We’ve seen great results from experienced old hands, matched by equally successful offerings from new entrants, with upscale restaurants competing alongside sandwich specialists, breweries, diners, food caravans, cocktail bars, you name it. “Every year the standard improves, both in terms of creativity and eatability. But while creativity sets an entry apart, at the end of the day it has to be technically strong. “Overwhelmingly, venues delivered sandwiches that were well toasted, easy to eat - even on the run and not too fatty, with carefully chosen ingredients to keep customers coming back time and again. And damn, they tasted good.” If you’re a toastie fan, you can sample these innovative toastie creations for a few more weeks, so be sure to head to your nearest finalist/s to see what all the fuss is about. You’ve got until Tuesday 20 June, when the nation’s supreme toasted sandwich will be revealed. Without further ado, the finalists are: NORTHLAND / AUCKLAND Cazador (Mt Eden): The Badabing: Housemade gabagool, green chilli rajas, mozzarella, McClure’s Spicy Pickles and chilli salt.  Good Day (Orakei): Croc MonShaw: Thick cut free range smoked ham (from local butcher the legend Mr Chris Knight), lashings of cheesy, mustardy bēchamel sauce, crunchy McClure’s Sweet & Spicy Pickles and more cheese for the ultimate melt, on local baker the Dusty Apron’s grilled sourdough. Lord Kitchener (Sandringham): The Lord Truffle Pig: Glazed ham, truffled welsh rarebit, McClure’s Sweet & Spicy Pickles, Tewkesbury mustard, parmesan crisp, on toasted sourdough with fries. WAIKATO / BAY OF PLENTY Okere Falls Store and Craft Beer Garden (Rotorua) (2022 Supreme Winner): The Pickle Back: Whiskey BBQ glazed smoked brisket, Swiss, cheddar and mozzarella, leftover pickle chilli wholegrain mustard, McClure’s Sweet & Spicy Pickles, on Pantry D’or pickle brine sourdough brushed with whiskey compound butter and dusted with dill pickle salt. Served with a pickle brine shot.  Hayes Common (Hamilton): Grilled Pickle Kim-Cheese (vegetarian): Hayes Kimchi, sesame mayo, McClure’s Sweet & Spicy Pickles, cheddar, crispy shallots and spring onion greens on toasted Volare Pain au Levin. Served with kumara crisps. Freeport Cleaver & Co (Tauranga): Surf, Turf & Smoke, Monsieur!: Housemade smoked lamb pastrami, smoked prawns, mozzarella, smoked cheddar sauce and McClure’s Sweet & Spicy Pickles between BreadHead sourdough. Served with smoked aioli and pickle juice gel. CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND Best Burgers (Havelock North): The Joey: Slow cooked beef in a rich Sloppy Joe sauce, American cheese & McClure’s Sweet & Spicy Pickles in sourdough bread. Shining Peak Brewing (New Plymouth): The Joestie: An in-depth delve between land and sea. Smoked eel, kawakawa aioli, smoked cheddar, McClure’s Pickles, puha, topped with McClure’s pickle caviar.  WELLINGTON REGION Café Polo (Wellington): Come Out With Your Hams Up!: Ham hock and three cheese béchamel croque monsieur with McClure’s Garlic & Dill Pickles and watercress pesto.  Huxleys (Wellington): Le Grand Dipper: Aged beef, Swiss cheese, provolone cheese, garlic butter and McClure’s Bread & Butter Pickles, on Shelley Bay Sourdough, with a French onion dipping sauce. UPPER SOUTH ISLAND BEERS Craft Brewery (Christchurch): The Meaty’Oaker: Lamb pastrami, McClure’s pickle brine cure, McClure’s sauerkraut, McClure’s pickles, cheese, Beers by Bacon Bros Wookiee Sauce, on rye bread, topped with a mint glazed lamb cutlet. Sprig & Fern Tavern (Nelson): Baabaa Ganoush: House smoked lamb shoulder, baba ghanoush hummus, peppery rocket, Thor’s Hammer Manchego style cheese, McClure’s Sweet & Spicy Pickles, fresh hop aioli, on Don Rodrigo’s quinoa sour dough bread. Served with house cut twice cooked chips seasoned with rosemary and garlic Marlborough sea salt flake. LOWER SOUTH ISLAND The Fine Lion (Ashburton): Baa Baa Baa, Baa Baa BaLamb: Lumina lamb katsu, McClure’s Sweet & Spicy Pickles, daikon, sour plum, pecorino, sheep camembert and smoked kawakawa kewpie mayo on Harvey’s bakery special bread. Served with togarashi spiced spud skins and McClure’s Pickle hot sauce. Roasted and Toasted (Lumsden): Sheep Thrills: Slow roasted Southland lamb, Old Yella mustard, creamy mayo, McClure’s Bread & Butter Pickles, three cheese blend and Kel’s homemade McClure’s pickle jelly.  Due to such high scores this year, competition organisers Cook & Nelson would also like to acknowledge other venues and toasties deserving of a special mention: Auckland / Northland - Beaufort & Co (Albany), Bramble (Matakana), Bread & Butter Bakery (Grey Lynn), Cafe Aroha (Manurewa), Cheese on Toast (Mt Eden, Birkenhead), Crave (Morningside), Duo Eatery (Birkenhead), KOL (Ponsonby), Smokin Cole BBQ (Grey Lynn), Superfly (Mt Eden), Swings (CBD), The Grounds (Henderson)  Waikato / Bay of Plenty - Last Place (Hamilton), The Orchard House (Katikati), The Packhouse (Te Puke), The Public Office (Ngatea), Weave (Hamilton), The General (Mt Maunganui)  Central North Island - Replete (Taupõ), The Figgery (Hasings), Toasted Chef (Food Truck)  Wellington Region - Korky’s Catering Food Truck (Wairarapa), The Crafted & Co (Palmerston North), The Land Girl (Pirinoa), Honey Badger Saloon (Wellington)  Upper South Island - Austin Club (Christchurch), Bacon Bros Farmers Market Stall (Riccarton), South Town Club (Christchurch), The Quarters at Riccarton House (Riccarton)  Lower South Island - Johnny Crema (Queenstown), Little River Cafe (Little River), Waipiata Country Hotel (Waipiata)   With the competition’s toastmaster royale Joe McClure arriving in New Zealand this week, the final round of judging begins today, with McClure hitting the road to taste the finalists’ creations over the coming fortnight, alongside head judge Kerry Tyack and Nick Brown from organisers Cook & Nelson. In New Zealand for the first time since 2019 due to travel restrictions, the McClure’s Pickles founder says he can’t wait to get stuck in and sample the final toasties. “From what I’ve seen and heard so far from photos and judges’ comments, they all look and sound incredible. It really is something to see such innovative ingredients and flavour combinations being used and our pickles being incorporated in such clever ways. Kiwis really do know how to make a good toastie.” Each toastie will again be judged on presentation, effectiveness of preparation technique, eatability, taste, innovation and originality, with the nation’s top toasted sandwich set to be revealed on Tuesday 20 June. The supreme winner will walk away with a year’s worth of McClure’s Pickles, a bespoke Rikki Berger trophy and the well-deserved reputation for the best toasted sandwich in the country. A firm feature on the culinary calendar, the sixth annual competition has seen 185 eateries battle it out for the title of this year’s top toastie, with 120,000 toasted sandwiches consumed since mid April and that total expected to jump to 150,000 by the competition’s conclusion. Open to all New Zealand eateries, this year’s participants have come from as far north as Kororāreka, to as far south as Invercargill, and ranged from sandwich specialists, to fine dining restaurants, breweries and food trucks, with a vegan fast food chain, a subterranean cocktail bar, Wellington Airport, the Bluebridge Cook Strait ferry and even a retirement village in the mix. For more about McClure’s Pickles, see mcclures.com. Previous competition winners include Rich Johns from Okere Falls Store and Craft Beer in Rotorua (2022), Steve MacDougall from Mollies, Hotel D’Urville in Blenheim (2021), Romeo Dowling Mitchell from Hungry Hobos Dunedin (2020), and Joseph Walker from the Hokitika Sandwich Company Hokitika (2019). McClure’s Pickles are a product of the USA.

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Say Cheese: Search on for New Zealand's Top Toastie

Ready to titillate tastebuds around the country, the annual Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover is back for 2023 and kicking it up a gear, with a record number of toasties on offer from Kororāreka to Invercargill.

News – by Rebecca Caughey

How to cut a world-class garnish with Seedlip Non-Alcoholic Spirits

A garnish on a drink is a final flourish. It adds an element of theatre and fun, and will enhance the drinking experience by awakening other senses such as sight and smell before taste comes into play.Herbs, edible flowers, citrus peels and spices all make for eye-catching, aromatic garnishes for non-alcoholic cocktails, but don’t plonk a garnish on a drink as an afterthought. If you’re adding Mint, bash the leaves a little in the palm of your hand to release the plants’ fragrant smell. Before adding citrus peel, give it a small squeeze over the glass to release the oil, as this holds much of the scent.The garnish should be as well thought out as the drink itself and these small actions help to take your cocktail to the next level in smell, taste and appearance.This mini guide to cutting garnishes will help ensure you’re getting the most out of the plants that we use most in our drinks, in five simple steps. GRAPEFRUIT ZEST FOR SEEDLIP SPICE 94 & TONICSweat the small stuff. Sharp angles and smart edges make all the difference. Peel a long strip of Grapefruit zest. About 1.5cm think. Cut off the untidy ends so you’re left with straight edges. Cut the short ends diagonally to create a long edge and a short edge. IV. Give your peel a little twist. Add to your Seedlip Spice 94 & Tonic at the end, making sure the garnish is at the front of the glass. CUCUMBER RIBBON FOR SEEDLIP GARDEN 108 & ELDERFLOWER TONICAn easy trick to introduce a dash of theatre and sophistication. Cut your Cucumber lengthways so that the soft, light-green flesh appears. Then take your peeler & peel, a long, thin strip. You want the middle part to have border of Cucumber skin all the way around it. Wind the garnish around your finger. Pick up the highball glass & drop the garnish into it while still holding the top part of the Cucumber against the glass w/ your finger. The Cucumber ribbon should unravel around the inside. Add ice & 50ml of Seedlip Garden 108. Then top w/ Elderflower Tonic. ORANGE SLICE FOR GROVE 42 & SODASimplicity at its finest. Find a lovely Orange & cut it in half. Then, cut off a slice, approx. 0.5cm thick Cut this slice in half, straight down the centre. Find a highball glass, fill it w/ ice & pour in 50ml Seedlip Grove 42. Top w/ soda & finally add your Orange slice. Make sure the slice sits at the front of the glass at a slight angle.

News – by Noel Hutchinson

Enjoy an ethical Easter with Tony’s Chocolonely 

Chocolate lovers can indulge with a clear conscience this Easter, with ethically made Easter treats from Tony’s Chocolonely. Fans of lemon meringue and all things lemony will be hopping for joy over Tony’s Chocolonely new limited edition Milk Chocolate Lemon Meringue Bar. An Easter egg in a bar, this mouth-watering combination of flavours includes Fairtrade milk chocolate, crispy meringue pieces - made from free range eggs of course, and a hint of lemon sour.  Also back after last year’s sell-out introduction, Tony’s Chocolonely Egg-stra Special Chocolate Eggs come in a brightly packaged egg carton made of recyclable cardboard. These delectable mini morsels come in five tempting flavours - milk chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate caramel sea salt, milk chocolate hazelnut and dark chocolate almond sea salt. In keeping with the same ethos as Tony’s Chocolonely regular chocolate bars, the flavours are un-egg-qually divided amongst the 12 eggs to represent the current inequalities in the chocolate industry.  Rebecca Caughey, from distributors Cook & Nelson, says Tony’s Chocolonely’s ethically made Easter treats are not only incredibly tasty, but can be enjoyed guilt free. “Tony’s Chocolonely make chocolate with a mission to end exploitation in the cocoa industry.  With their Easter range you not only get incredibly delicious chocolate but you can feel good about what you put in your Easter basket.” Shop now: Egg-stra Special Chocolate Eggs  Milk Chocolate Lemon Meringue Bar

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Seedlip Non-Alcoholic Spirits: Six of your most commonly asked questions, answered

1. What is a non-alcoholic spirit? Is it the same as a flavoured water? Seedlip is the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit, solving the ever-growing dilemma of ‘what to drink when you’re not drinking ®’. It is based on the distilled non-alcoholic remedies from The Art of Distillation written in 1651, and now repurposed to pioneer a new category of drinks.The bespoke distillation process used to make Seedlip meets the requirements of calling the liquid a spirit. A very small amount of Neutral Grain Spirit – or Alcohol – is used at the very early stages of the process to extract the most flavour we can out each of the premium ingredients we use. This alcohol is then removed using a secret method before the ingredients are expertly blended together to make Seedlip.Craftmanship, ingenuity and bespoke methods are all involved in the creation of our spirits –– just as they do in the creation of our alcoholic counterparts.Unlike a flavoured water, Seedlip is sophisticated and complex. It works with the palate and can complement a delicious meal. It offers those not wanting to drink alcohol, the ritual, flavour and sense of occasion; and bartenders working in world-class bars and restaurants around the world love to use Seedlip to make non-alcoholic cocktails. 2. How is Seedlip made? We carefully source and select herbs, spices, peels and barks, working closely with growers and fellow farmers including our own farm to find the very best ingredients that our master distiller can work with.Seedlip takes six weeks to make and involves bespoke maceration, copper pot distillation, blending and filtration process for each individual ingredient. It is then blended and bottled in England.We are transparent about our ingredients, but as we are the first people to make distilled non-alcoholic spirits, we can’t share all the details of our methods! 3. Why is Seedlip expensive? Seedlip sources the highest quality ingredients from our farmers around the world. The production process takes over six weeks, from individually distilling each ingredient to the final bottling. This is longer than a traditional spirit might take to produce, but we take time to get the best flavours from all of our natural ingredients to ensure we deliver a quality drink experience for our consumers.Seedlip is priced based on three things: I. The cost of sourcing the highest quality ingredients from our farmers around the world. II. The time, effort, equipment & expertise it takes to make a bottle of Seedlip [over six weeks individually distilling each ingredient]. III. The use, licences and associated tax and legal requirements of using alcohol in the process. 4. What ingredients are in each Seedlip spirit? There are six botanicals in each Seedlip Spirit and all Seedlip products are sugar-free and sweetener-free. Seedlip Garden 108: Water, Natural Botanical Distillates and Extracts, Preservative: Potassium Sorbate, Acid: Citric acid. A complex, herbal blend of individually copper pot distilled Peas, Hay and traditional English herbs. Seedlip Spice 94: Water, Natural Botanical Distillates and Extracts, Preservative: Potassium Sorbate, Acid: Citric acid. A blend of aromatic Jamaican Allspice berry and Cardamom distillates with two barks, and a bright citrus finish. Seedlip Grove 42: Water, Natural Botanical Distillates and Extracts, Preservative: Potassium Sorbate, Acid: Citric acid. A sophisticated, warm, citrus blend using three varieties of Mediterranean Orange, Lemon peel, Ginger and Lemongrass distillates with the cool prickle of Japanese Sansho Peppercorn. 5. What animals are in Seedlip label illustrations & what do the numbers mean?  All the animals on our bottles: the Fox, the Hare & the Squirrel, can all be found on, our founder, Ben Branson’s family farm.The label illustrations, designed by Raku Inoue, are made up of each of the six plant distillates used to make each Seedlip Spirit. Look closely and you’ll discover the ears of the Hare are Sugar Snap Peas, the head of the Squirrel is Ginger root, and the body of the Fox is made up of the quality Cascarilla & Oak bark found in Spice 94.The numbers relate to an interesting fact about the hero ingredient within each Seedlip Spirit: Seedlip Spice 94 1494 was the year European explorers came across Allspice berries growing in Jamaica. Seedlip Garden 108 On average, from the day they're sown, Peas take 108 days to grow and mature enough to be harvested. Seedlip Grove 42 Although Oranges have been grown in the Far East for thousands of years, it wasn’t till 1542 that the fruit made its way into Europe, and the colour orange first got its name. 6. How do I drink Seedlip? All Seedlip spirits are best served with tonic/soda or as the base for non-alcoholic cocktails.Alcohol carries flavour very well, as does sugar – Seedlip contains neither – but when mixed with tonic or within cocktails our spirits really shine and open up the complexity & strength of our plant distillates.We always recommended Seedlip is served as a 50ml measure over lots of ice, partnered with a mixer, and never drank neat.To garnish, we suggest using a Sugar Snap Pea for Garden 108 (we like to gently snap it, so it releases all those lovely green notes); an Orange twist for Grove 42; and a Grapefruit peel for Spice 94 – it makes all the difference!Our recommended serves are: Seedlip Garden 108: 50ml With Fever-Tree Indian tonic / Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic: 125ml Garnish: A snapped Pea pod Seedlip Grove 42: 50ml With Indian tonic / Fever-Tree Soda: 125ml Garnish: Orange twist Seedlip Spice 94: 50ml Fever-Tree Indian tonic / Fever-Tree Ginger Ale: 125ml Garnish: Grapefruit peel

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Christmas Deliveries December Deadlines

Don’t miss out! To give you the best chance of delivery before Christmas Day, we recommend your orders are placed by midday on the following dates. Auckland: Monday 19th December North Island: Friday 17th December South Island: Thursday 16th December For rural deliveries please order before midday Wednesday 14th December. Shop now, before it's too late!

News – by Rebecca Caughey

An event to truly relish: Pickle Week returns for 2022

Pickle fans should block out their calendars from November 14 because Pickle Week is returning with a range of pickle-inspired creations and activities - including a Pickle Festival. While International Pickle Day is officially recognised on November 14, several establishments are dedicating a whole week to this auspicious occasion, with some very special menu items available until November 20.Best Ugly Bagels is bringing back its hugely popular Pickolas Cage Bagel (made with McClure’s Pickles, Zany Zeus Cream Cheese, Tasty Cheese, Fresh Chopped Dill and Onion Soup Mix) available in six Auckland and Wellington outlets. Set to be on the menu for its third year from November 14-20, pickle fans have just seven days to up their bagel game with this creamy, crunchy, zingy delight.Also making a return after selling out last year, is the DOE Donuts’ Pickle (Dickle) Donut.  Deceptively delicious, this donut is filled with whipped cream cheese, feta and chunks of pickles, topped with a dill pickle glaze and garnished with more pickles. It quite rightly caused a social media frenzy last time around and will be available again from November 16-19 at DOE’s mini pink store in Grey Lynn. Wellington’s Dirty Burger and The Kaarage Kid have created the unusual but tantalising Peanut Butter Pickle Shake, made from McClure’s Pickle Juice & Pic's Peanut Butter blended with creamy soft serve.  Finishing off the week is a Pickle Festival on Sunday, November 20 at Churly’s Brewpub in Mount Eden.  Special items on the festival menu include the Pickle Dog, Corned Beef and Pickle Croquettes, Pickle and Cheese Sando and Fried Pickles. True pickle fans can wash all that down with a glass of Behemoth Brewing Company’s Gold Medal winning Pickle Beer, a Pickle Nick Pickle Juice sour 5.5% and a pickle back. And if you still need more pickles, Cook & Nelson will running a Pickle Stall on the day.Of course, no festival would be complete without games – and no game could be more appropriate for this festival than pickleball. Pickleball is an indoor or outdoor racket/paddle sport where two players, or four players, hit a perforated hollow polymer ball over a 36-inch-high net using solid-faced paddles. Opponents on either side of the net hit the ball back and forth until one side commits a rule infraction (source Wikipedia here).This family-friendly event kicks off at midday on Sunday, November 20 and finishes at 8pm. Becs Caughey, co-owner of Cook & Nelson, distributor of McClure’s Pickles says Pickle Week - and all its pickle-inspired creations - is one of her favourite times of the year. “We love collaborating with brands who love pickles as much as we do and we’re stoked to have Churly’s on board for the inaugural McClure’s Pickle Festival –there will be pickle fun for the whole family.”“Pickles really go with almost anything,” she says, “in previous years we’ve collaborated to create pickle ice cream, pickle soda and this year we’re bringing back the pickle milkshakes and the D’ickle DOE donut,  to the naysayers, try them, you might be pleasantly surprised.” McClure’s Pickles are Made in the USA by the McClure family. STORE LOCATIONS AND AVAILABILITY: BEST UGLY BAGELS Available : Monday 14th November – Sunday 20th November Cityworks Depot – Corner of Wellesley and Nelson Streets, Auckland City 3A York St, Newmarket, Auckland  Commercial Bay – Lower Albert Street, Auckland  5 Swan Lane, Te Aro, Wellington  Wellington Airport 153 Featherston Street, Wellington CHURLY’S Pickle menu items available: Tuesday 15th November – Sunday 20th November (not available Sat 19th). Pickle Festival on Sunday, November 20 at Churly’s Brewpub in Mount Eden. 1a Charles St, Mt Eden, Auckland DOE DONUTS Available: while stocks last at DOE Donuts from Wednesday 16 November - Saturday 19 November  356 Great North Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland OKERE FALLS The Pickle King: Pickle chunk brisket/chuck beef patty, cheddar, pickles, pickle brine bacon, pickle infused sour cream, mustard, in a milk bun with a pickle + mozzarella wonton crown.  Available: this Friday at the Okere Falls weekly Burger Night. 757A State Highway 33, Okere Falls 3074 DIRTY BURGER Available: Tuesday 15th November – Sunday 20th November 245 Cuba St, Te Aro, Wellington 237 Jackson St, Petone 144 Main St, Upper Hutt THE KAARAGE KID Available: Tuesday 15th November – Sunday 20th November 144 Main St, Upper Hutt 20 Parumoana Street, Porirua

News – by Rebecca Caughey

The Scariest Thing About Halloween

It’s that time of year again, spooky season! Halloween is one of America’s favorite holidays, and it’s no surprise why. While corn mazes and trick-or-treating are some of our favorite activities, there’s a whole lot more to love. That is, except for the scary truth of what might be behind your chocolate. The scariest thing about Halloween isn’t the ghosts or goblins.. What makes Halloween so much fun is the spookiness of it all. From nights of frights watching scary movies, to trips to haunted houses to looking back on November 1st at how much candy you ate the night before. The spookiest things about Halloween should be the sweetest, but not all of them are. The scariest thing about Halloween isn’t the hocus pocus or the scary costumes marching down the street, it’s that the chocolate we give to children might be made by children. So, Halloween candy might be made with child labor? Unfortunately, yes. This year, the US government-funded NORC report showed that on aggregate at least 1 in 2 children in cocoa growing households in West Africa were performing child labor, and a total 1.56 million children were working under illegal conditions in 2018/19. Those numbers are alarming, especially since about 70% of the world’s cocoa is grown in West Africa alone. You can probably already guess how this relates to Halloween, but to paint a clearer picture, Voxestimates that 300,000 tons of candy are sold during the Halloween season. That’s six whole Titanics worth Now picture how much of that is chocolate and, more specifically, chocolate sourced in West Africa. We’re no mathematicians, but we can tell it’s a pretty big amount. What’s the solution? At Tony’s, we work to end modern slavery and illegal child labor on cocoa farms in West Africa. We use our 5 sourcing principles to address those problems directly, and we encourage other chocolate companies to take them and use them too. Addressing the problems of modern slavery and illegal child labor in the cocoa supply chain isn’t easy, and it’s gonna take a lot of teamwork. That’s why we made our Halloween Tiny Tony’s! They’re ethically produced and prove that all Halloween chocolate can be made ethically. Together, by making Halloween chocolate more ethically and sharing it with the world, we can make the scariest things about Halloween some of the sweetest once again. How else can we make Halloween sweeter? The first step to changing the chocolate industry is awareness. You’ve gotten know that there’s a problem before you can start to solve it, after all. We always encourage our Choco Fans and Serious Friends to share our chocolate and our story, and this Halloween we’re adding another spooktacular way for you to do just that with Halloween Zoom and Microsoft Teams backgrounds! Click here to download these backgrounds.While our mission is focused on West Africa, we are a B Corp at the end of the day and like to do good in our communities too. This year, Halloween might look a little different, and regardless of how you want to celebrate, we think everyone should have access to safe Halloween fun.

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Cook & Nelson Conversations 05: Rich Johns Okere Falls Café and Craft Brew Store

Rich Johns from Okere Falls Café & Craft Brew Bar (near Rotorua) is this year’s Great NZ Toastie Takeover winner for his ‘Get Smoked, Pickled + Toasted’ creation. We catch up with Rich in a rare moment’s down time to get a little more insight into the guy behind this year’s epic winning creation.

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Cook & Nelson Conversations 04: Mike Murphy, Kōkako Managing Director

Mike Murphy is owner and Managing Director of Fairtrade Organic Coffee Roasting business, Kōkako. Founded by Helen Olivier and Christian Lamdin in 2001, Kōkako was always committed to organic coffee. Becoming certified, however, was something Mike brought in after purchasing Kōkako in 2007, with the business becoming Biogro and Fairtrade certified in 2009.

News – by Rebecca Caughey

North Island Lays Claim To Country's Top Toasted Sandwich

Rotorua café smokes the competition with “perfect” brisket toastieThe North Island has finally snagged bragging rights to the country’s best toasted sandwich, with a Bay of Plenty cafe winning the 2022 Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover. Chef Rich Johns from Rotorua’s Okere Falls Store and Craft Beer Garden has won the hotly contested title – and brought an end to the South Island’s three-year winning streak in the competition – with his ‘Get Smoked, Pickled + Toasted’ creation. The winning sandwich consists of house-smoked, beer-brined brisket, McClure's Pickles, hop-salted mozzarella, smoked cheddar, watercress, and horseradish on Bread Asylum X Lumberjack Brewing spent grain sourdough with pickle brine sour cream and a beer gravy dipping bowl – all served up for a very reasonable $15.50.  Johns, who has worked at the Okere Falls Store café for the past six years, entered the Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover last year and just missed out on making the finalist round. Undeterred, he returned for another attempt, proving that second time can also be the charm.  Johns was so determined to use brisket in his toasted sandwich entry, he convinced the café’s owner to purchase a smoker. The brisket was brined in a house lager from local brewer Lumberjack Brewing, then spritzed with McClure’s pickle brine and smoked for 24 hours on site using a special rub.  A former wedding photographer with a deep passion for food and flavour, Johns switched careers when he decided photography took him away from his young family too often. He started working as a barista at Okere Falls Store, and after displaying an interest in menu development, moved to the kitchen, where he eventually became head chef.  Johns says he’s thrilled to be crowned the country’s toasted sandwich champion. “It’s still sinking in, but it’s a huge honour,” he says. “It reinforces the love and care we put into the creations at Okere Falls - we get lots of compliments from our diners on the food. “We don’t have a traditional menu and try to be a little different, so to win this shows it’s paying off and it’s so amazing to be rewarded. We’ve had so many rave reviews about the toastie and to win, it means a lot.”  The previous three winners of the Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover were all from the South Island - Steve MacDougall from Mollies (Hotel d’Urville, Blenheim) in 2021, Romeo Dowling-Mitchell from Dunedin’s Hungry Hobos in 2020, and Joseph Walker from the Hokitika Sandwich Company in 2019.   The competition’s head judge, Kerry Tyack, says this year’s winner was highly innovative in using the familiar and readily available. “The Okere Falls Store is a craft beer café, and it was great to see they maxed out the influence of craft brewing - for example, using hop-salted mozzarella, beer-soaked brisket, and artisan sourdough bread made from spent brewing grains,” he says. “We also enjoyed the nod to wild food via the use of watercress, while using the pickles as a palate-cleansing element was inspired. Their juice lifted the sour cream to a pickle and dill inspired high. “The entry also delivered epic mouthfeel and both complementary and contrasting flavours. No ingredient was superfluous, we gave it a perfect score for taste. “We should also mention the inclusion of a brief note explaining the brewing philosophy behind the main ingredients. It tied everything together perfectly.” McClure’s Pickles co-founder Joe McClure says while the quest to find Aotearoa’s tastiest toastie may be over for another year, it’s clear the Kiwi love affair with the toasted sandwich is as strong as ever. “This has been another watershed year for the Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover, one in which the judges were given the mammoth task of choosing a winner, while the entrants had to manoeuvre through the unique trading challenges thrown up by Covid-19,” he says. “But everyone made the necessary adjustments in typically innovative ways, and we’ve had another hugely exciting competition.” This fifth year of the popular competition saw more than 140,000 toasties served up to customers across the more than 180 eateries vying for the title.  The Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover competition criteria required sandwiches to be toasted between two slices of bread and able to be eaten by hand. The toasties also needed to contain cheese and McClure’s pickles, with all the other ingredients entirely up to the entrant’s imagination. Thirteen finalists were selected from the 180 entrants and were all judged on the same criteria, including presentation, effectiveness of preparation technique, eatability, taste, innovation, and originality.  Rich Johns and Okere Falls Store can now claim to the top toastie award by way of a bespoke Rikki Berger* trophy, a year’s worth of McClure’s Pickles, and $500 in vouchers to give away to customers. The winning toasted sandwich remains on their menu seven days a week (from 10am – 4pm) until the end of August – and potentially beyond! For more information about the Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover, check out www.toastietakeover.com.

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Cook & Nelson Conversations 03: Ben Branson, founder of Seedlip

Ben Branson is the founder of Seedlip, the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirits brand, gaining inspiration from his family’s 300 years of North Lincolnshire farming heritage, and growing up alongside his two younger brothers, eights dogs, horses, rabbits and guinea pigs.

News – by Noel Hutchinson

Eateries One Step Closer To Top Toastie Title

Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover finalists selected. The judges in this year’s Great NZ Toastie Takeover have a difficult decision ahead as 13 outstanding finalists are revealed in the battle for the country’s top toasted sandwich.

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Cook & Nelson Conversations 02: Joe McClure, co-founder McClure’s Pickles

Brothers Bob and Joe McClure can’t actually recall the first jar of pickles they made, having started when they were just toddlers helping their parents pickle during the summer months. The brother’s family were the guardians of a top-secret recipe handed down for generations and held by their Grandma Lala.

News – by Noel Hutchinson

Cook & Nelson Conversations 01 with Nick Brown, owner/founder of Cook & Nelson.

Welcome to Cook & Nelson Conversations, where, once a month we highlight one of our favourite people, be it a local creative / artist / hospo friend or quite simply anyone we think you’ll be interested to get to know more. To kick off the series is Nick Brown, co-owner and founder of Cook & Nelson.

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Grills At The Ready: Great NZ Toastie Takeover Back & Bigger Than Ever

The Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover, the nation’s premier toasted sandwich contest, is back for a fifth year and commences tomorrow (13 April), ready to titillate taste buds right around the country. The popular competition has been steadily gaining momentum, with last year’s contest attracting more than 120 entries and serving up an incredible 80,000 gourmet toasties. But those numbers have taken off for 2022, with 185 venues participating from Waitangi in the north to Lumsden in the south – an increase of 53% on last year.This year’s entries are a mix of iconic eateries and local gems, made up of bars, restaurants, cafes, a boutique hotel, an iconic cinema, breweries, food trucks, hole-in-the-wall serveries, a winery and even an RSA. Other unique entrant locations include a bowling alley, salmon farm, destination cheese store, and the Bluebridge Cook Strait ferry.The competition rules remain the same as previous years. Each toastie must be sandwiched between two slices of bread and able to be eaten by hand if necessary. The toasted sandwich must also contain cheese (or an acceptable vegan substitute) and pickles from the McClure’s Pickles range. Everything else is up to the toastie maker’s imagination – and those imaginations have certainly been in overdrive this year.A wide array of ingredients can be found across the entries in 2022, including brisket, bacon hock, buttermilk chicken, beer-poached beef, lamb chops, and venison mince, while entrants have been equally adventurous with their toastie condiments – think homemade feijoa BBQ sauce, peanut butter, caramelised banana, confit beetroot, and the quintessential Kiwi onion dip. The trend towards vegetarian or plant-based entrants also continues, with 17 vegetarian and six vegan entries, with ingredients like vegan black pudding, plant ‘pastrami’, and cauliflower and facon bits on the menu. A keto toasted sandwich entry has also made the cut this year.With Easter and the school holidays looming, it’s the perfect time for Kiwis to hit the road and check out a few of the entries, with a list of the competing eateries and a description of their toasted sandwich creations available at toastietakeover.com/find-your-nearest-toastie.Last year’s Great NZ Toastie Takeover was won by Steve MacDougall from Mollies in Blenheim with his Mo Jo Pork Cuban with a Twist. With slow roasted pork belly, provolone, chimichurri, American mustard, McClure's Pickles, and apple chilli gel slathered between toasted sourdough and served with kumara crisps, the sandwich was a true standout for customers and the competition judges.The People’s Choice Award, which was awarded to Toastie Picton last year, will also return in 2022, giving Kiwis the power to vote for their favourite participating eatery and toasted sandwich. More information on the People’s Choice Award can be found at the competition website. Judging begins tomorrow (Wednesday, April 13), with the 12 finalists from each of the six competition regions revealed on June 22. The supreme winner will be revealed on July 27. A group of approximately 30 judges overseen by head judge Kerry Tyack will be casting their eyes (and taste buds) over this year’s entries. Judging will be split into the following six regions: Auckland/Northland; Waikato/Bay of Plenty; Central North Island; Wellington/Lower North Island; Upper South Island (including Christchurch and West Coast); and Lower South Island. Each toastie will be scored on a set criteria, including presentation, effectiveness of preparation technique, eatability, taste, innovation, and originality. The competition’s grand toastmaster and McClure’s Pickles founder, Detroit based Joe McClure, will then visit the finalists to sample the entries and liaise with Tyack to determine New Zealand’s top toastie for 2022.McClure says he’s humbled by the number of entries, especially given the tough couple of years the hospitality industry has faced.“What an incredible list of entries - I’m blown away by the sheer number and the quality of the entrants, as well as the time that has gone into developing some innovative and incredible sounding toasted sandwiches. Covid-related restrictions permitting, I’m really looking forward to returning to one of my favourite countries to judge the top toasties in June.”All Great NZ Toastie Takeover finalists will receive a case or pail of McClure’s Pickles and dine-in vouchers to give away to locals via social media. The People’s Choice winner will also receive a case of McClure’s pickles and dine-in vouchers.The supreme winner will walk away with a year’s worth of pickles, more dine-in vouchers, a toastie trophy and, most importantly, bragging rights to the best toasted sandwich in the country. Previous competition winners include Steve MacDougall from Mollies, Hotel D’Urville in Blenheim (2021), Romeo Dowling Mitchell from Hungry Hobos Dunedin (2020), and Joseph Walker from the Hokitika Sandwich Company (2019). Go to toastietakeover.com for more info and follow @cookandnelson on Instagram for regular competitions and updates.

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Cook & Nelson's Christmas Stocking Fillers

Fill your Christmas stockings this year with goodies from Cook & Nelson, purveyors of some of the most exciting and exceptional fare crafted by the best artisan producers in the world.

News – by Noel Hutchinson

Free Download: Green Shoots x Seedlip Cocktail Recipe E-Book 🍸

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Grow Your Own Cocktail Garden with Seedlip

As the art of gardening continues its pandemic-induced renaissance, Seedlip has partnered with local guided gardening brand Green Shoots to offer green-fingered Kiwis a new growing project for spring. The very special limited edition Seedlip Cocktail Garden Kit enables Seedlip fans to grow, cultivate, and harvest their own herbs and edible flowers to use in their cocktail creations. Perfect for smaller gardens or apartment living, the guided gardening kit contains nine different herb and edible flower seedlings. The kits include two each of the following in mini peat pots: Borage (also known as starflower), coriander, cosmos (colourful daisy-like flowers), fennel, lovage, rocket, sage, Thai basil, and viola (sweet violet). Each kit also contains plant markers, fertiliser, how-to gardening instructions, and one 700ml bottle of Seedlip. Once planted, the seedlings should be ready for harvest from around three weeks. Each kit comes with a Seedlip e-book which contains nine spring cocktail recipes and suggestions for using each edible herb and flower garnish once they’ve blossomed. Gardeners will be guided as to which plant complements their favourite Seedlip tipple – or they can simply enjoy their Seedlip and tonic over ice with a garnish they know has been lovingly grown at home. Green Shoots is the brainchild of Katie Jacobs, who inherited her passion for gardening from her mother and grandmother. Jacobs launched her Guided Gardening business in 2020, with Garden Seedling Kits and other select gardening products as a way to offer people  hassle-free gardening solutions, regardless of the space and skills they have. She describes the kits as “almost a complete garden in a box”, with other options available, including the Fragrant Herbs & Salad Seedlings Kit, a Pick & Mix Seedlings Kit, the Leafy Green Lovers Seedlings Kit, and the Vegetable Medley Seedlings Kit. Our very own Rebecca Caughey, immediately fell in love with the Green Shoots Guided Gardening Kits when she found them online. “Seedlip views itself first and foremost as a nature company, so we’re really excited to partner with Green Shoots. We love Katie’s vision and that she can help so many novice, time-poor gardeners and mums teaching young kids by making this as easy as possible,” she says.“And there’s just something about growing and harvesting your own food and produce, it just tastes that little bit better so we hope this limited edition kit inspires novice gardeners to get outside and give it a go”. The simple four-step process - prep the soil, plant the seedlings, fertilise, then water – means people can start gently harvest their herbs and flowers three weeks later.  Customers can then create their own cocktails from seed to lip, and while Seedlip is a distilled non-alcoholic spirit, the kits also include a couple of low alcohol recipe ideas.The kits are available for Auckland delivery only and can be ordered via Greenshoots here. They retail at $99.99 plus $10 delivery for 1 x bottle of Seedlip, 18 seedlings, 18 plant markers, fertiliser and the guided gardening instructions and recipes.

News – by Rebecca Caughey

South Reigns Supreme Again in Great NZ Toastie Takeover

The South Island is once again home to the country’s tastiest toasted sandwich with a relatively new Blenheim eatery taking top honours in the Great NZ Toastie Takeover. Chef Steve MacDougall from Mollies Bar & Eatery (attached to boutique Hotel d’Urville) has won the competition with his toastie creation, the Mo Jo Pork Cuban with a Twist. With slow roasted pork belly, provolone, chimichurri, American mustard, McClure's Pickles and apple chilli gel slathered between toasted sourdough and served with kumara crisps, the sandwich has been a standout for customers and competition judges alike.  MacDougall’s win marks the third in a row for South Island eateries, with Joseph Walker from the Hokitika Sandwich Company taking the title in 2019 and Romeo Dowling Mitchell from Dunedin’s Hungry Hobos winning in 2020.  MacDougall has previously made the finals of the Great NZ Toastie Takeover while working for Blenheim’s Vines Village Café in 2019 - and his win this year follows a particularly tough 2020 for the chef. He was made redundant when the Covid pandemic forced the temporary closure of the café and spent nine months at home looking after his young son before taking on the head chef role at Mollies in December.   MacDougall says he was determined to give the Great NZ Toastie Takeover another crack after coming so close to a win in 2019.  “Falling at that last hurdle always bugged me, so it was my mission to re-enter the competition, not only to win but because I love the pickles,” he says.  “I am honoured, overjoyed and overwhelmed to have won this time around. My 2019 entry [a slow roasted duck toastie] wasn’t for everyone, so this year I tried to please as many as possible with a combination of flavours. I based the whole thing on the classic ham and cheese toastie but took it to a whole new level. “There were the McClure’s pickles and the slow cooked pork belly where the marinade was turned into a sauce that was also added to the toastie. I wanted to hit all the flavour notes in the sandwich - sweet, spicy, heat, sour and savoury. Crunch and texture and temperature were all considerations, too. It really was a labour of love.”Head judge Kerry Tyack says MacDougall’s sandwich was top amongst another superb selection of terrific toasties for 2021. “Pulled pork, smoky beef, salmon, venison, fried chicken, tofu, ciabatta, sourdough and rye – they all found their way into the hands of toastie lovers this year. It really was so difficult to choose a winner,” he says.“In the end it came down to which toastie impressed most across all criteria. Mollies nailed it. They delivered a perfectly presented stack, comprising expertly toasted bread and a generous portion of pork, with apple, pickle, mustard and cheese adding interest and texture. “It was a well-orchestrated and harmonious partnership that felt like comfort food through and through. The extensive use of house made components was impressive and the locally made hot sauce was to die for. Judicious use of two variants of McClure’s pickles sealed the deal.”The competition attracted more than 120 entries nationwide and saw more than 80,000 toasties served up over the duration. Co-owner and founder of McClure’s Pickles Joe McClure was unable to be in New Zealand again this year for judging but was involved in the process every step of the way and offered his congratulations to Mollies and MacDougall for the win and to all of the finalists.“I have heard the feedback from the judges and there’s no doubt that Kiwis know how to make a great toasted sandwich,” he says. It was clear to them that consideration had been given to the role of each ingredient and how it would contribute to the overall enjoyment of the toastie and in particular the mouthfeel, ensuring the ingredients complemented and also contrasted”.The Great NZ Toastie Takeover competition criteria required sandwiches to be toasted between two slices of bread and able to be eaten by hand. The toasties also needed to contain cheese and McClure’s pickles, with all the other ingredients entirely up to the entrant’s imagination.Twelve finalists were selected from the 120 entrants and were all judged on the same criteria, including presentation, effectiveness of preparation technique, eatability, taste, innovation and originality. Steve MacDougall and Mollies Bar & Eatery now have bragging rights to the top toastie award by way of bespoke Rikki Berger* trophy, a year’s worth of McClure’s Pickles, and $500 in vouchers to give away to customers.  The toasted sandwich remains on the menu Tuesday to Saturday from 4:00pm onwards, until the end of August.

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Finalists Revealed in Hunt For NZ's Top Toastie

The 12 finalists battling for bragging rights in this year’s Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover have been revealed – and they show the country has well and truly upped its toasted sandwich game. The finalists hail from Auckland (three), Tairua, Mount Maunganui, Hastings, Clareville, Wellington, Picton, Blenheim and Dunedin (two), and have been chosen from a pool of more than 120 delicious entries nationwide. Finalist eateries include an historic pub, brewery, restaurants, burger bar, bakery, food trucks and even a boutique hotel. Last year’s Supreme Winner from Dunedin’s Hungry Hobos is in the running for the title once again with their tantalising Sweet & Spicy Pulled Carrot toastie - but the competition is tough with a range of other carefully curated sandwiches also in the mix. Competition criteria required sandwiches to be toasted between two slices of bread and – like all respectable toasties – able to be eaten by hand. The toasties also needed to contain cheese and McClure’s Pickles, with all the other ingredients left entirely to the entrants’ imaginations – and imaginations they certainly had with vegetarian and vegan finalist entries in the mix and a variety of mouth-watering protein and flavour combinations.  And the finalists are:   AUCKLAND / NORTHLAND Churly’s Brew Pub (Mt Eden): Southern Swine - Smoked ham hock rillette, house made pimento cheese, McClure's Sweet & Spicy Pickles, garlic aioli, zesty ranch dressing. Served with fries. The Daily Goods (Pukekohe): The Smoky Loaf - Bacon wrapped meatloaf, shaved and toasted with McClure’s pickles, three cheeses and smoked garlic mayo on sourdough. The Occidental (Auckland CBD): "BRT" Beef Rendang Toastie - Indonesian style rendang, Emmental cheese, McClure's Sweet & Spicy Pickles, served on toasted brioche with prawn crackers. WAIKATO / BAY OF PLENTY / COROMANDEL / ROTORUA Johnny's Tairua (Tairua): Tairua Time - 100 grams NZ Wagyu beef, McClure's Sweet & Spicy pickles, caramelised red onion, Swiss gruyere cheese, house-made Johnny mac sauce, Old Yella Habanero mustard on brioche bread. Fire Restaurant (Mount Maunganui): White as Snow - Slow roasted, korma spiced merino lamb shoulder, McClure's Spicy Pickle Spears, American cheese, curry leaf, kasoori, and spiced buffalo curd. CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND Black Betty BBQ (Hastings): The Cornstar - Betty's Jalapeño Cornbread toast with 8-hour smoked black Angus brisket, McClure's Pickles, caramelised onion and cheddar sauce. *From 24 July moving to premises and opening Black Betty BBQ at 408 Warren Street Hastings. WELLINGTON REGION The Clareville Bakery (Clareville): Good-bye, Pork Pie! Toastie Takeover! Oh My! - Local free range pulled pork, McClure’s Sweet & Spicy pickles, Swiss cheese, hoisin special sauce, and house made kimchi sandwiched between two slices of locally grown durum wheat, sesame and McClure’s Pickle sourdough bread. Wilson Barbecue (Wellington): The Spicy Smash - 100g brisket smash patty, blue cheese, sliced jalapeños, caramelised onion, McClure's Sweet & Spicy Pickles, mayo and American cheese sandwiched between two perfectly golden slices of German sourdough. UPPER SOUTH ISLAND Mollies Bar and Eatery (Hotel d’Urville, Blenheim): Mo Jo Pork Cuban with a Twist! - Slow roasted pork belly, provolone, chimichurri, American mustard, McClure's Pickles with apple chilli gel on toasted sourdough with kumara crisps. Toastie Picton (Picton): Pete from Picton - Marlborough salmon, Pete’s legendary cream cheese flavoured with lemon, dill & capers, McClure’s Pickles, parmesan garnish.  LOWER SOUTH ISLAND  Hungry Hobos (Dunedin): Sweet & Spicy Pulled Carrot - Slow-cooked pulled carrots in peanut butter BBQ sauce, layered with aged cheddar and McClure's Sweet & Spicy pickles, grilled in herb buttered ciabatta. (Vege). Morning Magpie (Dunedin): Miso Mushroom - Miso mayo, house walnut pesto, pepper rocket, miso portobello mushrooms, house kimchi and McClure's Sweet & Spicy Pickles on pan fried organic sourdough. (Vegan). Each finalist will now receive a case of McClure’s Pickles and dine-in vouchers which will be given away via social media this month.  More than 60,000 toasties have been served up since this year’s competition began in mid-May, with 30-plus judges scoring the 120 entries. Head judge Kerry Tyack says the standard of competition this year has been top notch.  “Just when we thought our enthusiasm for toastie innovation may be slowing, along comes some of the finest toasties we have had since the Takeover began,” he says. “Not only were this year’s entries a step up in the creativity stakes, it’s clear the critique from previous years has been taken on board. Entrants delivered toasties that were made better, held their shape, and had better balance. There were fewer battles between meat and cheese, a more even spread of ingredients, and less jarring of flavours competing for attention. “These toasties were the result of a more thoughtful, more considered approach, and better cooking. And, damn, they tasted good.” The competition’s toast-master royale will now visit all 12 finalists to sample their entries before liaising with Tyack and McClure’s Pickles co-founder Joe McClure to determine New Zealand’s top toasted sandwich. The creations will again be judged on presentation, effectiveness of preparation technique, eatability, taste, innovation, and originality.  The supreme winner of the Great New Zealand Toastie Takeover will be announced on Friday July 30 and will walk away with a year’s worth of pickles, more dine-in vouchers, a toastie trophy, and the well-deserved reputation for the best toasted sandwich in the country.

News – by Cook & Nelson

Making chocolate 100% slave free with Tony’s Chocolonely

We are delighted to introduce New Zealand to Tony’s Chocolonely: A chocolate company that’s as crazy about chocolate as they are about people. Tony’s Chocolonely was founded in 2005 after three Dutch journalists discovered that the world’s chocolate giants relied on slavery. Unfortunately, it’s been 15 years and the world’s largest chocolate makers are still profiting from illegal labor on cocoa farms in West Africa. At Cook & Nelson, we’re proud to be the distributors of Tony’s Chocolonely to New Zealand because we support their vision for a world where the pleasures of chocolate are shared fairly between farmers and friends alike. Crazy about chocolate, serious about people. The colourful wrapping is a testament to the exciting flavours inside, from classic milk to white-raspberry-popping candy (and the consistency is incredible)! But beneath the bright packaging, the unequally divided chunks tell a serious story about the unfairly distributed profits in the cocoa industry. Until slave free chocolate is the norm, those rugged chunks continue to serve as a stark reminder of what’s.. well.. not to love about chocolate. View the range.. Chocolate can be a powerful force of change. Tony’s ‘recipe’ for 100% slave free chocolate involves working together with farmers to provide long-term business and agricultural support so that they can earn a decent income. The choices we make and the chocolate we choose can end the suffering that chocolate giants still profit off today. Slavery should never be an ingredient in the first place. Make the fight for 100% slave-free chocolate less lonely. From October 1st 2020, you’ll be able to purchase chocolate that betters the world direct from us or at any good food retailers. Together, we can make illegal child labour and modern day slavery a shame of the past. We see two futures for the cocoa industry. They both involve chocolate, but one doesn’t leave a bitter taste in our mouth. Which one will you choose? Get involved! Receive updates on the Tony’s mission * indicates required Email Address * First Name Last Name

News – by Cook & Nelson

Cook & Nelson in NZ Herald Viva

Favourite Things: Cook & Nelson Founders Nick Brown and Rebecca Caughey The founders of Cook & Nelson, a high-end wholesale food importer, share their most adored objects By Sarah Downs You could take a guess as to what Nick Brown and Rebecca Caughey do for a living by having a snoop in their kitchen. Jars of pickles, ketchup, and fiery barbecue sauce invade every inch of the fridge. Maple-syrup bottles, jewel-bright jams, and olive oil containers fill the pantry. The founders of Cook & Nelson, a high-end wholesale food importer, say the hoard serves as quick and sometimes necessary inspiration. “Our fridge and pantry have been described as condimental,” says Becs, laughing. “A lot of the time cooking is about emptying out the condiments. There’s absolutely no room for anything else.” The couple are behind New Zealand’s introduction to, and quick obsession with, arguably the world’s best pickles, Detroit-based McClure’s pickles, and non-alcoholic spirit Seedlip, which are included in their succinct international range of food and drinks. The trick to local success, they say, is in the research, which sees them regularly attending trade shows, spend hours trawling overseas blogs, and nabbing recommendations from top chefs. Nick has just returned from another dining spree around Chicago, where he and Becs first tried the world-famous brisket at Lillie’s Q restaurant. They’ve since brought its creator, Charlie McKenna, to Auckland to host barbecue masterclasses for the public using his sauce range, also stocked on Cook & Nelson. “It’s about finding people who are committed to making the best products in the world,” says Nick. “We love great food and interesting stories so we look for people who have that.” The couple are clearly passionate about food. Nick has mostly worked in the food space and was previously a director of a food manufacturing company. Becs, on the other hand, formerly thrived in the music industry and managed Kiwi artists Shapeshifter and Ladi6 for more than a decade. Her schedule of international travel was then slowed by the arrival of their two children, and Becs joined forces with Nick to build on what was the first fruits of Cook & Nelson around 2014. It was Becs’ dad who came up with the name for the business and was inspired by their first office location in City Works Depot. “We were based on the corner of Cook and Nelson streets — Dad just looked up at the street signs and came up with it,” says Becs. “It then really started to suit the nod to English explorers and how we navigate the globe to find our products.” As they continue to slowly grow and evolve, Nick says they aren’t looking to compete with premium local product, but are instead looking to fill any gaps in the market. “We don’t want to go head to head with any domestic producers,” he says. “We think local is best. We’re responding to average or non-existent products so there is demand and interest.” Part of that is also about keeping an eye on consumer trends, says Becs. For example, providing a solution for the global shift towards drinking less alcohol. “It’s really rewarding being able to be part of a solution for a shift in habits,” she says. “That has wed to certain products and helped shape some of the ways we look at things now.” Nick adds that as a market space, New Zealand is “well ahead” in several ways compared to those overseas, and cites the amount of innovation coming from local and small businesses. “You can go into our supermarkets and see hemp products and cricket flours on the shelves now,” he says. “We’re able to be at the front of this movement to ‘eat better, drink less, buy fewer clothes’ which is exciting. “People are engaged, and confident in experimenting. We love being able to bring over other amazing products and show those to New Zealanders.” OUR FAVOURITE THINGS   Cub Scout uniform. Photo / Babiche Martens   1 Nick’s Cub Scout UniformNick: I grew up in England, have travelled a lot, and haven’t kept much from my childhood so I treasure my Cub Scout uniform — complete with many badges. It connects me with my younger self, a useful reminder now I’m a dad.   Sam Mitchell painting. Photo / Babiche Martens   2 Sam Mitchell Painting — LibertyBecs: This was a gift for our wedding by my late grandfather and reminds us of him daily. It was the first piece of art we ever chose together; we love the iconic images in it and the way it strikes everyone who comes into our house. It’s painted on Perspex, meaning it needed to be painted backwards and in reverse.   Zoe & Morgan necklace. Photo / Babiche Martens   3 Becs’ Zap NecklaceBecs: Our kids are 5 and 3 and are currently obsessed by the notions of superheroes. They believe that my Zap necklace by Zoe and Morgan is a sign that I am a super hero and whisper “Super Mama” when they see it. This is something I hope they never grow out of!   Pounamu nose flute. Photo / Babiche Martens   4 Pounamu Nose FluteBecs: After more than a decade of managing Kiwi band Shapeshifter, I gave up my music management career before the birth of our second child. As a farewell gift, the band commissioned and gifted me this incredible instrument of a hand carved pounamu nose flute from the West Coast. Although I haven’t mastered the instrument, looking at this reminds me of the journey we went through and experienced together.   Skultuna bottle opener. Photo / Babiche Martens   5 Skultuna Bottle OpenerNick: We love beautifully crafted products that are steeped in tradition and history. Skultuna was founded in 1607 and is one of the oldest companies in the world. I was given a Skultuna bottle opener last year and it makes the very simple act of opening a bottle a joy.

News – by Cook & Nelson

Sip on a Seedlip this July

Here are some of the places you can try Seedlip around New Zealand! Auckland Han, Azabu, Culprit, Depot, Fed Deli, Fukuko, MASU by Nic Watt, Ostro, The Sugar Club, Burger Burger, Sid at the French Cafe, Vondel Waiheke Mudbrick, Tantalus Hamilton Hayes Common Wellington Flamingo Joe's, Gasworks, POP, The Borough Blenheim Vines Village Christchurch OGB, Sawyer, City Social, Southside Social Queenstown Rata, The Nest at Kamana, Red's Bar, Eichardt's, La Rumbla (Arrowtown) Dunedin Moeity

News – by Cook & Nelson

Cook & Nelson is shaking up the traditional hamper just in time for Christmas - THE DENIZEN

Cook & Nelson is shaking up the traditional hamper just in time for Christmas Words Margie Cooney | 7 Nov 2017 Earning its stellar reputation by sourcing premium culinary products from top producers around the world, it comes as no surprise that Cook & Nelson is ensuring its new line of hampers transcends the ordinary. Choosing to discard the conventional wicker-basket-with-cellophane formula, it has teamed up with cardboard engineer Mat Bogust to create packaging that aptly reflects the beauty and intrigue of the products housed within. The intended result creates a process of unwrapping, designed to build anticipation and inject a touch of the magic often missing from modern-day gift-giving. Some of the artisanal fare comprising the packages includes Five Olive Oil (from Thessaloniki), Haku Shoyu Soy Sauce (from Kyoto) and McClure’s Pickles (from Detroit). Redefining the hamper as we know it, Cook & Nelson has elevated it beyond the realm of hodgepodge products and school hall auctions, turning it into a premium gift to be proud of.  https://www.thedenizen.co.nz/gastronomy/cook-nelson-hamper/

News – by Cook & Nelson

The Redefined Hamper with Worldly Items - VIVA

VIVA : The Redefined Hamper with Worldly Items The unique and thoughtfully designed packaging isn't even the best part about these hampers

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Huffman's Wins Big At The World Hot Sauce Awards!

We are excited to share the news that one of the products we range has just been declared World Champion. The World Hot Sauce Awards awarded Huffman's Hot Sauce first place with a GOLD in the Pepper Blend category at this years awards ceremony held in the States. Huffman's Hot Sauce was amongst hundreds of products from over two hundred and thirteen companies representing thirteen countries at this years World Hot Sauce Awards where they were awarded first place with Gold and the title of World Champion in the Pepper Blend category. Grab a bottle of this world beater here

News – by Rebecca Caughey

Winter Is Coming!

With Autumn upon us it's time to dust off the waffle maker and knock up some batter. We've found the perfect accompaniment in Noble's gorgeous range of Maple Syrups... These barrel matured maple syrups are not your typical grocery shelf substitutes so expect to pay a little more but we can promise every cent is worth it! Noble’s Tonic 01: Tuthilltown Bourbon Barrel Matured Syrup, has an unexpected edge that delivers an initial warm blast of sweet amber grade maple, with a bourbon-fueled punch straight to your taste buds. The impact of flavor will make your mouth sing in delight, and amplifies any food you pair with it. Noble's Tonic 02: Tahitian Vanilla Bean & Egyptian Chamomile Blossom Mature Maple Syrup is simply sublime! The delicate floral and fruity aromas of vanilla and chamomile reach you first before the buttery almost apple like flavour arrives to set your taste buds tingling and your soul soaring! Whether savory or sweet, Noble delivers and will leave you truly satiated! Available now from Neat Meat Ponsonby, The Village Barn, Meat On Ponsonby, and a new shelf daily!