A New Zealand Food Story

Ben Bayly walks away from his chef roles to start a restaurant that will showcase New Zealand food. While the restaurant is taking shape, he travels to the South Island to learn more about kōura, crayfish.

Ben continues his South Island trip, visiting Minaret Station to learn about high country lamb, Gravity Fishing in Bluff and Takutai o te Titi marae in Colac Bay to learn about Tītī, mutton bird.

The Ahi team receive bad budget news before heading to Marlborough to begin work on their pop-up restaurant at Seresin Estate’s Waterfall Bay which will be the first test of some of Ben’s menu ideas.

The Ahi restaurant pop-up allows Ben to test some of his menu ideas. Back in Auckland, he visits the restaurant site before heading to Cambridge to select his tableware made of native timber.

For a restaurant, you need beef and good beef at that, Ben heads to Taupō. Then it’s on to the Hawkes Bay where he meets the recently crowned ‘NZ’s most outstanding food Producer of 2020!’

Back in Auckland there are more delays to the Restaurant so Ben hits Waiheke Island to taste the best oysters in town all before his world comes crashing down!

With Lockdown over, Ben meets the CEO of Precinct Properties to see what the ramifications of covid-19 are to his restaurant. He then heads to Te Hēngā in Waitākere, west Auckland, to learn from the Hangi Master, Rewi Spraggon

Ben continues his journey of discovery about what New Zealand cuisine is, but will AHI get opened in time? This is the final of A New Zealand Food Story.