“Having it in Tauranga as the last spot hits close to home, and it’s a coming-of-age in terms of where we are with our work, so we’re excited to share that with everyone,” Kasey Bird said.
They have travelled to more than 50 destinations across the globe, learning about food and culture, while also being involved with food events throughout Aotearoa.
The Maumahara menu draws on memories, histories and hopes for the future.
Kārena and Kasey Bird transform their personal and collective memories into kai through the Maumahara dining experience.
The siblings (Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Manawa) will draw on childhood memories from Maketū, a coastal Bay of Plenty village.
“For us, this dinner is based not only on nostalgia and our own personal experiences, but also the history of Aotearoa.”
Kasey Bird said it felt special to share the experience so close to home, and told the Bay of Plenty Times about the meanings behind some of the dishes featured on the menu.
“We have a dish that is based on the re-diversion of the Kaituna River and how that affected the estuary and kai collecting.”
There would also be a dish based on garage parties from their childhood.
“Living in Maketū, we’re famous for pies, and I remember we used to go down to the Maketū pie shop and buy big boxes of second pies for garage parties with our aunts and uncles.”
The garage party course was a “slightly more elevated version” of pies, chips and dip.
The sisters have created a dish called Wash Your Mouth Out With Soap,which honours their mother’s te reo Māori journey.
Maumahara was named a finalist in the Food, Beverage or Lifestyle Event of the Year at the 2025 New Zealand Event Awards.
“She grew up with her first language being te reo Māori, but back in that time, they were banned from speaking Māori, and used a bar of soap to wash their mouth out when they did.”
Maumahara was created for last year’s Wellington on a Plate, at which it won Most Innovative Event. It was a finalist in the Food, Beverage or Lifestyle Event of the Year at this year’s New Zealand Event Awards.
“It’s quite a dynamic dining experience,” Bird said.
People came along for “a fun dinner” and left with more than that.
“The stories are personal, and I think so many people can relate to them.”
She hoped people would go home feeling well looked after.
“What I hope for is they’ve had a great night of kai, but also had time to reflect, connect, and think about what it means to be a New Zealander.”
Kaitlyn Morrell is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.
