A Hawke’s Bay eatery is attempting to redefine the shape and expectations of the toastie.
Madame Social, a dedicated Asian fusion eatery and bar in Ahuriri, has entered this year’s Great Toastie Takeover competition with a crispy prawn toastie covered in black and white sesame, McClure’s Pickles, and with a punchy mayo and a drizzle of rock sugar ginger syrup.
Perhaps the most unusual aspect of it is its shape – like a large Jenga block.
Madame Social owner Steve Kelly, and a chef by trade, said their entry was not a typical toasted sandwich, and hoped that would give them an edge to stand out to the judges.
Kelly said a lot of thought had gone into their dish, which wouldn’t look out of place at a sushi restaurant and can be ordered for $19.
He believed it had a real shot at winning, despite its lack of traditional toastie form.
“The Asian fusion version of it is a sando, so we have used those principles.
“This thing is pretty unique, we love the look of it too.”
He said they already sold a prawn toastie, however, this take was a new idea they hoped would give a point of difference among the 208 eateries around the country.
I got to try the entry and was delighted with a familiar smokey, fishcake flavour, with a surprise pickle in the middle and a thin layer of toast that added crunch to each bite.
To be eligible, cafés, restaurants, bars, food trucks and pop-ups had to come up with a toastie that featured two slices of bread, cheese (or a vegan substitute), McClure’s Pickles and must be able to be eaten by hand.
Kelly said their sando, which was served hot, had a good balance of crisp and crunch that maintained a prawn and pickle flavour.
“We were committed to this quite a while ago, so it’s given us time to research and think about how we are going to do our Madame Social version of a toastie.”
He said the key to coming up with the prawn sando was using flavours and textures to create an experience.
“We have got the softness from the prawn meat, we have got the crunch from the toast and black and white sesame on there that really supports it, and it’s finished with a bit of yum-yum mayo.”
Each toastie that is entered in the competition will be available from June 25 to August 5 and members of a team of judges, overseen by food critic Kerry Tyack, will be on the road taste-testing every dish.
On August 6, 12 finalists will be announced. Judging then begins for the supreme winner, to be announced on August 20.
Nick Brown, co-founder of the Toastie Takeover and co-owner of Cook and Nelson, said this year had a record number of entries.
“They include hospitality legends, long-time toastie contenders and first-time entrants, and we’re so excited to travel the country sampling the brilliant toasties they’ve cooked up.”
Last year Okere Falls in Rotorua was named the supreme winner with its "Figgy in the Middle" toastie, featuring Swiss cheese, pickle cheesecake mix, walnuts, figs, streaky bacon, rocket, chilli honey, blue cheese and McClure’s Pickles, sandwiched between buttered sourdough bread, topped with parmesan.
“We’re pretty sure we’ll exceed last year, when more than 100,000 toasties were served during the competition,” said Brown, who hoped people would get out for lunch or dinner to sample local offerings.
“It’s a great, affordable way to support their local restaurants.”
The public can also get involved by voting for the people’s choice award with one vote per venue, via the Great NZ Toastie Takeover website.
All votes go in the draw to win a McClure’s Pickle prize pack, including a Sunbeam toastie press.
Hawke’s Bay contenders include:
Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.