Northland Inc: Where is the missing ingredient in our local food and hospitality scene?

The Landing is a prime example of Northland's vineyards, ready to be discovered by locals and visitors alike

OPINION

We've been on a local foodie mission recently, travelling across Taitokerau to discover and rediscover eating and drinking experiences with a truly Northland flavour, and we can report that things are heating up! It may be the middle of winter, but the subtropical North is increasingly in the spotlight as a destination that any self-respecting foodie should have on their must-do list.

It's a culinary journey that often feels as though you've entered a fusion world of Pasifika meets the Mediterranean secret of the south. Where sprawling plantations of bananas, berries, olives and citrus flourish, where ocean-fresh flounder, oysters and paua regularly feature on menus or are generously stuffed into a classic kiwi pie.

It's a place where sipping joy from a glass of naturally fermented wine is almost always accompanied with views of rolling vineyards met by the deep, sparkling blue ocean beyond.

If you have your radar tuned into the freshest finds for your eating pleasure, then you surely would have heard rumblings from the North as our growers, producers and trailblazers are sought out by TV and media crews, to reveal the secret at the source of this powerhouse of flavour.

Northland has a wide range of food and beverage offerings, such as The Old Packhouse Bakery in Kerikeri

Our quest is one with similar motivation, to make sure we unearth the hidden treasures, revisit our heroes of hospitality and learn more about the connection from paddock to plate, moana to mouth and grape to glass.

All so we can share these gems with locals and visitors alike, as this laid-back region with a long history of food production comes into a new age that promises to make its presence felt in the hearts and pukus of food lovers far and wide.

But our journey of gastronomy has also revealed a sad reality that is one of the most common conversations we're having with the many passionate business owners we meet. There's something missing, and it's our people.

You'd have to be living underground to not have seen the proliferation of "staff wanted" notices posted by most of our food and beverage businesses right now.

Justine discusses Northland's food and beverage scene with Chef Dean Thompson of Schnappa Rock

Not only advertising one position but many, from on-farm harvest and production through to restaurant kitchen and front of house roles of all skill levels.

This is an industry that somehow seems to have lost our young Kiwis as calls from great employers go unanswered.

I'm now part of a maturing Gen X population and like most of my peers, we owe a lot of our valuable early work experience to exactly these kinds of businesses.

Summers and school holidays spent picking and packing premium produce, learning on the job, meeting new friends, and pushing ourselves to do better each day to earn a little extra in the pay packet.

We also agree that there are few better places to "cut your teeth" on life than when you're part of the team at a bustling cafe or restaurant.

The multi-tasking, hands-on art of hospitality, from back of house to the front, comes with countless life lessons that we continue to lean on to this very day.

Northland Inc Food and Beverage Ambassador Justine Stuart dines at Paihia's Terra Restaurant.

Recent border closures have exposed the gaps left by keen working holidaymakers, but what of the thousands of young New Zealanders who are spreading their wings taking flight into their own lives of independence?

While this kind of work may be considered a stop-gap measure for some, we have learned from lockdowns just how barren our lives feel without these places of replenishment and good times.

They are important on so many levels and if you recognise this early, stepping into the world of food and service can set you on a creative and colourful pathway and a life of endless adventure.

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The Northland food story is set in some of the world's most picturesque locations, we have a special brand of hospitality that embodies the meaning of manaakitanga, warmly welcoming, generous and kind.

People travel many miles to experience it so why wouldn't you want to immerse yourself, develop life skills, and get paid while having fun? Tai Tokerau needs our bright young Kiwis to complete this vibrant picture, will you put yourself in the frame?

Justine Stuart is the Food and Beverage Ambassador at Northland Inc, the region's Economic Development Agency