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The Tauranga Food Show brings you local food heroes - chefs from restaurants and establishments around the Bay of Plenty to demonstrate live some of their favourite recipes and tips for nailing down tricky techniques in your own kitchen.

Chef Cameron Ward from Harbourside restaurant Tauranga demonstrating in the Live Cooking Kitchen at the Tauranga Food Show

11.30am Premier Day Friday 25th August 2023

Cameron Ward

Head Chef at Harbourside

Tucked beneath the railway bridge at the southern end of The Strand, this historic building offers unrivalled waterfront views and some of the best cuisine you’ll find anywhere in the Bay.

Cam has a lot of local knowledge and has established good relationships with local suppliers, buying and using local ingredients whenever he can.

What Cam will be making:
Agresto crusted lamb backstrap with smoked tomatoes, fried halloumi and chimichurri jus.

Harbourside website

1.30pm Premier Day Friday 25th August 2023

Javier Irarrazabal & Stuart Perry

Chefs at Latitude 37

MEAT the chefs! These are the fellas who craft the culinary wonders at Latitude 37. These fellas are a couple of the talented faces behind Latitude 37's exquisite set menu creations, tantalising platter building and mouthwatering à la carte dishes,

What Javier & Stu will be making:
Javier: Sopaipillas, pulled beef ribs and Chilean pebre with sour cream
Stuart: Three way chicken with braised potato and soy ginger glaze

Latitude 37 website

3.30pm Premier Day Friday 25th August 2023

Shane Southby and Mike Jeffries

Owners of BBQs & More and The Big Smoke BBQ Co

You may have seen barbecue duo Shane and Mike recently on TVNZ's Cooks on Fire cooking up a storm! They're well known for teaming up and creating amazing barbecue cuisine.

What Shane & Mike will be making:
Scotch fillet steaks over charcoal with BBQ Burnt at the Steak Rub and sauces
Big Smoked Bavarian sausages with Bad Ass Blueberry BBQ sauce

Chef Ian Harrison at the Tauranga Food Show

11.30am Saturday 26th August 2023

Ian Harrison

Owner and Head Chef at Sugo

What can an English chef with an Italian restaurant teach us about New Zealand food? British-born Ian Harrison is co-owner and head chef at Sugo, known for his passion for food and creative culinary dishes.

What Ian will be making:
Burnt honey & thyme panna cotta, honeycomb and olive oil 

Sugo website
Perrin Yates from Hide - Thirst & Hunger

1.30pm Saturday 26th August 2023

Perrin Yates

Executive Chef at Hide - Thirst & Hunger

Executive Chef at Brew Co

Executive Chef at Sailor

An Aussie who'd become a local food legend, former Chef at Clarence Bistro and Picnicka. He's passionate about all things food and is known for combining premium ingredients with insane flavours to create the most unreal dishes.

What Perrin will be making:
Beef bulgogi with tomatillo salsa verde. Translated in Korean as 'fired meat', this is marinated flank steak on skewers paired with salsa verde.

Hide - Thirst & Hunger website
Tauranga Food Show chef image coming soon

3.30pm Saturday 26th August 2023

Colin Laird

From She Universe

She Universe chocolates are infused with inspiration, care and love. Their desire is that theirlove of handcrafting amazing chocolate delights more than your taste buds ... that your heart opens to the taste of the Infinite!

What Colin and his team will be showing you:
The Incredible Journey of Chocolate
Follow the journey of chocolate from bean to bar, exploring some of the processing techniques used to bring chocolate to market.

She Universe website
Perrin Yates from Hide - Thirst & Hunger

11.30am Sunday 27th August 2023

Perrin Yates

Executive Chef at Hide - Thirst & Hunger

Executive Chef at Brew Co

Executive Chef at Sailor

An Aussie who'd become a local food legend, former Chef at Clarence Bistro and Picnicka. He's passionate about all things food and is known for combining premium ingredients with insane flavours to create the most unreal dishes.

What Perrin will be making:
Beef bulgogi with tomatillo salsa verde. Translated in Korean as 'fired meat', this is marinated flank steak on skewers paired with salsa verde.

Hide - Thirst & Hunger website

Yes - originally we had Matt Schaeffer from Bluebiyou, but poor Matt is so sick! Get well soon mate ...

Neil Sapitula Head Chef at Solera Wine Bar and Saltwater Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar

1.30pm Sunday 27th August 2023

Neil Sapitula

Head Chef at Solera Wine Bar

Head Chef at Saltwater Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar

Philippines-born Neil has worked in three of Asia's top 50 restaurants and takes an intriguing approach to food full of creativity and flair. His talent recently shone through at the 2022 Bay of Plenty Hospitality Awards, winning:

Service Foods Outstanding Chef: Neil Sapitula
Mount Brewing Co. Outstanding New Establishment: Solera Wine Bar
Antipodes Water Outstanding Restaurant: Solera Wine Bar

What Neil will be making:
Seafood paella, a Spanish rice dish packed with prawns, mussels, fish and squid.

Simone Sapitula owner and chef at The Trading Post

3.30pm Sunday 27th August 2023

Simone Saglia

Owner and Chef at The Trading Post

The Trading Post has gone Italian - the eatery is now owned by Italian Chef Simone Saglia and his Waikato-born wife Kylie.

Simone hails from Piedmont, an area famous for wines such as Barolo and Nebbiolo, and has worked in Michelin-starred eateries in Italy and the UK as well as top Melbourne joints.

What Simone will be making:
Fresh pasta in different folding styles such as ravioli, tortelli and agnolotti with a quick sauce

The Trading Post website