Hyper-local regional produce turns into premium product in the right hands. Photo / File
OPINION
Today we feast.
For as a colleague reminded me, level 3 is just level 4 but with KFC.
Unofficially it's spring's opener and coincidentally the first day where we may partake of takeaways. The hot debate in these parts then is, what fare should we choose?
Local, Uber local or hyper-local?
Loyalties have been questioned on social media with a post that urged Napier residents not to rush to global food chains, but to support locally-owned businesses that are "really struggling and NEED your service to stay afloat".
A few countered with a reminder that giant franchises are in fact locally owned and staffed, while others were miffed at being told what to consume on day one of their culinary emancipation.
What I'd love to see is what I witnessed the evening before level 4 lockdown, which was the spectre of Marine Parade eateries Hunger Monger and its spicy neighbour Rasoi, brimful at 7pm.
Both sported full tables of last supperers handing cash to local staff in the knowledge these places would hurt for weeks with no income.
Chairs on tables, cold hobs, lights out.
Let's be honest about the big chains. Notwithstanding local ownership and local payrolls, these highly-profitable big boys can shrug it off — just take a gander at today's drive-thru queues.
One of the strong takes from lockdown was the reality that we depend on primary product.
That is, us, our home-grown, particularly in times of adversity. Buying local sustains such self-sufficiency.
We lean on our team of 5 million, but we lean even harder on our Te Matau-a-Māui team of 180,000.
Great things grow here in this lucky shire where agrarian produce is rendered artisinal. It'd be unconscionable to lose that edge.
I can barely wait for today's privilege of shoring up these hyper-local legends.
The power of Facebook - and help from a lasso - saved a dog from a stink situation.