The Hits: Treat time as takeaways return

The Hits DJs, Adam Green and Megan Banks. Photo / File

There have been food wins, and food fails this lockdown. Some have tried a new recipe that fell into their lap via social media. A tasty chicken thigh curry, a weeknight roast with all the trimmings.

Perhaps you bought one of the 10 trillion bags of flour that flew from the shelves and into the houses of Kiwis and tried to bake your own loaf. The lockdown loaf's a hugely popular option, but it required a bottle of beer and I only had 10 trillion in the fridge and garage, so none to spare.

I attempted a "no yeast, easy bake". The no yeast part was easy. The baking bit not so much, and it turned out little more than a somewhat charred dough pancake with the consistency of a boot.

The fast-food chicken substitute recipes were all over the place. "The Ultimate" screamed one, "The real thing we stole it of the Colonel himself" another. We chose the pre-bagged option, ran it through the deep fryer, and ended up with a drumstick so raw Gordon Ramsey would have asked if it just walked in with the chicken.

And so with the lifting of lockdown level 4, and the new, slightly looser restrictions at level 3, we welcomed takeaway options back in to our lives.

Well, some of us did. "Disgusting, you should be ashamed of yourself," said one comment referring to my burger breakfast. "We will only do home cooked meals, never support them," said another. That's great, and I applaud your dedication to both health, and potentially wealth by saving money, but even a purchase at a local fast-food franchise helps Hawke's Bay.

One such franchise employs around 300 Hawke's Bay locals, who all now have an opportunity to return to work, and in turn, take a pay check home to spend on other great local business and initiatives.

It's going to be a big ask to get Aotearoa back on its feet, and there are so many places you can start to spend, look to support and work with to get NZ back up and running.

So, whilst it is a sometimes treat, I'm okay with an occasional burger or bit of chicken, and, if you aren't, then that's okay too! There's delivery from the produce stores, great non-edibles and all sorts of other businesses now looking for support! Maybe just let your friends post a pic, even if it is a hot chip, 'cause you know what they say, haters gon' hate, appreciators gon' appreciate, and I'll tell you, I enjoyed that burger!

Don't miss Adam Green and Megan Banks on The Hits Hawke's Bay from 6am to 9am, Monday to Friday.