Manu Feildel is back with a new show on TVNZ called Off the Grid. Photo / Supplied
Manu Feildel found fame as one of the co-hosts and judges of My Kitchen Rules.
But he is now heading out of the kitchen and out on the road for his latest TV project.
Feildel is joined by fellow MKR host Colin Fassnidge in TVNZ’s Off the Grid, which involves the two chefs touring New Zealand in a caravan.
Feildel told Paula Bennett on her NZ Herald podcast, Ask Me Anything, that while he has visited New Zealand before, this trip was the best yet – and a caravan was the way to go.
“It’s the best way to do it. If you’re gonna travel New Zealand, don’t do it by plane because you see nothing of it. But if you drive it, my god, your eyes are gonna explode of beauty.
“It only takes a few hours for the weather to change or the picture to change. From the West Coast to the south of the South Island, it’s like changing your channel on TV.”
He said that travelling between different towns – going through “the most windy town, the most rainy town, the most freezing town” – was like “day and night” to his native France.
“It’s crazy that small little islands in the middle of nowhere has got so much to offer.
“I think for me, going down to Wanaka and all the places around there is just absolutely gorgeous.”
Feildel and Fassnidge, of course, were sampling food during their travels as well as catching some of their own meals.
But there is one surprising New Zealand staple that Feildel discovered during his travels.
“One hundred per cent better pies than anywhere else I’ve been travelling around the world. And I’m not having a go at Australia, because I love Australia very much, but they’ve got a reputation for pies. They’ve got nothing on you guys.
“You go to the middle of nowhere with a small little village somewhere, and there is a pie shop in every corner, and the pies with the pastry that’s made from scratch, buttery, and they’ve got all different types of meat, and it’s full of pieces of meat with beautiful sauce. Absolutely delicious.”
Feildel’s food knowledge comes from having started work in restaurants before moving up to become head chef and the owner of his own business.
And for the past 15 years, he has served as a judge on My Kitchen Rules in Australia, as well as several seasons of the New Zealand spinoff.
The reality show has seen plenty of dramatic moments over the years – and Feildel agreed with Bennett that often the most arrogant cooks on the show tend to be the worst.
And for any hopeful future contestants out there, Feildel has one meal that he hopes people stop making – risotto.
“It’s a difficult one because a risotto is something you need to serve straight away and, unfortunately, with production you might lose 10, 15 minutes between the time the risotto is ready and the time we get on the table.
“So for us to get the perfect risotto is often impossible. And they’ve tried and they’ve always failed.
“So I’m just saying, listen, people stop cooking risotto for us!”
Listen to the full episode for more from Manu Feildel on how he got to where he is, his partnership with Colin Fassnidge, and other secrets from filming Off the Grid.
Off the Grid with Colin and Manu starts on TVNZ1 and TVNZ+ from April 23.
Ask Me Anything is an NZ Herald podcast hosted by former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett. New episodes are available every Sunday.
You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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