The Fieldays Kitchen 2022 chefs are Uelese Mua, Simon Gault, Nici Wickes, Michael Van de Elzen, Karena and Kasey Bird and Dariush Lolaiy. Photo / Supplied
The Fieldays Kitchen 2022 chefs are Uelese Mua, Simon Gault, Nici Wickes, Michael Van de Elzen, Karena and Kasey Bird and Dariush Lolaiy. Photo / Supplied
The popular Fieldays Kitchen will be back next week with seven renowned chefs cooking up a storm using fresh produce and a pinch of education about where our food comes from.
Epicurean experts Simon Gault, Uelese Mua, Karena and Kasey Bird, Michael Van de Elzen, Nici Wickes and Dariush Lolaiy will be inspiring guests with a range of food demonstrations on Fieldays TV, so viewers can follow the recipes from the comfort of their homes.
New Zealand National Fieldays Society chief executive Peter Nation says understanding where food comes from and how it is produced has always been a key focus for Fieldays.
“Our country has some of the freshest and tastiest produce in the world. And our food safety and biosecurity measures have earned us a global reputation for quality products and ingredients,” he says.
With New Zealand built on the foundations of dairy, meat and seafood, the Fieldays organisers are also excited to showcase new industries that have a growing reputation, including kiwifruit and new crops.
Ingredients in this year’s edition of Fieldays Kitchen include Bay of Plenty kawakawa and Fiordland wapiti, so food innovation will take centre stage when the chefs illustrate the ease of garden-to-table cooking.
The chefs will create dishes using the best of New Zealand produce and products, with easy-to-follow recipes, so viewers at home have the opportunity to cook along with them in their own homes.
Nation says the line-up is a testament to New Zealand’s culinary talent.
“It’s terrific to see such a high calibre group of chefs coming on board to showcase their skills and teach us about the connection between choosing what we eat and health and wellness,” says Nation.
Fieldays Kitchen 2022 will debut on www.fieldays.co.nz from next Wednesday, November 30, December 1 and 2 at 5.30pm and will be available on demand after this.
Uelese Mua, Simon Gault, Nici Wickes, Michael Van de Elzen, Karena and Kasey Bird and Dariush Lolaiy will create dishes with local produce. Photo / Supplied
The Fieldays Kitchen 2022 chefs are
● Uelese Mua
Uelese (Wallace) Mua began his journey in hospitality at 15, working at the Hilton as a housekeeper. He eventually worked his way up the ladder to become the youngest executive chef of a luxury hotel when he took this role at Hilton’s in-house restaurant Fish. Since then, he’s held many high profile roles in restaurants such as Euro, Soul Bar and Bistro and is currently the head chef at Hotel Britomart’s Kingi restaurant.
● Dariush Lolaiy
Dariush Lolaiy is the multi-award-winning head chef, author and co-owner of his family’s restaurant Cazador. The son of two chefs, Dariush grew up learning the tricks of the trade from his parents and continues to use their teachings in his cooking. Dariush grew up hunting with his family so naturally, Cazador’s menu focuses mainly on wild, organic, and free-range products.
● Simon Gault
Simon Gault is a New Zealand celebrity chef, entrepreneur, food writer and television personality, known for appearing as a celebrity chef judge on MasterChef NZ. Simon has built an incredible culinary career spanning over many years.
● Nici Wilkes
Cooking enthusiast Nici Wilkes is a woman of many talents. From cookbook author to food stylist and everything in between, Nici is an accomplished chef and recipe developer who enjoys showing people how easy it can be to create healthy and delicious meals at home. Nici is currently the food editor for Viva at New Zealand Herald and styles recipes for New Zealand Woman’s Weekly.
Michael Van De Elzen is an internationally renowned chef and author, well-known for his focus on healthy, great tasting food. He featured as a chef on The Food Truck, a show that challenges the way we look at fast-food and how we can recreate our favourite dishes at home.
● Karena and Kasey Bird
Sisters with a passion for cooking, Karena and Kasey Bird are better known as the winners of NZ Masterchef 2014. They are experts in Māori fusion cuisine and are award winning cookbook authors and publishers.
