Auckland catering and hāngī specialist Rewi Spraggon is set to launch meals online tomorrow when the country moves into Alert Level 3.
Spraggon closed his restaurant Māori Kitchen located at Auckland’s waterfront and put his catering business for big events and festivals on hold due to the lockdown but says he is ready to re-launch with hāngī meals online and from a kai truck.
“A lot of catering companies, restaurants, are in the same boat so it’s a bit frustrating waiting to get out there and what it’s going to look like as well. So yea, I can’t wait until tomorrow.”
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Spraggon says being in lockdown for four weeks has given him time to think and look at new strategies.
“For Māori we’re really good at this. It’s basically, we’re pulling a waka off the water and re-lashing it and so it gives us time to actually look at how we attack in this new environment.”
On his website are meal options including hāngī with pork, chicken, potato, kūmara, pumpkin, cabbage, stuffing and watercress salad. He also sells pork belly, chicken and vegetarian burgers, as well as hāngī pie and savouries.