MEET YOUR {OUTSTANDING} MAKER CHATHAM ISLAND FOOD CO.

Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards 2022 Supreme Champion

Named Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards Supreme Champion 2022, the Chatham Island Food Company provides some of Aotearoa’s best quality kaimoana.

Chatham Island Food Co has turned the Chatham Islands distance into a positive. Its isolation – 800 kms east of the South Island - means a pristine environment that is reflected in the flavour and quality of its harvest. The business processes its marine harvest on the island, freezing in the flavour to share with seafood lovers across New Zealand.

It started while Delwyn Tuanui studied in Australia, on his first-day meeting Gigi who has become his business and life partner. Now Gigi and Delwyn Tuanui steer the Chatham Island Food Co together. When in Melbourne Delwyn cooked Blue Cod for his peers and had a lightbulb moment, to provide Aotearoa and beyond with deliciously pure, wild-caught kai, sustainably sourced right from his doorstep.

“In our eyes it’s not hard to see why this incredible fish has a taste like no other” Gigi says. What makes their kaimoana stand apart is the quality of the water around the Chathams, coupled with the superior care they take with their seafood. It starts from the moment fish leave the water, right through until it’s delivered to your door. “Cold ocean currents from the South and warm currents from the North meet and mix, generating a rich blend of nutrients and minerals for our catch to thrive on.”

Creating connections between people, the place their food is from, and their remote community keeps the Chatham Island Food Co going. Nowadays as it’s tougher to know who really puts in the mahi for the food on our plates, it’s heartening to see a small community coming together to celebrate what they do best: catch, share and feed!

“Call us biased, but there’s no better place we’d rather be than the Chathams”, Delwyn says. Family time is incredibly important, so on their days off you’ll find the couple in the great outdoors with their kids, camping at Te Whanga Lagoon, trekking up the coast by boat or horse, helping on the family farm or getting involved in community events. “Isolation, wild elements and unique geography create a tough, close-knit community that reminds many Kiwis of a bygone era – no cellphone reception, no parking tickets, no worries!”.

Providing kiwi foodies with at-home pāua patties, kina slurps and crayfish barbecue favourites, the Chatham Island Food Co have it sorted. Some great and simple ways to enjoy their award-winning Chatham Blue Cod include beer-battering the succulent fillets and serving up fish tacos with lemony coleslaw. Or, if you really want to dazzle the tastebuds - why not try a sprinkling of cornflour on the fillets fried up in caper butter? Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and there’ll be an array of contented smiles all around the table.

In 2022 Chatham Island Food Co won three Gold Medals for Chatham Island Food Co & The West Coast Pie Co, Pāua Pies; Chatham Island Food Co, Chatham Blue and Chatham Island Food Co, Pure Pāua Mince. This followed Gold Medals in 2021 for Chatham Island Food Co, Chatham Blue and Chatham Island Food Co, Pure Pāua Mince.

To learn more about their story, ocean-fresh seafood, and to place an order visit the Chatham Island Food Co. website.