MEET YOUR {OUTSTANDING} MAKER - THE CHATHAM ISLAND FOOD CO
The Chatham Islands is a unique location for its close-knit community, dramatic skylines and vast, pristine ocean. It’s no surprise then that the Chatham Island Food Company provides some of Aotearoa’s best quality internationally-acclaimed kaimoana. Having received two Gold Medals in the 2021 Outstanding New Zealand Food Producer Awards for their Chatham Blue 2kg Box and Pure Pāua Mince; here’s how they capture the magic.
Gigi and Delwyn Tuanui steer the ship together. Having met in Melbourne while he was studying, the couple started the Chatham Island Food Company in 2011 making a shift from livestock to seafood.
It started while Delwyn upskilled in Australia, he cooked up a popular Blue Cod feed 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.” Their champion, the Chatham Blue Cod, enjoys a daily diet of Crayfish and Pāua (all available from their online store, snap-frozen for that mouthwateringly fresh ocean flavour).
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.
To learn more about their story, ocean-fresh seafood, and to place an order visit the Chatham Island Food Co. website.