Kia ora koutou, nau mai haere mai
At its heart, Hapuku Kitchen is focused on reconnecting the kitchen to the Whenua (land) and Moana (sea), celebrating the abundant larder nature has to offer – taking inspiration from the wild Kaikōura landscape.
We invite you into our home, located between the soaring peaks of the Kaikōura mountains and the wild Pacific coast of Kaikōura, Aotearoa New Zealand, for a culinary adventure & relaxed cooking classes that celebrate the seasons.
Ngā mihi
Fiona and Chris
Our home…
Few places on Earth possess the magic of Kaikōura. Many who visit leave transformed. It is a special part of Aotearoa New Zealand, imbued with a powerful natural energy where towering peaks fall to the sea and ocean currents converge.
Such rare combinations lure an abundance of marine wildlife, the most famous being the Giant Sperm Whale. It was a whale that led the Māori ancestor Paikea to Aotearoa New Zealand many centuries ago. His descendants of Ngāti Kurī, which includes Chris, live in Kaikōura today.
The name Kaikōura means “eat crayfish”, recalling the occasion when explorer, Tama ki te Rangi, had a meal of crayfish here.
Today Kaikōura is a small seaside village, home to an eclectic population of fishers, farmers, food and wine producers, surfers, artists and craftspeople.
What do we do?
Whether you choose to join us for one of our hands-on, farm-to-table cooking experiences or a seasonal evening feast at our Whare Kai – Supper Club, you’ll be served the very best ingredients caught, picked and gathered from the whenua (land) and depart with a deeper understanding of the food on your plate.
Our place
Living in this wild and natural environment, everything we do is centralised around the forces of nature. It influences our creativity, our resourcefulness and appreciation for what is on our door step.
Over many years we have created a vegetable garden, herb garden, growing tunnel, mixed orchard and a nuttery. Other edible plants are interspersed across the entire property. Our gardens feature a wide variety of native plants which have blossomed into a haven for wildlife as well as providing edible plants for the kitchen.
We focus on raising rare breed animals and their welfare and quality of life is of utmost importance.
Every plant and animal introduced to our property is carefully considered. Each has a role to play whether it’s produce for the dinner table, plants to improve soil health, natural bug control, manure for compost, pollination, shade or shelter.