Cranking out fantastic foods

A series of foodie events served up in Marlborough is giving people the chance to meet local producers in person.

The Cranky Pantry team came up with the initiative Meet the Makers in a bid to encourage connections between customers and producers.

And the Blenheim business kicked off the first in the series by opening their own doors to local suppliers on Thursday.

Cranky Goat’s Hannah Lamb says everyone benefits from the arrangement.

“We already know all of our suppliers really well from running in the same foodie circles, and it’s a great opportunity for producers to meet consumers and vice versa.

“It’s such an interesting range of products available all from around here, and that local link draws in more people because customers will come in to get their favourites and inevitably find something new to try that’s just as local as them just like the Sunday Farmer’s Market.

The locally orientated food shop prides itself on stocking Marlborough producers, many of whom were there for the inaugural event.

Producers included in the first evening included the house made Cranky Goat and Mooody Cow Cheese, alongside Yellow Roastery’s Angry Cold Brew Coffee, Love Thy Curry, Murphy's Black Garlic, Pinoli Pinenuts, Three Cats Chutney and Boom! Sauces.

“Rood Food started out of my parent’s long history in the Marlborough food scene making their own pate’s and chutney’s from as early as the 90’s, but when I came back from overseas a few years ago I encouraged them to start a standalone business”, says Erika Rood.

Each producer met at the Marlborough Farmers Market or alike food shows, which Erika says is “such a great place to make connections with likeminded food producers each Sunday”.

“It’s always easier to promote something you like, so I direct people to my favourite Chicken, Mushroom and Truffle pate pretty quickly”, she laughs.

“I said I was happy to take the lead two years ago, and it’s just amazing to see the development of the local artisan food community here so quickly”.

Just like Erika did for her parents, the friends and family of Alec and Sarah Brown pushed them to start Three Cats Chutneys.

“Sarah used to make pickles and chutneys for people close to us, and they started saying that it was easily good enough to sell – so we did!”, says Alec.

“And when people say how amazing some of our products, I always say they need to be in the house when we make the batches – I never really have a set favourite, because the next one could always blow it out the water.

“Our most recent roasted shallot and garlic chutney was meant to be left for 3 months, but we were eating it the day after because it was already just incredible”.

The entrepreneurial spirit stretches all the way to including the Southern Hemisphere’s only pine nut manufacturer Pinoli, grown in the Wairau Valley from Mediterranean Pine.

“We started 20 years ago while working in forestry, but we’ve always been foodies, so we wanted to find a combination of the two”, says Pinoli’s Zoe Thompson.

“Most pine nuts in New Zealand are produced in China, but we thought the climate is so close why can’t Mediterranean pine grow in Marlborough?

“The trees took 10 to 12 years to start producing, but we were really pleased to prove studies wrong that said it wasn’t commercially viable to do here and have a community here to build alongside”.

The Cranky Pantry started with the goal of bringing together locally, and the Pantry’s Hannah Lamb says that the more connections they can make between local producers and consumers, the better for all involved.

“We already know all of our suppliers really well from running in the same foodie circles, and it’s a great opportunity for producers to meet consumers and vice versa”.

“It’s such an interesting range of products available all from around here, and that local link draws in more people because customers will come in to get their favourites and inevitably find something new to try that’s just as local as them just like the Sunday Farmer’s Market”.

The next Meet the Makers opportunity invites West Coast Pies from Westport, who have Marlborough-based Premium Game as suppliers for their wild hunted game pie fillings. for Pie Day Friday lunch on 15 March at Cranky Pantry, the Forum, Market Street Blenheim.