Chefs mix cookery with history
After tackling Britain, Canada and the United States, celebrity chefs Paul Rankin and Nick Nairn have finally made it Down Under, to film their latest television series.
The show, Paul and Nick’s Big
Food Trip NZ, sees the pair embark on a culinary road trip following the trail of the Ulster Scots who travelled from Northern Ireland and settled in New Zealand.
It is a formula that has proved popular, with Rankin and Nairn on to their sixth season of the show. Despite having travelled to all corners of the world, Nairn says New Zealand’s food has been stellar so far.
‘‘What we have found is that the produce here is astonishing and we’ve had some really nice meals so far.’’
For the Wellington leg of their culinary tour, Rankin and Nairn took over the kitchen at Homewood – the residence of the new British high commissioner, Laura Clarke.
During each episode, the duo meet the descendants of a chosen settler and cook them a threecourse meal using the finest ingredients from local food producers.
‘‘We started this series between Ireland and Scotland, looking at the migration and what happened to the Scots when they moved to the New World. What we discovered was a story that hadn’t been told,’’ Nairn says.
‘‘The Ulster Scots were among some of the first people to come to New Zealand and a lot of Southern Irish followed as well, so that’s the journey we’ve been following.’’
The settler-of-choice for the capital city episode is John Ballance, the former prime minister. ‘‘We were looking for Ulster Scots that made a difference, and Ballance really did; he was one of the greats,’’ Rankin says.
The show, which Nairns says is ‘‘a third travelogue, a third cookery and a third history’’ will eventually be seen by millions, shining a spotlight not only on New Zealand produce but also the scenery.
After the Wellington stop, the pair will fly south to Queenstown and Dunedin before heading home for post-production.
The series is set to air overseas in April with the team hoping to see it picked up by a New Zealand network soon after.