WHEN TEAM CUISINE

approached me to help them produce the cover for this important New Zealand seafood issue I had to think about what some of the best New Zealand ingredients might be and why they deserved to be showcased.

The seafood of New Zealand is a precious wild resource and, in my opinion, belongs to all New Zealanders. Every time I put seafood on the menu I always question who caught this fish, where was it caught, what is the state of the fishery of this fish, who is getting paid for this fish and what are the values of the fisher and/or the fishing company?

The quota management system is more than 30 years old now and needs revision. In my view it feels like most of the fish that are allowed to be harvested in New Zealand are held in the hands of just a few wealthy and privileged people, who are not actually fishers.

Fair and sustainable access to our own wild seafood is what I’m looking for when I purchase the beautiful kaimoana of New Zealand.

Thank you to these exceptional companies (below) for sourcing the pristine ingredients for the creation of this spectacular image.

At my restaurants I am proud to work with the wonderful people behind these outstanding New Zealand businesses.