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Bocuse d’Or Team New Zealand is thrilled to announce they have earned a spot at the world’s most prestigious gastronomic competition with their top five ranking in the Bocuse d’Or Asia Pacific 2022 selection. This is the first time any New Zealand entrant has made it to the final of what is recognised internationally as the ‘gastronomy equivalent of the Olympic Games’.

Team Aotearoa consists of Candidate Chef William Mordido (BUKO) and Commis Chef Szren Hamberger (Park Hyatt Auckland) and Coach Ken O’Connell (Copia Restaurant). They will be judged by some of the best chefs in the world, with past judges including Thomas Keller, Rasmus Kofoed, Ferran Adrià, Wolfgang Puck and Heston Blumenthal, with John Kelleher (AUT) who will be NZ’s Jury Member on the tasting jury over the two-day competition.

Our national culinary athletes will be training hard and fundraising until the international finals that take place in Lyon, France on January 22-23, 2023. Team Aotearoa New Zealand will be competing against 23 qualifying teams from around the globe.

Appointing U.S-based consulting firm Franchise Genesis to handle the expansion, New Zealand-based hospitality business Epiphany Café is taking its premium donut and coffee concept into North America.

Franchise Genesis will provide the initial strategic analysis, develop a franchise structure with documentation and state filings, advertising, and marketing support, and deliver networking support through international franchise associations. Epiphany Café numbers more than 62 franchised and licensed locations across New Zealand and has plans for further international growth. Following on from the Better Pathways Package announcement and Apprenticeship Boost 50,000th apprentice milestone, the government is continuing momentum, supporting over 1,000 more rangatahi into employment, through new funding for He Poutama Rangatahi.

“The partnership approach, with programmes designed and delivered by providers operating in their communities, means there’s an understanding of the local barriers and challenges young people face. This goes a long way to ensuring the support and training is tailored for the best outcomes.

“He Poutama Rangatahi is one of many tools in our government’s toolbox supporting young people and jobseekers on pathways into employment, education and training.”

Josh Ross, the head chef at Parliament’s prestigious Bellamy’s Restaurant is shortly to leave New Zealand to compete in the International Jeunes Chefs Rotisseurs 2022 (Young Chef of the Year competition) run by the Chaine des Rotisseurs, an international association of gastronomy.

Ross, 26, won the New Zealand Jeune (Young) Chef Award last year, but the international competition was delayed until October his year.

As New Zealand’s representative in the international compe-tition being held in Mexico City, he will be competing against seventeen other young chefs from Europe, Asia, and the Americas for the international title.

“I’m really looking forward to competing. It’s tough, stimulating, tiring, and exhilarating all at the same time, and obviously I want to do well.”

New Zealander Gabby Sanders has proven to be the hottest rising star of the trans-Tasman culinary scene, after beating the best young chef talent from across Australia and New Zealand in the 2022 Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award. Sanders aged 23, who works at The Monday Room in Christchurch and studies culinary arts at Ara Institute of Canterbury, went up against the top 11 young chefs from across Australia and New Zealand to deliver her triple gold winning dishes.

Gabby said she was elated with the title win and $10,000 cash prize as it was solid recognition of the hard work and effort she put into juggling work and study commitments, while also preparing for the competition. “I’m passionate about food which my parents encouraged from an early age and I’m committed to constantly pushing myself to achieve excellence as a chef.”

If no one can out-pizza the Hut, can anyone out-taco the Bell? In the United States, Taco Bell has recently brought back its Mexican Pizza as a permanent menu item. It consists of a flour tortilla shell filled with refried beans and ground beef, then topped with another tortilla, sauce, cheese, and tomatoes. Mexican Pizza has long been a fan favourite, but it was cut from Taco Bell's menu in 2020. The fast-food company brought it back in May, but quickly ran out, noting it was seven times more popular than expected.

One fast-food rival had a strong opinion about the Mexican Pizza being officially back for good. In a sincedeleted tweet, Pizza Hut introduced what it called the "Italian taco." "Taco Bell, we see your #MexicanPizza, and raise you the #ItalianTaco," Pizza Hut tweeted. Accompanying the tweet was a picture of a regular slice of pizza - but folded at the corners to resemble a taco shape. Pizza Hut also took a jab at Taco Bell for the months-long period in which the Mexican Pizza was sold out. "The best part? This nearly unbelievable innovation will never run out. The Italian Taco has been here and will be here forever." But really the best part is that these two brands are both owned by parent company Yum! Can anyone else smell a marketing stunt?

Like strands of harakeke being woven together, our work-based training organisations, institutes of technology and polytechnics are joining together to become Te Pūkenga.

Te Pūkenga will be Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest tertiary education provider. It will create better ways of learning for industry, focused on where our workforce needs to be, now and in the future. As one, national network, Te Pūkenga will provide flexible, career-focused learning that fits around the learner’s life – on-the-job, on campus and online vocational training.

Working for everyone Te Pūkenga will be the cornerstone of a cohesive, sustainable vocational education system that helps improve wellbeing for all New Zealanders, and supports a growing economy that works for everyone. It will help New Zealand move to a vocational education system that puts learners in the centre.

Closer to industry Te Pūkenga will work closely with industry and business to understand their needs. Directly aligning the training provided with the needs of employers and their staff. It’s about helping our communities and workplaces grow and thrive together, and providing businesses with knowledge and skills that are relevant to their changing industries.

Fit for purpose Te Pūkenga is supporting a modern, future-fit workforce for Aotearoa. Learners are encouraged to stay connected with their whanau, culture and communities as they work and learn.

The same, only better Local campuses, courses, support and training teams will remain in place, but are now part of Te Pūkenga. This will create access to a wide diversity of subjects and locations, and flexible ways of learning – on-the-job, on campus and online. Helping our people, our communities and our workforces grow and thrive together. Te Pūkenga. Learn with purpose.