Apart from knowing the theme – Hunter Gatherer – and learning the event would be in Mount Maunganui, further details were only revealed an hour before our dining experience. Even then, we only knew a street address and had to follow the lanterns to our secret location.
Images ERIN CAVE, ILK PHOTOGRAPHY
Take it from us, if you’ve never attended a Kitchen Takeover event then put this on your must-do list. Stacey Jones, the brains behind the pop-up restaurant, and her team, deliver an outstanding experience that’s filled with mystery, intrigue and incredible food.
PLEASE TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.
I’m London born and bred. I also started my career there after getting a place in a top London advertising agency’s graduate scheme. There I worked on brands like Sony, Nissan and Tesco working on big budget campaigns. I then came to New Zealand via South America and have been here for 10 years. In that time I’ve started and sold a successful e-commerce business and worked for Priority One for several years to promote the region. The thread has always had a creative marketing focus.
HAVE YOU ORGANISED EVENTS BEFORE?
Yes. Big and small. When I was in London I worked on some amazing brand events including the premiere of The Devil Wears Prada. In Tauranga I was lucky enough to start the Groundswell Festival of Innovation – a marathon of 30 events across Tauranga across a week.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO SETTLE IN TAURANGA?
My hubby had a work exchange with a sustainable product development business. Three months turned into 10 years.
TELL US ABOUT KITCHEN TAKEOVER AND WHY YOU CREATED IT.
I started the pop-up restaurant because I wanted to bring a slice of the big city to little old Tauranga and offer people the chance to try envelope-pushing food and connect with their undiscovered foodie friends. The word is getting out and we have people travelling from far and wide to attend – our events sell out in minutes so I feel like we have hit the turning point.
HAVE YOU ALWAYS WORKED WITH CHEF SHANE?
No, I cooked the first event myself – a 10-course Vietnamese banquet and almost died. After that I realised I needed a chef!
WHAT’S THE LONG-TERM PLAN?
We want to continue to raise the profile of the Bay’s food scene through unique edible experiences. We ran some truffle hunts with Te Puke Truffles in July after featuring them on the plate at the pop-up. I’d love to work with more brands in this way and even host a food festival eventually. However, Covid has thrown a bit of a spanner into the works for now.
WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION FOR THESE EVENINGS?
One thing I’m not short of is ideas. I get inspired by all sorts – art, food trends, produce, people.
FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT NEVER HAVE ATTENDED A KITCHEN TAKEOVER EVENT, TELL US A BIT ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT.
It’s a taste-tangling, fine-dining, secret supper. You buy a ticket without any idea of the location, menu or who you will be dining alongside. Our events sell out quickly so people seem to like the formula!
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR MOST MEMORABLE KITCHEN TAKEOVER EVENT.
They have all been memorable in their own way. The thing I love the most is seeing strangers turn into friends. We once had a 30-year-old couple and a 70-year- old couple befriend each other over the meal. They discovered they were in fact neighbours and by the end of the evening, they were best mates!
HOW LONG WOULD EACH KITCHEN TAKEOVER EVENT TAKE TO PLAN AND PUT INTO PLACE?
About three months, often more. It’s always in the back of my, and Shane’s, mind simmering away.
YOU WERE PLANNING TO INTRODUCE PRIVATE DINNERS – HAS THIS HAPPENED? TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT THIS.
Yes we have although we only offer a few each year as they are so involved. It’s like doing a pop-up restaurant designed just for you. Every touch point is thought about and the menu and wine list completely customised.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR EVENTS?
The joy it brings, seeing people having an edible experience.
WHEN YOU’RE NOT ORGANISING A KITCHEN TAKEOVER EVENT, WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
With only four events per year, Kitchen Takeover evenings are sold out within minutes. Find out about the next event and book online. I’m a mum of three kids aged 6, 4 and almost 2 so I’m generally headfirst in the washing machine.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
Cook food, read about food, eat out – anything food based.
WHAT BUSINESS ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO WOMEN VENTURING OUT INTO A NEW VOCATION?
You don’t have to go all in at the start. Test and learn and build over time. The first pop-up I did was for 24 people and one night, the last was 450 over nine nights. If I had tried the latter straight off I’d have fallen flat on my face.
WHAT LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED ALONG THE WAY?
• Don’t get a Job, make up your own
• No one has it all
• Never work for an a***hole
• Trust your gut
• Let go of the mum guilt (I’m still working on that one)
• It’s easier to do than not to do
WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER BEEN GIVEN?
If you lose, don’t lose the lesson.