A New Zealand Food Story With Ben Bayly Puts Ruapehu On The Map
'Food experiences are a big part of what attracts visitors to destinations and showcasing Ruapehu's offering through the TV series is a fantastic way to share stories of our people and place' says Jo Kennedy, General Manager of Visit Ruapehu.
The Ruapehu region has a rich grower's history, market gardening, fertile volcanic soil and is home to the carrot capital of NZ – Ohakune.
Across charming mountain towns to riverside settlements, there is a year-round offering of seasonal delights and unique food experiences to taste and enjoy at local cafes, pubs and restaurants serving up fresh bites and beverages.
'Working with Ben and his incredible team has been a boost for our communities and a unique opportunity to invite viewers to come and explore Ruapehu's emerging food story,' adds Jo.
The chef and TV presenter says he loved his time in the region when filming earlier in the year.
'The vast and majestic Ruapehu region, there is no place in New Zealand that compares to its beauty! I fell in love with it as a kid as Whakapapa is my home ski field,' says Bayly.
'It was amazing to head back to film A New Zealand Food Story and see that Ruapehu has so much more to offer, especially when it comes to food.'
'From growing New Zealand's best carrots grown in rich volcanic soils, to the legendary Johnny Nations eclairs in Ohakune and onto its very own truly world class restaurant –The Chef's Table at Blue Duck Station. I am over the moon that the Ruapehu district is serving up a superb regional food story,' concludes Bayly.
Home to Tongariro National Park and Whanganui National Park, Ruapehu is a top destination for hiking, biking, skiing and snow sports as well as an array of authentic activities in the Central Plateau. Watch A New Zealand Food Story with Ben Bayly Season 4 final episode on Ruapehu on Saturday 19 July at 7pm on TVNZ 1 and on demand on TVNZ+.
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Otago produce in spotlight
Fruit synonymous with Central Otago will feature on this weekend's episode of top chef Ben Bayly's A New Zealand Food Story . Bayly, who runs Aosta and Little Aosta in Arrowtown, the historic Bathhouse in Queenstown, award-winning Ahi and Origine in Auckland and The Grounds in the Waitākere Ranges, is in his fourth series of New Zealand Food Story which follows him around the country seeking out some of the best food producers in the country. "I believe our Kiwi produce is world class," Bayly says. "But the faceless piece of steak or fruit in the supermarket — how was it raised or grown? We need to connect with the growers, the producers, the harvesters and shine a light on their care and commitment." In this weekend's episode he seeks out apricots and cherries in Central Otago visiting Cromwell's Jackson Orchards and Forest Lodge Orchard (Electric Cherries), near Mt Pisa. He meets owner Kevin Jackson, a fourth-generation orchardist, his daughter Kristin Nolan and grandson Jackson Nolan. Bayly travels around the orchard in its tour bus sampling fruit such as peaches, apricots and nectarines along the way, declaring he has tasted the "best ever" apricot. Then he visits Forest Lodge, a 6ha cherry production business, with 1650 trees per hectare planted using an upright fruiting offshoot-trained system. Owners, Mike and Rebecca Casey and Euan and Rachel White, aim to develop a premium cherry orchard and be sustainable so they have an electric tractor, an electrified irrigation pump, and New Zealand's first electric frost–fighting fans. They are also developing an electric foliage sprayer. In 2022, they set themselves a challenge of going completely fossil-fuel-free, hoping this will potentially save about $50,000 per year in energy bills. Bayly takes inspiration from the producers he visits by cooking using ingredients he has found on his journeys. The knowledge picked up also helps him in his own garden, Ahi Organic Gardens in South Auckland, which grows seasonal produce for his Auckland restaurants. Previous series of New Zealand Food Stories have been aired on SBS in Australia, on National Geographic Asia and the Middle East and has played in France and Norway as well as on Air New Zealand, United Airlines, Lufthansa and Air Canada flights. The show New Zealand Food Story , TVNZ1, tonight, 7pm. — APL
Scoop
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A New Zealand Food Story With Ben Bayly Puts Ruapehu On The Map
Discover the Ruapehu region's unique food journey through the highly anticipated Season 4 TV series of A New Zealand Food Story with Ben Bayly. Chef Ben Bayly meets some of Ruapehu's passionate growers, producers and restauranteurs in the final episode screening on TVNZ 1 on Saturday July 19. 'Food experiences are a big part of what attracts visitors to destinations and showcasing Ruapehu's offering through the TV series is a fantastic way to share stories of our people and place' says Jo Kennedy, General Manager of Visit Ruapehu. The Ruapehu region has a rich grower's history, market gardening, fertile volcanic soil and is home to the carrot capital of NZ – Ohakune. Across charming mountain towns to riverside settlements, there is a year-round offering of seasonal delights and unique food experiences to taste and enjoy at local cafes, pubs and restaurants serving up fresh bites and beverages. 'Working with Ben and his incredible team has been a boost for our communities and a unique opportunity to invite viewers to come and explore Ruapehu's emerging food story,' adds Jo. The chef and TV presenter says he loved his time in the region when filming earlier in the year. 'The vast and majestic Ruapehu region, there is no place in New Zealand that compares to its beauty! I fell in love with it as a kid as Whakapapa is my home ski field,' says Bayly. 'It was amazing to head back to film A New Zealand Food Story and see that Ruapehu has so much more to offer, especially when it comes to food.' 'From growing New Zealand's best carrots grown in rich volcanic soils, to the legendary Johnny Nations eclairs in Ohakune and onto its very own truly world class restaurant –The Chef's Table at Blue Duck Station. I am over the moon that the Ruapehu district is serving up a superb regional food story,' concludes Bayly. Home to Tongariro National Park and Whanganui National Park, Ruapehu is a top destination for hiking, biking, skiing and snow sports as well as an array of authentic activities in the Central Plateau. Watch A New Zealand Food Story with Ben Bayly Season 4 final episode on Ruapehu on Saturday 19 July at 7pm on TVNZ 1 and on demand on TVNZ+.
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Visit Ruapehu To Manage Isites Following Successful Trail
Press Release – Ruapehu District Council Visit Ruapehu General Manager Jo Kennedy said that the joined-up approach strengthens how we can connect with visitors and support local tourism operators. Following a successful eight-month trial, Visit Ruapehu will take full responsibility for operating the Taumarunui and Ohakune i-SITEs from the beginning of July. This change is a major step forward that is improving the visitor experience by bringing together destination marketing and on-the-ground visitor services into one streamlined approach. Executive Manager Community and Economic Development, Pauline Welch, said that bringing the management of the isites under Visit Ruapehu aligns with Council's strategic direction and core values of kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and manaakitanga (hospitality), as outlined in the region's destination management plan, Tahia Ko Puanga. 'This integration creates a seamless visitor journey – from online trip planning to in-person support. It reduces duplication, lifts service quality, and opens new possibilities such as automated bookings through the Visit Ruapehu website,' she said. Visit Ruapehu General Manager Jo Kennedy said that the joined-up approach strengthens how we can connect with visitors and support local tourism operators. 'It is allowing us to maximise the use of our staff's specialist tourism skills to deliver consistent, high-quality service that reflects our region's values and aspirations.' All existing i-SITE staff have been offered new roles with Visit Ruapehu, ensuring a smooth handover and continuity of knowledge and service for both visitors and locals. The change marks a new chapter in Ruapehu's tourism journey – creating smarter, more connected, and community-aligned services to support a thriving and sustainable visitor economy.
