Manawa Honey Presents Matariki Celebration Hampers

With Matariki fast approaching, Manawa Honey and its founder the Tuawhenua Trust are excited to launch the Matariki Ahunga Nui hampers for 2024.

CEO Brenda Tahi explains: “Our hampers are ideal for a hassle-free feast experience for people to enjoy quality time with their loved ones in the celebration of Matariki.”

“We’re proud of all the effort that goes into these hampers – from hunting the forests of Te Urewera, from harvesting the produce of our home gardens and orchards here in Ruatahuna, and from trading Manawa Honey for foods from other regions.”

“We’ve used Manawa Honey in the preparation of many items as a theme, such as honey in our sweet items, in the chutney and relishes, and in the steamed puddings! The hamper also includes special foods like home-grown pork, venison sausages, smoked tuna and fish, , stuffing, pumpkin soup, condiments, home-grown taewa (Maori potato), limes, and so much more.

Check out the full hamper listing here: https://bit.ly/matariki-ahunga-nui-feast-hampers

Brenda elaborates: “Our objectives for this initiative include reviving a range of traditional practices - trading goods and forging relationships across iwi and regions, applying tikanga such as koha and reciprocity, and practices in food growing, harvesting and preparation”.

The backdrop to this initiative is the goal of the Tuawhenua Trust to foster food sovereignty in Ruatahuna – developing the skills for food from the wild or from cultivation and how to preserve it for use over time.

All proceeds from the hampers go to the Tuawhenua Forest Fund. This fund was established by the Tuawhenua Trust in 2022 for restoring and enhancing the indigenous forest about Ruatāhuna. The Trust is responsible for 9000 hectares of forest that comprise 25 blocks of land owned by the people of Ruatahuna, that is quite separate to Te Urewera Park. These forests are needing ongoing programmes to deal with the impacts of introduced pests and other issues, and cannot rely on government’s assistance.

The Trust’s aim is to grow the Tuawhenua Forest Fund as a capital fund, from which only investment earnings will be drawn to support programmes for the enhancement of the Tuawhenua forests.

Brenda Tahi adds: “The Matariki Ahunga Nui hamper is not just about food and its origin, it is also about our connection to our environment, our association with our communities and our relationships with one another.”

“But ultimately this initiative is about our kaupapa for the Tuawhenua Trust ‘Kia tau te iwi me te whenua’ – it’s all about our people and our forests thriving into the future. Our initiative and the fund are small at the moment but we will grow it, and it will give us an independent source for funding programmes ongoing for our forests into the future.”

© Scoop Media