What’s The ‘Flava of Manukau’? Manukau Supa Centa Asks Locals for Their Best Recipes
Calling all people of Manukau! If you picked one recipe to best represent the local community, what would it be? Your
family chop suey? A burger with all the trimmings? Perhaps your favourite curry? Manukau Supa Centa is on the hunt for
tastes that represent the community with the Flava of Manukau competition.
The centre is refurbishing its food offering and from 12 November, it will feature five standalone eateries to create an
outdoor-restaurant feel, with LJS, The Coffee Club, Shamiana, Oporto and Nami.
To celebrate the newcomers, locals are being asked to pick one of the five and design a recipe to suit that eatery’s
type of cuisine, with a $50 budget for a family of four. One finalist for each food retailer will be selected for a
showdown event on Saturday 8 December, where each food retailer will cook their finalist’s recipe and offer locals a
taste.
Judging the finalists’ dishes will be Nancye Pirini, executive chef at Jet Park Hotel and former sous chef at Dine by
Peter Gordon. A Manukau mother of five, Nancye is raising her family in the area she grew up in and is proud to call
home. Her love and talent for food has seen her excel in her career, and she says, “Food brings pleasure and is
something anyone can add their own twist to. My restaurant Te Maroro at Jet Park Hotel is introducing a new seasonal
menu, and I will be inviting the Flava of Manukau winner and their family to Te Maroro to judge my food in turn.”
The four-star, 167-room Jet Park Hotel is five minutes from Auckland Airport, and with management committed to
involvement in the local community and proud of the award-winning Te Maroro, the hotel is partnering with Manukau Supa
Centa to ensure the Flava of Manukau competition detects and rewards local culinary flair.
Manukau Supa Centa manager Liz Williams is excited to be hosting a community cook-off and is looking forward to seeing
what emerges from Flava of Manukau. “I love the vibrancy of Manukau, and it’s a thrill to unveil the new look and feel
as we search for a winning dish that embodies the spirit of Manukau and our cultural melting pot.”
Finalists will be determined according to the number of ‘likes’ on the centre’s Facebook competition page, where entries
are open until 27 November.
For food retailer LJS, the new premises are exciting, and owner Ben Frewin says his team worked closely with the
community during the transition to maintain the supply of food to loyal customers – going as far as building a mobile
food trailer to meet demand during renovations. “Operating as a standalone store will give us flexibility in our trading
hours, and we want to actively engage with the community and support local events.”
To compete in Flava of Manukau, visit the Manukau Supa Centa Facebook page, enter your recipe for public vote and rally
support through your friends and family.
The overall winner will receive a grand-prize package valued at $1,000, including one night’s accommodation, dinner for
two and breakfast at Jet Park Hotel, plus gift cards to spend at Manukau Supa Centa. The five finalists will also
receive gift cards to spend at Manukau Supa Centa.
Entries can be submitted and voted for via http://bit.ly/TWbfJm.
About Manukau Supa Centa
Situated on the edge of the Puhinui Stream, Manukau Supa Centa offers a wide range of electrical, department, fashion,
household, food, furniture, leisure, children’s and telecommunications retailers to choose from. Its large-format stores
include Harvey Norman, Briscoes and Kmart, which accompany community staples such as a family chiropractor, pet store,
gym and an automotive services provider.
About Jet Park Hotel
The four-star, 167-room Jet Park Hotel, formerly known as Jet Inn Hotel, opened in June 1998. It is located five minutes
from Auckland Airport, and features an award-winning restaurant, Te Maroro. For many years the property has remained
under the same New Zealand family ownership and management, a major reason for its consistent improvement in the quality
of service and facilities for guests. The hotel was a finalist at the 2012 Hospitality Association Awards in the
categories of Best Hotel, Best Customer Service and Best Environmental, Sustainable, and Ethical Practice.
ENDS