The Sauce NZ

This year more PR budget than ever has been spent on World Chocolate Day and perhaps for good reason. In this episode, Vicki and Tash, alongside Nick Brown from Cook & Nelson unpack the complexities of the chocolate industry, exploring how prices are set, the impact of supply chain exploitation, and what consumers can do to make informed choices. And why we don't. Discover how sustainabili...

This one is The Sauce's love letter to the humble carrot — a deep dive into the unsung hero of the produce aisle at this time of year. Join Tash and Vicki as we cover: The carrot as underdog Vicki's observation that carrot prices almost never spike (unlike cauliflower, cucumber, tomatoes) leads into a celebration of how reliable and cheap carrots are — roughly $1-2/kg regardless of season....

It's the morning after New Zealand's first ever Michelin announcement, and we have thoughts. A lot of them. Some about the food. Some about the ceremony. (Okay, quite a few about the ceremony.) In this bonus episode, Tash and Vicki unpack what was arguably the biggest night in New Zealand's culinary history — 110 special mentions, awards and stars across Auckland, Wellington, Christchu...

You know we love our pasta! And we thought we'd discovered the next big food hero when we found Monty's Pasta. Just a few weeks later he took out the Supreme Outstanding Food Producer award. So with Vicki, our resident Pasta Queen on the case - we delve into the story behind Monty's Pasta, a pioneering New Zealand-based pasta producer committed to local grains and innovative food pract...

This week Tash and Vicki are separating fact from folklore — and a few sacred cows are not making it out alive. From whether your eggs actually need the fridge (short answer: yes, but not for the reason Americans think) to the five second rule, oil in pasta water, and the enduring belief that red wine is basically medicine — they're working through the food and drink myths that somehow became...

Before there was Food-Tok, there was Allyson Gofton, beaming into our homes and teaching us simple recipes in the minutes before the news. As we continue to explore where Kiwis learn to cook - this is a special interview with Alison Gofton, about her journey to our screens, what's she's learned about people, tips on food and nutrition. Join us for a lively conversation filled with food sto...

In our quest to unpack where Kiwis learn to cook, Tash and Vicki uncover the massive changes facing Home Economics in schools - when all the research says learning the fundamental skill of cooking is essential for healthy outcomes. Adrienne Reeves, president of the Home Economics and Technology Teachers Association of New Zealand, exposes how recent curriculum shifts threaten to strip away essenti...

PART ONE: This week Vicki and Tash unpack where Kiwis really learn to cook and along the way discover some potentially frightening changes to the Home Economics curriculum on the agenda. From Mum's elbow to Gran's roast dinners and a meal box or two, the difference between generations and Foodtok is stark. We thrash it out and maybe end up with more questions than answers.

This week Tash and Vicki take down the leather-bound and exhaustive drinks list, the still-or-sparkling ambush, and why “something for everyone” so rarely delivers when the modern diner wants fewer drinks but better ones. Strap in.

In this episode of  The Sauce , Vicky and Tash sit back down with  Brianne West  (founder of  Incrediballs  and  Ethique ) to unpack what it really takes to launch a world-first, waste-free drinks brand. From a three-year R&D journey and an aborted launch to the brutal reality of “second album” expectations, Brianne shares candid insights on flavour science, consumer education, and why sustain...

This week Vicki insists on a performance review which is timely, given the very public performance review in the media right now, of controversial chefs. We discuss the implications for NZ but even as the story unfolds there is more to come and much more to discuss.

Vicki and Tash recently made it to Tasmania — and naturally, they ate and drank their way through it with absolutely no restraint. From cellar doors to oyster sheds, fine dining to roadside finds, this episode is the highlights reel you need before you book your own trip. Vicki's got the food, Tash has the drinks, and between them, nothing delicious escaped scrutiny. Ready to add a few hundred...

Vicki and Tash sit down with Miel Meyer, GM of one of New Zealand's most award-winning cheesemakers, Meyer Cheese. It's a compelling story of a Dutch family moving to NZ and creating a multi-generational family business. They have become a Cheese Awards icon, renown through the Waikato and a family favourite at the supermarket. However thanks to free trade agreements, the EU is coming for the chee...

From the Garden of Eden to the App Store, the apple has a lot to answer for. Vicki and Tash are tracing the fruit that tempted humanity, inspired scientists, and is yet another of New Zealand's world famous ingredients - in just 30min you'll know more about apples than a techbar specialist. Folklore, innovation, and more than a few crunchy opinions — this one's got layers. Consider you...

Rhi Baldock's More Than Toast is flying off the shelves in one of the year's hottest cookbooks so far. So Vicki and Tash invited her to the group chat to get saucy on giving cooks confidence in the kitchen. She's such an inspiring and practical teacher who can get anyone into the kitchen! Plus Tash is cracking open the good stuff with a 2023 Black Estate Pet Nat, and a brand new tonic...

Groceries eating your paycheck? Same. 🥦 Vicki and Tash put their collective kitchen skills together and did the maths — and if you just do these six things, you could save $50 a week on your food bill. Actual, practical, works-in-a-real-kitchen tips that don't require you to buy any new equipment or change anything drastic. Share it with all your friends. #thesaucenz #nzfood #grocerytips #savemon...

Vicki and Tash chew the cookies on the state of food criticism in New Zealand from giving feedback in a restaurant or dealing with a bad review. Of course we went to the source of all things sass when it comes to dealing with online bullies, talking with Erin Clarkson AKA @cloudykitchen who has perfected the art of dealing with criticism.

21 years producing landmark dining experiences in Hamilton is no small feat, so Vicki and Tash go behind the scenes with one of New Zealand's most down to earth but high achieving chefs, from beloved Waikato institution, Palate. Along the way, get ready for endearing love letters to Waikato growers and why the open pass was designed to rid the kitchen of bad behaviour.

Tash and Vicki dive deep into the crisis facing wine across Australia, Europe and the innovation happening in China. And who's to blame? Not who you think! Join us for this ride through wine, wine politics and changing consumer desire.

Join Vicki and Tash as we investigate what New Zealand's best cooks are willing to shortcut in the kitchen versus making from scratch. Not to mention our own pantry habits to make cooking easy.

Welcome back to The Sauce - because Tash and Vicki simply couldn't stay away from the group chat. This season we dive into hot food issues and plenty of straight talkin' about what makes New Zealand delicious. This week, we tackle all manner of protein heavy recipes in Vicki's quest for perfect macros. Tash just chews her way through the black bean brownies.

Tash and Vicki finally catch up on some travel adventures and dive into the winter goodies getting us through - like beef cheeks and warm cocktails. We put Wonderland Chocolate to the taste test before catching up with Kate Necklen ahead of Chocstock this weekend! Dive in - and visit https://www.wonderlandchocolate.co.nz/

To celebrate 21 episodes of The Sauce and our first negative review - Tash and Vicki welcome David Wrigley, the Editor of The Feed Weekly to the show to talk about what makes a good story, what makes us tick and some of what is coming next as we continue to love telling New Zealand food and beverage stories. Please show your support by rating and reviewing this podcast, sharing it with your friend...

The cold blast has arrived so Vicki talks us through her slow-cooked lamb ragu and homemade pasta for just $15 to feed the family! Then Tash leads through a tasting of New Zealand made vermouths before we chat to the New Zealand winners of The Perfect Blend NZ - a cocktail competition that will see NZ go head to head with Australia in the grand final next month in Queenstown. Go behind the scenes...

Vicki and Tash dive deep into flattened croissants and all things tea, not to mention the commercial challenges posed by DoorDash's expansion into Hamilton. Then we explore a food forest like no other.