Evening Cultural Experience & Hangi Dinner

Pull up a log, and view your kai being revealed.

A hangi is a method of cooking food in the ground and was used to feed the community or village. Used by Māori for centuries, it was born out of a necessity due to the sometimes harsh New Zealand climate. It came from the Polynesian “umu” which simply means “to cook above the ground”. The meal traditionally consisted of birds (nga manu) or native animals or eel known as “tuna”.

Today, the hangi would have meats such as NZ lamb, pork or beef, chicken, and vegetables like kumara (sweet potato), cabbage, potato, carrots, and other seasonal vegetables & a selection of salads, that are fitting for dietary requirements.  The hangi is seasoned with herbs and there is a buttery stuffing that is a local favourite.

Your hangi dinner starts off with a sample kawakawa and manuka honey tea, then fresh baked rewana bread. Your dinner is buffet style and a selection of salads that are fitting for all dietary requirements is served alongside the hangi main. You are invited to return for seconds or thirds if you wish. Desserts, although not necessarily traditional, are popular on the dinner table of any marae in Aotearoa NZ and we feature the classic steamed pudding, custard and cream, fresh seasonal fruit salad, and of course, the always popular trifle. 

The hangi is followed by a Māori cultural concert. When we entertain, we are real. We express ourselves so that you can feel our “ihi” our magnetism. It is our pleasure to entertain and entice your senses in a way that is educational, informative, and enlivening.  

 Nau mai. Haere mai. Come join us!