Kia Ora!
So, I actually began to write a blog about the indescribable beauty of the nature of New Zealand, but before I finished it, we went to a dinner that felt much more important to me to share about. (I will gladly share some beautiful pictures of NZ at the end, though!)
Tonight we went to a restaurant called Everybody Eats. It’s a place in Wellington created to take “rescued food,” which is essentially food that won’t be sold in a supermarket or other restaurant and will otherwise be thrown away, and turn that food into an upscale three-course meal. These meals are served to anyone on a “pay-what-you-can basis,” meaning you could pay anywhere from a penny to a thousand pennies. This is geared towards people who can’t afford a meal, and it creates a community around a table four days a week. It’s sometimes difficult for them to make enough money to operate a sustainable business, but the kind people of Wellington and wider New Zealand keep it running.
Our meal was incredible. I was actually surprised, not expecting recycled food, food that the chefs don’t even know they’re going to get until they get it, to be one of the best meals I’ve had during my month here. The environment felt upscale, the staff was incredible, and the people who came to eat were lively and kind. And the menu was classy. I would have never known that this meal was from a mish-mosh of donated food. I was introduced to flavors that I’ve never tasted before.
This was our meal (the pictures definitely don’t even come close to illustrating the true quality).
Kai Timata (Beginners): Fried potato, cumin spring onion dressing, and blue cheese sauce (to die for).
Kai Matua (Main Meal): Confit garlic penne pasta, silverbeet pomodoro sauce and focaccia.
Kai Reka (Sweet Food): Coconut rice pudding with poached pear and apple.
(This was all taken directly from the menu, I have no idea what silverbeet pomodoro sauce is. But I also found it super interesting that they had Māori language to introduce to courses!)
The work they’re doing at Everybody Eats is amazing and moving. There’s certainly a presence of homelessness in Wellington, so this is a very obvious need. This trip has been so magical and special, and sometimes it’s so easy to get caught up in the magic and lose grasp of some of the more real aspects of life. But eating here tonight has reminded me of what’s important and that we are all just people who have dreams and aspirations and needs, and we have to look after one another in this huge world.
And as promised, here are some NZ views for the evening!
