TV Feature: A New Zealand Food Story w Ben Bayly
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The team are extremely honoured to be featured on the latest season of A New Zealand Food Story with well-known Kiwi chef Ben Bayly. The episode airs 12 July on TVNZ 1, and it’s a real honour to have Forest Lodge Orchard highlighted alongside some of Aotearoa’s most innovative food producers.
The show follows Ben as he travels the country, meeting producers and turning their ingredients into something special at his Auckland restaurant, Ahi. When he visited our orchard in Central Otago, he got a full tour of how we run a modern, zero-emissions cherry operation, and how we're powered entirely by the sun. Ben got stuck in with everything from learning how we grow and harvest our cherries using electric machinery, to understanding how our solar and battery system powers the entire operation. One of the most exciting parts of the visit was seeing our cherries turned into a dish that will be launching at Ahi. Ben created a new dessert named “The Electric Cherry”, now featured on the menu at his downtown Auckland restaurant. It’s a beautifully crafted dish made with our cherries and it’s an absolute honour to see our produce served in one of the country’s top restaurants.For us, it’s incredibly meaningful to be recognised not just for what we grow, but how we grow it.
A New Zealand Food Story is all about showcasing the future of food in Aotearoa. Being part of that conversation, and getting to share our approach to farming with a national audience, means a lot to our team.
Watch the episode here: A New Zealand Food Story on YouTube
Learn more about the show at nzfoodstory.com
Book a table and try The Electric Cherry at ahirestaurant.co.nz
Massive thanks to Ben Bayly and the team for visiting. Come back anytime!