Wine & Cheese Tasting
A field trip to Maison Vauron with our Diploma Cookery and hospitality students where we enjoyed a cheese and wine tasting.
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The Cheese
• Tomme de Chevre Cendree – raw goats milk from the Loire Valley. A cheese of smooth cream, mushroom with refreshing acidity
• Brie de Meaux, ripe, delicate, and always easy to like.
• Abbaye De Citeaux – a washed rind cheese of unpasteurised cows milk cheese produced in an Abbey in Bourgogne Montbeliarde cows. Funky and a bit wild on the nose but rich and creamy on the palate.
• Gruyère from Switzerland with butter and toasted nuts. So easy to eat more and more.
• Roquefort, the famous sheep’s milk cheese in the town of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon must lead the game of best blue. Creamy, feral but with good acidity and a long lingering finish.
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The wines
• Domain Roland Lavantureux Chablis AOC 2019
Green apple and lemon with crisp acidity
• Domain Jacqueson 1er Cru 2019 a Pinot Noir from the Bourgogne appellation of
Mercurey with notes of black cherries and plum, mushroom, autumn leaves.
• Petit Guiraud Sauternes 2019 second of wine Chateau Guiraud, ranked in the 1855 classification of Barsac and Sauternes. Ripe notes of Pineapple, honey. Dried apricots, sweet spices.
Brain Teaser of the Day 🧠✨ Can You Solve It? 🤔💬
Make a hearty dish. Take just half a minute. Add four parts of kestrel. Then just add one. What have you made?
(Trev from Silverdale kindly provided this head-scratcher ... thanks, Trev!)
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm on the day!
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Tour Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi & experience Vietnam’s culture
This premium 12-day Vietnam food tour, hosted by Leanne Kitchen from 15–27 October 2026, offers an exclusive culinary journey from NZD$5,995 per person (twin share). Book via Helloworld Travel Ponsonby (09 267 6758) on a first-come, first-served basis
Itinerary Highlights
The journey includes 10 nights of accommodation in boutique hotels and a 1-night cruise in Ha Long Bay
Ho Chi Minh City & Mekong Delta: Explore floating markets, visit coconut gardens, and sample regional specialties like "elephant ear fish".
Hoi An & Hue: Participate in cooking classes, tea tastings, and salt coffee experiences in these historic centers.
Halong Bay: Experience an overnight cruise with on-board cooking demonstrations.
Hanoi: Discover the capital's food culture through a guided street food tour and a traditional water puppet show.
What’s Included:
• Return flights ex Auckland + internal flights
• 11 nights premium accommodation
• Guided culinary experiences
• Discover Mekong Delta, Hoi An & Imperial Hue
• Overnight Halong Bay cruise with activities & all meals onboard
• Airport transfers & private transport throughout
• Small group: Maximum 18 travellers
Poll: Should the government levy industries that contribute to financial hardship?
As reported in the Post, there’s a $30 million funding gap in financial mentoring. This has led to services closing and mentors stepping in unpaid just to keep helping people in need 🪙💰🪙
One proposed solution? Small levies on industries that profit from financial hardship — like banks, casinos, and similar companies.
So we want to hear what you think:
Should the government ask these industries to contribute?
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59.5% Yes, supporting people is important!
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26.2% No, individuals should take responsibility
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14.4% ... It is complicated
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