Tō Mātou Haerenga
Our journey
From one man's solo mission in 2006 to a partnership carrying mātauranga kai Māori to marae across the motu — this is the journey so far.
Te tīmatanga
The beginning
From 2006, Chef Joe (Hamuera Orupe McLeod) began carrying his mātauranga kai Māori to marae. It was a mission built slowly, over more than a decade.
In March 2023, Adrian McVeigh assisted Joe with a wānanga at Te Tākinga Marae, Rotorua. That connection became the foundation for a partnership — Epuro Hands International and the Tangata Whenua Network came together as E Kai Māori, carrying Joe's kaupapa into its next phase.
Asher Regan joined the partnership after working alongside the kaupapa for two years — becoming the third partner in E Kai Māori.
Honing the wānanga
Over the following two years, E Kai Māori held a series of wānanga at marae the length of the motu — building relationships and refining the format before committing to a long term plan. Every wānanga carries the same purpose: reconnecting whānau with the whakapapa of foraging, rongoā, cooking and eating traditional kai.
See Wānanga for the full list of marae visited so far.
February 2024
Te Tii Marae, Waitangi
At the reopening of the whare tūpuna at Te Tii Marae, E Kai Māori supported the tangata whenua of the north to present kai to their manuhiri — arranging kai, foraging, and working alongside their own rangatahi, hole diggers and weavers to prepare a traditional hāngī for 10,000 people. It was the largest kaupapa the team had taken on, and one that grew directly out of the wānanga journey.
November 2024
Kamehameha Schools Presents ROOTS
E Kai Māori took part in Hawaii - Kamehameha Schools Presents ROOTS — years of tradition brought together through indigenous ingredients and culinary heritage. From Turtle Island to Aotearoa, each dish at ROOTS celebrated native foodways and sustainable practices passed down through generations.
March 2025
Waitangi Tribunal veterans hearing
E Kai Māori catered the Waitangi Tribunal's veterans hearing at Ōhākea Airbase — a kaupapa the team took on because it aligned directly with the purpose of the mahi.
November 2025
Indigenous Global Chefs Collective
E Kai Māori hosted the Indigenous Global Chefs Collective (IGCC) collaboration between 5 nations each paired with local Māori Chefs — opening with an invitational dinner for the Co-Chairs of the WIPCE Aotearoa Council, followed by a chef panel discussion at the Aotea Convention Centre auditorium with Scottie Morrison. The final event was 'Te Ataahua o te Kai' at Ōrākei Marae with an introduction and tasting representing the five nations involved.
August 2026
Kai Meets Shoku
E Kai Māori helped bring Kai Meets Shoku to life at Pipitea Marae — a Māori–Japanese fusion kai event with Chef Keiko Kuwakino of Niigata, Japan, held as part of Visa Wellington On a Plate.
Growing alongside others
Rangatahi Ora
Since Te Pātunga Marae in 2024, rangatahi from Rangatahi Ora have joined the kitchen teams at wānanga, Te Tii Marae, IGCC Collaboration and Kai Meets Shoku events.
NorthTec
Culinary students from NorthTec have done the same — including at Te Uri o Hina and the Te Tii Marae reopening — bringing new hands, and taking mātauranga back into their own training.
The haerenga continues. See where it's heading on Te Kaupapa.